Laptop Recommendation

[italianice]

Hi all, its been a few years since I was last here. Lotta changes, looks nice.
Ok so I have been running a old distros of Ubuntu, Mint and a few others on my Dell Latitude D830, Yes i know is old but it works, kinda, now. I tried to upgrade a few of my ISO to new versions and its consuming way to may resources. So I am considering a new Laptop so, I am looking for advice on what to stay away from vs what works for under $750. Thanks

[TheFu]

$750! That's a huge amount of cash.

You could probably use s lower GUI version of Linux to keep that D830 going fine, unless you want video transcoding or heavy gaming. Some people might want to convert an older laptop into a chromebook-like tool. It can't have the same security as a chromebook running ChromeOS (that is an OS + hardware thing), but a very light distro designed around ChromiumOS can be very helpful to bring older stuff back to usefulness. https://flintos.io/ is one option. There are others.

A friend found a 3-4 yr old 15 inch Core i7 Dell laptop for $250 on eBay. It didn't have any OS, so most people wouldn't buy it. Linux people don't need an OS, so we can save $200. It needed a charging brick and new battery and there was a 1 inch scratch that couldn't be seen on the bottom.

If your usage hasn't changed from what the D830 does, then you can probably be very happy with a $130 "refurb" from a local computer store with an early Core i5 CPU.

Lenovo and Dell lines have a good reputation with wide Linux support, but without knowing all sorts of thing about your planned use, peripherals, screen size, screen resolution, CPU needs, RAM needs, and which keyboards you actually like, nobody can really help. I know that I'll never have a laptop screen with less than 1080p resolution again and a desktop with less than 1200p resolution. I also have eSATA external docks for storage, so an eSATA port is a must for me. GigE is another requirement. On my current chromebook, got a USB3-to-GigE adapter to make that work. But everyone is a little different. Your needs probably aren't the same as mine. I barely care if wifi works and certainly wouldn't pay a premium to get 750+ Mbps capable wifi. We are all different.

If you want a Linux pre-installed, there are a number of companies doing that too. System67, Dell come to mind.

Just throwing out some ideas. Every month or so, someone asks about a computer and we provide vague suggestions because the requirements are vague. While it is important to be flexible to get the best deal, some specifics are needed.

[sudodus]

+1

I agree with TheFu, that it can be a good idea to buy a refurbished computer. Computers that are a couple of years old are usually more compatible with linux than brand new computers.

[ImpWarfare]

+1
I agree with TheFu, but do make sure to do your own research first like for example if the graphics card is supported on Linux etc. and will be able to run the latest Ubuntu system also. Don't jump straight away to a laptop as you'll like in most scenarios find something better and wished that you hadn't wasted the money. Think carefully when buying the Laptops. Don't forget that the latest Linux kernel had removed some support for certain processors like Intel Pentium I think so do check first before buying.

[TheFu]

There are many different "Pentium" branded CPUs. I have a "Pentium G3258" from 2015. It is nothing like the Pentium CPUs from 1998. It is more like a Core i5 from 2010 - not bad for $50 in 2016. Support for it definitely has not been dropped by any OS.

The Core 2 Duo T7250 CPU in a Dell D830 is a really bad CPU. Passmark of only 1100. My G3258 Pentium has a passmark about 3800, so the CPU is about 3.5x faster. Passmark isn't the end-all, be-all of total system performance, but it is apples-to-apples for a general "how fast is this" x86 CPU comparison.

In short, always check the passmark BEFORE buying any CPU/system. Google the CPU model and passmark to find the number for almost any intel-compatible CPU.

[poorguy]

Computers that are a couple of years old are usually more compatible with linux than brand new computers.

No better advice ever spoken.

[italianice]

Thank you Flu for the response. my need have got more resource hungry over the last year. My thoughts for a new laptop are, at least 4 core, and 8 to 16g ram, looking at 3d modeling and 1080res with a docking station. I have always had computer that were many years old. Except my Apple //e. I work for a year to buy her new. so I have an idea of what I am looking for. I was just looking for brand input more than anything. And thanks to all for your input
Cheers

[italianice]

Thank you Flu for the response. my need have got more resource hungry over the last year. My thoughts for a new laptop are, at least 4 core, and 8 to 16g ram, looking at 3d modeling and 1080res with a docking station. I have always had puter that werr many years old. Except my Apple //e. I work for a year to buy her new. so I have an idea of what I am looking for. I was just looking for brand input more than anything.

[mastablasta]

you may want to look into "work station" laptops for more power.

also most business models are more durable and actually made to do some serious work on them.

[italianice]

Hi Mastablasta, interesting had not thought like that and will look into it.
Cheers