Affordable Linux-ready ultrabooks or tablet-convertibles?
July 9, 2020 5:53 PM   Subscribe

I'm looking for recommendations for affordable but durable and hard working linux-ready ultrabooks and/or tablet convertibles without the "Windows Tax".

My trusty old 2012 MacBook Pro is getting increasingly beat up by too much heavy mobile use and pretty soon it'll be difficult to find reliable parts, batteries and etc.

My OS of choice is Ubuntu Studio. I'm looking for linux-ready workhorse ultrabooks or maybe even a 2-in-1 tablet/laptop convertibles with comparable or better specs than this MBP.

8+ gb RAM with upgrade options
256gb SATA SSD or eMMC

USB 3, hopefully 2 to 3 ports.

SD or other card reader

Screen size 10-14"

Decent keyboard.

Decent audio options.

Good video card a major plus for basic 3D and 2D gaming/media work and play.

No optical needed, looking for something lighter and easier to carry.

Refurb/used is ok as long as it has some kind of warranty

No Windows pre-installed or windows tax. Chrome is ok as long as it can be wiped right out of the box and it can run Ubuntu. (Some Chromebooks do not play well.)

I would also like to avoid HP products in particular. I haven't met a single laptop of theirs in the last few years that doesn't totally suck.

Thank you!
posted by loquacious to Computers & Internet (11 answers total) 3 users marked this as a favorite
 
Used Lenovo Thinkpad on eBay.
posted by oceanjesse at 7:41 PM on July 9, 2020 [2 favorites]


Seconding oceanjesse's recommendation. I've been running linux on thinkpads for over 20 years. The last one I had (t510) lasted 7 years. I'm three years into it's replacement (t470). Linux is my primary desktop os and I love them. Last gen new models can drop in price dramatically but they are durable and the keyboards are great.
posted by roue at 8:21 PM on July 9, 2020


This guide to used ThinkPads was recommended to me in a recent ask; looks to be a great resource.
posted by bertran at 10:42 PM on July 9, 2020 [1 favorite]


I've been reasonably happy purchasing from both Zareason and System76 in the past. My Zareason laptop has a super chunky case that had some mechanical problems after a couple of years, and I don't use it much any more, but it's about 10 years old and still works fine. Neither company is likely to be the cheapest option out there, but I've been pretty happy with the quality from both of them.

I have a Chromebook that I use for greater portability, and I run Linux on it via crouton. It doesn't sound like what you're looking for but I thought I'd mention it just in case you weren't aware of the option. I prefer working just on a straight Linux system but crouton is a nice compromise for letting me get a little more out of what otherwise is a netbook.
posted by biogeo at 12:01 AM on July 10, 2020


Seconding System76. Bought about 6 years ago, still great and lightweight, nicely portable. Ran Ubuntu, Linux Mint and Fedora. I think Mint was my favorite.
posted by VyanSelei at 11:03 AM on July 10, 2020


I've had great success running Linux with past Thinkpads. Driver support tends to be very good because they are used by developers who fairly quickly solve any issues with new models. There are occasional exceptions with certain optional upgrades that aren't widely used, but the "Top Seller" standard versions usually just work.

Some Chromebooks with Intel CPUs can also be a good option. My ancient $200 brand new Acer isn't anything to write home about in terms of build quality, but it runs Linux just fine. So does my Surface Pro 2, for that matter.
posted by wierdo at 12:21 PM on July 10, 2020


If you want new and don't want a System76 or ZaReason (that's a new one to me, will have to keep an eye on that) system, Dell has Developer Editions of their quite nice XPS 13" ultrabooks that ship with Ubuntu. Here's an Ars Technica review of the latest one from last month that compares and contrasts it with the Windows one. This link ought to take you to the general XPS 13" current-gen lineup, and you can choose Ubuntu from the thing there to find the Developer Edition models. They don't appear to do the convertibles in that flavor, though. Dell has done this for some time too so you may be able to find a used Developer Edition machine, though if you're getting used you're not necessarily paying the "Windows tax" anyway (other than maybe in your own time, if you weren't going to wipe a used machine anyway).

Dell Ubuntu, it should be noted, isn't a totally stock Ubuntu experience; they do add some stuff in there to make the first-boot experience nicer and add in drivers and stuff. The Ars article goes into more detail. But, DE machines definitely aren't just "we took this Windows laptop and put a Ubuntu ISO on a flash drive" conversions; they do spend some time making things work nicely.

Chromebook seems like a bad idea unless you're just using this for basic Internet terminal use, and even then not so much. Even new ones are typically packing Celerons and stuff in them, and eMMC storage and no upgradeability. They're really meant to be disposable. Plus, installing Linux usually means either sort of doing it with Crouton or the built-in Linux support they have now, or basically installing a third-party EFI firmware over the default Chrome OS one (which may involve opening the machine - some of them require you to physically remove a screw to unlock the firmware for that sort of thing). On top of that, getting a normal computer level of hardware out of a Chromebook usually means spending normal laptop prices: for example, the Latitude Chromebook Dell that has a decent amount of storage and RAM and not-a-Celeron-but-still-older Core i5 in it is within a few hundred bucks of the much nicer XPS Developer Edition with a brand new i5 CPU and better SSD storage and all sorts of other nice things. Once it's done it's fine but it's a pain to deal with initially, and the hardware limitations of (most?) of them are something to keep in mind, especially if you're going to be using it for more than just casual web browsing and stuff.
posted by mrg at 3:20 PM on July 10, 2020


Response by poster: Thank you everyone!

Does anyone have any opinion about this model of Lenovo Flex?

https://www.amazon.com/Lenovo-Processor-Graphics-Included-81X20005US/dp/B086226DDB/ref=lp_13896609011_1_4?s=pc&ie=UTF8&qid=1594340742&sr=1-4

I think my only major reservation is that the RAM is soldered in and it's a plastic chassis and case, and I want something durable that's going to last for about 4-5 years as this is a significant investment for me even for a "budget" laptop. The DDR4 dual channel RAM and Ryzen CPU is really attractive at that price, even with the Windows tax.

I like the System76 stuff but it's way out of my budget.
posted by loquacious at 8:51 AM on July 11, 2020


You could get a lightly used T or X series within your budget that would probably be a far better laptop. IBM still sells off lease refurb units even though they don't make them any more if you have concerns about buying something from eBay.

I may be stuck in the past, but I wouldn't expect good battery life out of an AMD APU.
posted by wierdo at 11:14 AM on July 11, 2020


Response by poster: Update: I went with the Lenovo Flex (with the generous help of family) and got it yesterday, and immediately wiped the drive and installed Ubuntu with very little hassle.

I really wanted a brand new computer for once with a full warranty - this is the first new in box computer since maybe 2007 or so. I just don't have the time to deal with an older/used computer right now and I've spent a lot of time and money repairing hand-me-downs over the last decade or so.

The Ryzen 4000 series processor absolutely freakin' rips in Ubuntu 20. I've thrown some heavy audio processing tasks and other media stuff and it totally smokes my MBP.

The only small hitch was having to update the kernel manually to a more recent version (5.7.7) not yet packaged with Ubuntu 20.04 LTS, but that's easy to do today with the Mainline tool. So far everything works, including the Wacom pen, the touch screen and the function keys for brightness and volume control. I think the only things that don't work with a stock 20.04 LTS install were the HDMI out port and the function keys, but updating the kernel fixes that just fine and seems to include the current firmware.

One thing that doesn't work at all is automatic screen rotation for tent and tablet modes but it works manually in the display settings. The Radeon graphics work, too, and I'm getting 10+ hour projected battery life in low screen brightness and low load usage.

For the price it seems to be a really kick ass computer. Sure, it's not going to be as tough as a full fledged Thinkpad but the build quality for a budget machine is really quite good. I think the only thing I would add is backlit keys, but I hardly ever used those on my MBP, either, since they tend to eat up useful battery life.

I'm actually liking the keyboard more than my 2011 era MBP keyboard.

Oh, the other small thing I would add is a garage for the pen, but the whole laptop is so thin that there really wouldn't be room for it. They give you a weird little plastic pen holder block that plugs into a USB port that works fine when in use as a tablet, but I'm not going to leave that plugged in when it's in a case or being transported because that sounds like a great way to damage the mainboard and USB ports.
posted by loquacious at 10:40 AM on July 15, 2020


Response by poster: Oh shit it does have a backlit keyboard! Woot!
posted by loquacious at 4:41 PM on July 15, 2020


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