Hello everyone,
I currently use Linux as my personal operating system and really enjoy it. I’m now looking for a reliable laptop for my business.
I’ll mainly use it for office work, software development, and programming in C++ and Python. I use Debian, so good Linux compatibility is important. Durability and repairability are also high priorities, since I plan to use it as my primary work laptop every day.
Could you recommend any laptops that would be a good fit?
Framework and System76 aren’t options for me because I’m located in Costa Rica, where they aren’t readily available.
Thank you!
Older T ThinkPads
Las Lenovo Thinkpad son lo mas recomendado con razón, pero suelen ser bastantes caras aquí en Latinoamerica. Una buena opción más económica son las Lenovo Thinkbook, tengo una con Debían instalado y funciona todo.
Lenovo ThinkPads are quite compatible.
They are also easy to get into, just undo some screws and you’re in. Just make sure the insides have expandability in case you want to plug in another SSD or more RAM (in this economy?! 😉).
Lenovo Thinkpad. New ones are quite expensive. But they tend to last a decade and many companies sell off old ones, so you might get a used one for cheap. Don’t get the E or L series, though; those are cheaply made. T, X, etc. are good.
What do you mean durable? As long as you are careful, and don’t use it as a frisbee, any laptop can last for 10 years. If you travel about with it, get a proper laptop shoulder bag that fits it well and has a soft padded interior. Then keep the laptop in that when you travel, and don’t squash it into a bag or suitcase.
Beyond that, simply look for the laptop that you like best. The Thinkpad is a meme laptop IMO. I had one for work, and yes it worked fine with Linux, but so did both the laptops I bought for myself, neither of which were Thinkpads. If you like the look of the Thinkpad, then go for it. Personally I don’t really dig that clunky 90s aesthetic, I prefer laptops with a sleek minimalist aluminium look.
My advice is to make a checklist of everything you need and/or want in your laptop. How long do you want it to run on battery? What size screen do you want? What connectivity does it need - USB-C ports, a couple of USB-A as well? Do you want it to use a USB-C charger (this is very convenient when travelling)? What kind of touchpad, keyboard layout, how much RAM, what speed WiFi etc etc
Then simply start looking, and build a shortlist of laptops that appeal. Create a spreadsheet, with a column for each of the features you identified as being important in the last step.
Regarding Linux support, the best thing you can do is check reviews. Even if you buy elsewhere, Amazon reviews are great for this - you can search reviews for keywords, so when you see a laptop you like the look of, search for reviews that mention Linux, and check that everyone’s happy and not complaining about unsupported devices. This is not the lucky dip that it used to be, but there are still problematic components like network adapters that may not work out of the box.
I have only had two laptops, the first of which I bought in 2018. It was an Asus, very midrange at £600. I prepared a live USB, booted on to it and checked everything worked OK, which it did, and then without further ado I installed Linux. The sensible thing to do would be to have left the “Windows rescue partition” intact for a couple of weeks until I was sure I was happy with the machine, but I just wanted all trace of Microshit purged from my shiny new machine, so I deleted it and set the entire disk as my single Linux partition (plus of course a small boot partition), and I never looked back.
The computer worked great, did everything I needed from it and was still going strong last year when I finally got a replacement. The laptop I have now is a Lenovo IdeaPad 5. It was also £600, and its performance is way better than expected, being way faster and more pleasant to use than my old Asus. it has an integrated Intel Arc graphics card, which is surprisingly capable. While my old laptop could only run vintage games, such as KOTOR, this new one is able to run current games on medium-low settings. I’ve currently got addicted to ARC Raiders, and it runs perfectly acceptably. Nothing like as smooth and pretty as it runs on my desktop PC at home, but perfectly good enough for me.
https://www.ifixit.com/Device/Lenovo_ThinkPad_T14_Gen_7
The Lenovo Thinkpad T14 Gen 7 got a 10/10 repairability score on ifixit.
I bought one recently. It runs Fedora Silverblue great. Everything works, Bluetooth, webcam, etc.
I’d like to add that Lenovo’s warranty and extended warranty is second to none. Although I cannot verify Costa Rica, I do know that they have strong international coverage. Thinkpads are meant for business across the globe.
If you can, look for used Lenovo Thinkpads. Those machines are extremely compatible with Linux, out of the box, have good hardware profiles and, if used, can be sources really cheap and are very easily repairable.
I have two Thinkpads running Debian and the machines are brilliant.
Thinkpad + Debian = perfection
Lenovo has pimped out the Thinkpad name ever since they bought it from IBM. Whilst some thinkpads are still durable (the business class especially) they also slap the name on some very poorly made laptops. Worth spending time researching models rather than just assuming every thinkpad is built like they used to be.
I wouldn’t completely disagree with what you’re saying, but ThinkPads are absolutely still the most reliable laptops you can buy in their respective price range
Worth spending time researching models rather than just assuming every thinkpad is built like they used to be.
A very brief version: Look for T-series with specs you like. W works too if that branch is still around. Xnnn series is pretty good too, X1 not so much. L series is a consumer brand, a bit better today but specially first L-models were just trash.
Thanks for adding the model ranges, @IsoKiero@sopuli.xyz
Thank you!
Have you checked out Framework? They build laptops aiming to be as repairable as desktop PCs and have become a favorite of linux users (myself included)
EDIT: apologies for not seeing the Framework note at the end of the OP (thanks for pointing that out @digdilem@lemmy.ml)
We use framework, and they are very good and I like them a lot. (Noting OP explicitly excludes them though)
But I wouldn’t say they’re particularly durable. The chassis has some flex in it and we’ve had two screens fail out of 30 without being particularly abused.
But of course, parts are available and repairs are very easy, so there’s that.
Used thinkpad 16gb+ ram, i5 10th gen or higher.
Being European, I’m assuming slimbooks aren’t really it easily available? Repairable, Linux-first. Very happy with mine.
I been selling used dell latitude 3520s. They’re less durable than the old style thinkpad but about on par with the new style ones. They’re just as repairable. Manuals and parts available online.
I am happy with the refurbished ThinkPad T590 that I purchased earlier this year. It works well with Debian. The primary reason I purchased it is because I couldn’t get a replacement keyboard for my not so old Dynabook. No such problem with this one - parts are readily available.
Thanks for the advice!
Today I was looking at the Intel IME issue.
Intel has the following advisory: Intel® Management Engine Critical Firmware Update (Intel-SA-00086)
Intel does not provide updates to the software in their IME. They claim they cannot do so due to the system manufacturers possibly having customized parts of the system.
Lenovo no longer supports this model. The last IME update from Lenovo was to version 12.0.95.2489, release by Lenovo 2025/02/13.
This predates to latest vulnerability discoveries in the Intel IME. Neither Intel nor Lenovo will provide any further updates for this model. So it will remain vulnerable.
You should consider this, when you consider any older laptop with an Intel CPU.
Otherwise, I am quite happy with it. It is physically more robust than my previous laptops and it works very well with Debian. But it isn’t a perfect solution.
I don’t know how they are today but I have an old af latitude e5430 that’s been used hard and still works great.
I’ve got a Framework 16 and love it. Very good laptop and they have first-class Linux support. It’s unfortunate you can’t get one!
Failing that, the Lenovo ThinkPad business laptops (the T, X and P series) are good. For work, I’ve currently got a ThinkPad T1g, and used to have an X1 Extreme. Fedora runs perfectly on both.
