laptop recommendations?

[Bodaciously_Moronic]

I'm still new to Linux but I'm getting stuff figured out. I am considering getting a new laptop but I'm unsure of which one of what kind would be the best fit for Linux, Linux terminal, Fedora, etc... I'm assuming I might need one with a lot of RAM but I'm unsure I'm not a big tech person at all. Any ideas?

 

[darry1966]

Dell and Thinkpads.

 

[f33dm3bits]

I've had good experiences with Lenovo, Dell and HP. You could also have a look at System76 laptops.

 

[forester]

Minimal for decent performance, IME --

Core2Duo or better running as close to three gigs as one can get, or better
8 GB RAM
Any size 3.5" SSD
Intel graphics

ebay has many good used ones I have purchased four and had not a problem, yet
Dell Latitudes

 

[Alexzee]

Hi & welcome to Linux.org-

I recommend a laptop with at least 4 GB of RAM.

I've been running Linux operating systems for 13 years plus and I've experienced that it can be very hard to install the drivers for Nvidia GPU's. You may want to purchase a laptop with Intel, AMD, or other type of graphics for ease of use if you plan to install Fedora.

Fedora is a Red Hat based Linux distro and it's the test bed for Red Hat Enterprise Linux. Something to think about.

If your new to Linux Ubuntu, Linux Mint or Debian are fairly easy to run. Linux Mint is great for newbies and it only takes about 15 minutes to install.

Hardware Compatability

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[kc1di]

I'm still new to Linux but I'm getting stuff figured out. I am considering getting a new laptop but I'm unsure of which one of what kind would be the best fit for Linux, Linux terminal, Fedora, etc... I'm assuming I might need one with a lot of RAM but I'm unsure I'm not a big tech person at all. Any ideas?

I have always had good linux installs on Lenovo thinkpad 8 Gbs ram is plenty for ordinary stuff. I buy all my thinkpads refurbished. Save alot of money. Or course system 76 is a good choice also but they are a bit pricey.
Good luck in your search.

 

[Brickwizard]

Keep away from chromebooks, anything made for windows will usually suffice, as a long time Linux user, I would not waste money on a new one, you can pick up a good 3-8 year old one that will work well and still give years of useful life.

 

[Bodaciously_Moronic]

thank you! I think I found a decent, used, and budget-friendly one that fits most of the needs mentioned. Thank you again.

 

[darry1966]

Keep us posted on how you get on.

 

[Bodaciously_Moronic]

alright, will do!

Keep us posted on how you get on.

 

[KGIII]

My last laptop purchase was an MSI. It just has Intel graphics - which is actually what I wanted.

It works flawlessly and the NVMe is absurdly fast - meaning the write portion of installing Linux takes a literal handful of minutes.

 

[MikeWalsh]

I've always had success with Dells and HP. And if you get 'em with Intel hardware, you can't go wrong. Intel has always been very Linux-friendly.

I've run Puppy Linux on both of the above for the best part of a decade. Nvidia drivers CAN be something of a PITA, but we're lucky; one of our Japanese Puppy Forum members wrote his own installer for compiling/installing the Nvidia .run files which you obtain direct from Nvidia's website.....and it works SO well, it's become the defacto standard for our community.

Linux is pretty easy to get along with these days, so long as you start off with something easy to use to begin with.....like Linux Mint. Once you've used it for long enough to get the hang of how things are done in Linux, you'll find yourself wanting to explore some of the other many distros out there. We call this "distro-hopping", and it's a stage everybody goes through, as you look for "the one" that suits YOU down to the ground. You'll know when you find it, trust me......and we'll be more than happy to help you on your journey.

As @Brickwizard says, one of the many refurbished items out there will be ideal to learn Linux on.....and will probably last you several years into the bargain.


Mike.

 

[f33dm3bits]

thank you! I think I found a decent, used, and budget-friendly one that fits most of the needs mentioned. Thank you again.

Which one did you end up ordering?

 

[Bodaciously_Moronic]

2018 Dell Inspiration

Which one did you end up ordering?

 

[Brickwizard]

2018 Dell Inspiration

I assume it's a 15-5000 series, you should have little problems, the only thing I can think of, is Dell often uses Broadcom wireless cards, but drivers are readily available

 

[Bodaciously_Moronic]

alright