I’m thinking of getting a laptop to run Linux on. I’ve heard Lenovo is generally well-supported (particularly models that come with Linux pre-installed).
Is there any particular hardware I should watch out for / avoid, and / or prefer? Any other brands / models people would particularly recommend?
I would say generally most laptops from big brands will support Linux and run it very well, in most cases better than Windows. As for what model or brand you want that really depends on what kind of work you’re going to be doing on that laptop, as well as how futureproof you want it to be.
I ended up getting an Oryx Pro 5 from System76 since I play a lot of games and also use GPU intensive software (3D modeling, GPU computations, etc). This computer fit my needs though this computer might not necessarily be for you and your needs.
Avoid anything ultrabook for serviceability and upgradeability. System76 is also always an option. I’m personally biased towards the Thinkpad T-series. Avoid the E series because theyre just bad, and avoid the Yoga series because they are hard to service.
I love my T420, but I do not recommend it unless you can deal with a TN 768p panel (I.e. shitty) or you really like modding your stuff.
Oh yeah the T Series Laptops. Heard they come with armwarmers and thigh highs/j
Still got an Old T60 laying around, but I ripped off the mouse pad ribbon
Honestly most laptops should work out of the box now. Based on good experiences people had with Gentoo and the WinMax 2 (2022), I preordered a WinMax 2 (2023) and will be moving my current desktop (TigerLake Engineering Sample Franken computer) to home server use. Had I not gone this route, I would have probably gone either the StarLabs Starbook or the FrameWork route.
System76
