I'm looking for the "best" linux compatible laptop you know about (business). Here are some specs: - min. 8GB RAM - SSD - VGA (for beamer support) - HDMI / DVI - MUST work with Ubuntu Linux 14.04 without poking around for weeks just to get the damn W-LAN running or jokes like that - Shouldn't cost more than 1.3k €urons
I came up with a custom configured Schenker, but maybe you know something better :D!
It'd be awesome to get some recommendations! Thanks in advance for sharing your experience!
./sz0ka
I guess the search count should show you something.
I'm on a W530. It's a beast and everything works. And I'm talking Debian!
The fingerprint reader doesn't work, but you shouldn't use it anyway because it offers no real security.
The BIOS doesn't support booting off the sdcard or expresscard slot, which isn't a linux-specific problem, but is a giant pain in the ass.
edit: also adding, I bought it only maybe a year ago, and the battery is already at around 50% recharge capacity. I don't know if it's me or it's linux, but I only run Linux and it's torn through thinkpad and macbook (2008-ish) batteries.
Wasn't there a recall for some Thinkpad batteries a while back? Maybe you can get a replacement.
It's irritating that they won't sell them without windows, but at least they're guaranteed compatible.
Elaborate, please?
Same here: Quad-core i7, 32 GB RAM, 480 GB SSD + 500 GB SATA, 1920x1080. This thing is mostly going to waste. :(
I really could use a machine with 64GB.
http://www.anandtech.com/show/7742/im-intelligent-memory-to-...
And (for me at least) there are no better laptops out there. They should have all of your needs covered. I would suggest going for the T540. It's awesome.
the Tx30 is "theoretically" previous generation, but the problem with the current generation of Thinkpads is the touchpad without buttons which is very bad (not like the macbook) as well as the fact that several of them have one ram slot soldered to the motherboard, so you cant upgrade.
Also, most of the processors seem underpowered. You will be able to find previous generation thinkpads for less than 800 euros.
Having said that, the Dell Latitudes are also fully compatible with Linux - but not as cool looking.
While flexibility is always going to be a geek plus its sort of a thing of the past.
Really happy with it. I bought a T440 for someone recently, which is also really nice however it seems the RAM is limited to 12GB max (too little for my use).
No problems whatsoever running Linux on it.
Lenovo often feels tacky if only because of their price constraints but what they offer for the price is usually an astonishingly solid build.
On the Linux compatibility side of things - most issues have work arounds on day one and full compat within a couple of months. I assume this is because of the heavy Linux following behind the think pad series.
As for the trackpad, I'm not a good reviewer. I use the red trackpoint exclusively. My previous laptop (X61t) didn't even have a trackpad. Between the trackpoint and the touch screen, I don't ever use the trackpad.
I installed archlinux, and still havent got the fonts right. Its so much strain on the eyes and I had to go back to mac.
I'm using a 2009 MBP and the Linux experience is frustrating. (I'm not even dual booting)
It's fine if you enjoy tinkering with the system and finding different drivers and so on, and it's probably good as a learning experience. (WIFI doesn't work. Some models don't have ethernet. That's a fun and relatively easy puzzle to solve).
https://wiki.archlinux.org/index.php/Infinality-bundle+fonts
How did ubuntu fix font issues? That code should be FOSS! Let me see how I can make that run on arch ;)
PS: I use a very minimal arch machine with i3 wm (the most awesome WM ever and I pretty much hate gnome and unity religiously. I think KDE is a bloat) I'll soon have a look at it again, and will post here if something good comes along.
My current machine is a Dell XPS 13 Developer Edition, which ships with Ubuntu pre-installed.
Good battery life, excellent performance and nice size/weight - comparable to a 13" Macbook Air.
You'll ned a mini-DP to HDMI/DVI converter cable though.
FYI - all of this will cost you less than 10 bucks.
I have the 2014 edition, mine never gets uncomfortably hot, and I rarely hear the fan running. I routinely compile lots of code on it (C/C++ and some Java).
I recently installed Fedora 20 on it with no problems. I except Ubuntu 14.04 works well too.
All the hardware works out of the box. As usually, the proprietary NVIDIA drivers gave me fits, so I've just uninstalled them for now. Battery life is still good, as usually the Intel chip is used, even with an external monitor connected (unlike a MacBook Pro).
Doesn't require any binary blobs and comes with Trisquil GNU/Linux pre-installed.
[1] http://www.coreboot.org/Board:lenovo/x60#Problems_in_native_...
That said, I have an X60 and it's a great machine to use, if only a bit underpowered these days.
The specs are very well chosen for most developer users at a very reasonable price. From your requirements, I believe the only thing missing is native VGA support, which I'm sure you can easily fix with a simple adapter.
They ship with Ubuntu and are generally comfortable with Debian.
But so far I'm satisfied. The x240 is a decent laptop. It was a good choice to wait for the FHD model and not to fall for a MacBook Pro.
Dell's Sputnik project seems to have worked out the kinks as I haven't had any problems with hardware support.
http://www.ubuntu.com/certification/
In my experience Dells usually work well and if you're willing to spend the money they have some pretty decent end developer laptops that come with ubuntu (xps I think).
Edit: seeing as Ubuntu 14.04 has only been out for a couple weeks the links provided may not be as relevant because they're so far only certified to run on 12.04, but it still gives you some inference as to what manufactures have the best support.
I bought a laptop a couple of years ago off that list. Dell Latitude E5520. It is like a cheaper Thinkpad.
At least here in Finland they cost about 1100 euros (http://www.verkkokauppa.com/fi/product/36916/dnqkg/Asus-Zenb...). While it does not have VGA output, it comes with HDMI->VGA adapter.
Recommendations at different prices points would also be appreciated!
The first one I bought was a Pangolin that I used everyday for work and play, in an average of 12hrs/day, and lasted 4 years, before the display started to have problems, at which point I bought another one.
Most things work as expected on delivery, usb ports, camera, mic, audio jacks, hdmi, etc. The laptop itself feels pretty solid.
The low points: speakers are crap (I use headphones), touchpad is crap (I use a mouse), not the most innovative design (I once had someone commenting to me that my laptop must be pretty old, it was only 2 years old).
I have a Thinkpad 430s with a bay battery now, which gets 4-6 hours of battery life. I would have a hard time going back to a machine with a battery life much shorter than that.
It works fine on Ubuntu 14.04 here, including wlan, suspend-to-RAM (I haven't tried suspend-to-disc, since I have no swap partition), function keys (backlight, keyboard backlist, switch off trackpad etc.).
Battery lifetime is -- in typical office workload, including wlan -- between 3.5 and 5H, mostly depending on backlight setting.
And I guess that's common to most SSD-equipped notebooks, but bootup is really fast (haven't measured it, but probably ~8s).
(Just a small note: to install linux, you first must remove all "secure boot" keys in the bios, then disable secure boot; windows 8 still worked fine afterwards).
Specs:
Intel Core i5-3320M 2.6Ghz (Dual-Core) Intel HD4000 Integrated Graphics 8GB DDR3 RAM 500GB Samsung 840 Evo SSD 15.6" 1080p IPS Screen Blacklit keyboard
Price: About 1200€ after replacing the screen and SSD.
Forgot to tell that with TLP and a 9-cell battery I get about 7.5 hours of battery life using the ondemand profile.
Clickpad fix, which feels good:
http://rscircus.org/post/72978821261/t440s-clickpad-fix-whic...
Decent power management:
http://rscircus.org/post/71103253232/linux-on-lenovos-thinkp...
Disclaimer: Wrote that myself to have a manual on how to setup it again in case my machine crashes.
It's hard to get external monitors / projectors etc to work with this setup.
Pick one. Personally I find HPs ZBook15 interesting, but Linux models begin from $2500.
> VGA (for beamer support)
get an external dongle, otherwise you are limiting your options needlessly.
The latest edition is even better.
At the time I also looked at the ultrabook from System 76 but decided to skip it because of keyboard issue reports and lack of support in my country.
Edit 1: The keyboard on the Dell XPS is nowhere as good as a Thinkpad, but it beats them on form factor, price and support (at least in my country).
Edit 2: The X1 carbon has a slightly flexible carbon-fiber chassis which I didn't like but it's a great option if you want a bigger display than the XPS 13 and don't mind the price.
I just took a look and the newer model E540 can be ordered with a full HD screen (15") which weren't available on the older ones.
Sometimes I boot the Windows-7 partition.
My spinning rust is a 500 GB drive.
How you should buy your machine also depends on what country you are in. Local suppliers often give much better support than mail-order.
Tested and true:
* Ideapad G780 (17 inch) * Ideapad Y560 * Ideapad G560
The casing quality isn't that great so if you're always on the go you might want to get a ThinkPad instead, but they're really great for something you occasionaly take with you and mostly just move around the home/office.
PS: the link to the ubuntu page with certified hardware is great!
./sz0ka
MacBooks are good buy if you live in the US, but here in Europe their prices/service/support are a joke.
Fujitsu is my favourite laptop brand, but their Linux support is iffy at best.
been using it for months now without any issues.
edit: for more power i can recommend the lenovo T440, a friend of mine bought one and he is completely satisfied with it)
http://www.jx0.org/2013/12/dell-xps-13-developer-edition-rev...
