Are there any comparable non-Apple laptops which are well supported by Linux? I'd hate to pay the Apple tax, only to run Linux on the bare metal. Plus, I'm assuming "Apple care" goes out the window once you wipe out MacOS?
Apple officially supports running your own kernels on these machines. This isn't a jailbreak, it's an official feature of the hardware and firmware design that Apple added, and which their EULA allows you to use in this way.
These machines are also not brickable, you can always do a DFU restore from macOS or (soon; Monterey needs some stuff I already figured out but haven't implemented yet, but it works for older versions on the M1s) Linux using idevicerestore, no matter how much you wipe or screw up.
(That said, I wouldn't recommend wiping macOS at this stage; we expect most users to have a dual-boot setup.)
I spent a fortune on a Lenovo X1 Extreme, and the thing bricked itself three times in 14 months, the last of which was outside the warranty window, and it's now basically impossible to get repaired (I couldn't even get anyone to look at it, and Lenovo is no help at all). Even if it weren't bricked, the shitty plastic case is already getting loose (the display hinge is loose/wobbly and squeaky); the speakers sound terrible; it's loud; it gets unbearably hot.
Dell laptops are pretty good with Linux, but the build quality is similarly poor. Linux-first laptops like System 76's are clunky and inferior.
It's really hard to beat MacBooks on a hardware level. I'd love to run Linux on one.
In terms of hardware and build quality, apple is crushing it with m1 mpb.
However, I just received my framework laptop and am totally excited by it. The build quality is pretty good compared to my 2019 15” intel mbp.
It feels like a hunk of metal, similar to mbp. I love the size, the monitor is great, keyboard is much better, and all the parts are replaceable. Running arch with zero issues so far (although i havent tried bluetooth or fingerprint reader yet).
The battery doesnt seem great (8hr real use) and the speakers are not even close to my mbp.
Other than those two items (both of which are fixable with battery pack + headphones) I find the offerings very similar.
Eight hours of real use is fantastic. I've never gotten more than eight hours out of a MBP while doing actual work; it's usually more like 4-5 hours, if I'd doing things like running Docker and frequently doing builds and running tests. Laptop manufacturers stretch their battery life claims like crazy. My MBP will last 12 hours if all I'm doing is using a terminal to SSH somewhere and doing very light web browsing, but if I'm doing dev work, forget it.
[0]: https://frame.work/
Another one is ARM, but very under-powered: https://www.pine64.org/pinebook-pro/.
if mbp is a 10:
monitor 9
trackpad 8
keyboard 15
case 9
ports 20
battery 6
speakers 5
I an shocked by how well the trackpad works. I havent messed with gestures yet but the precision seems on par to me.
Linux support is first class.
Im very happy with my decision. M1 mbp is definitely better overall but I would choose this laptop over it in a heartbeat.