2017 Linux Laptop Survey

[carewolf]

Biggest issue? What big issues? I haven't had any hardware trouble with Linux since 2007

[Okki]

Same thing on my side. My last purchase (Asus Zenbook UX310UA-GL079T) mostly contains perfectly supported Intel components. I really have no problem to report.

[Vistaus]

Michael Regarding the question about whether my current laptop came pre-loaded with Linux: it came pre-loaded with ChromeOS. I know there are heated debates on whether or not ChromeOS (and Android) counts as Linux. So what should I answer: yes or no?

[PHLAK]

I wish the "most important factor when deciding on a new laptop" section asked for us to rank the factors instead of choosing just one. They're all important factors and you might be able to get some better insight by asking for a ranking of them instead of picking a single one.

[endrebjorsvik]

I was quite close to buying a new laptop recently when my current one (ThinkPad X220, 2011) started to cock up with BIOS errors and weird suspends. I thought it was reasonable that it would die slowly after 6 years of service. Fortunately, it turned out that it was only this strange bug, and that cleaning up efivars solved everything. So I seriously don't know when I actually need a new laptop. Maybe I will consider the retro ThinkPad, given the latest news from that initiative.

[lightonflux]

Got my notebook without any OS "from the factory" (Lenovo). But there was no option, so i selected Linux, because no OS is definitely not Windows.

I really what a Raven Ridge notebook with good battery, high build quality and upgradable RAM.

[hikingpete]

I recently bought a new laptop. Given that I was going for a budget 15", the hardest criteria that I had to satisfy was a minimum resolution of 1920x1080. I found something I was satisfied with that had Windows preinstalled. I would have paid a bit extra for Linux if there were reasonable options available, but shipping is awful from the States (extra 10-50%), which means I really only seriously considered what I could buy in store. Running Linux has been mostly fine, but recent kernels (last 4 months or so) have been having trouble with my wifi; I've been booting an older kernel since.

[Adarion]

> Most important...

there is no such _one_ thing. Build quality matters. "Official" Linux support is nearly nowhere to be found (yes, I know about the few enterprises). But of course one does check all sources to see which chips are inside (CPU, GPU, chipset/storage, LAN, WLAN,...). Sadly, those creepy ECs are a pain.

> Was your most recent laptop purchase pre-loaded with Linux?

missing option: Came without any OS (or maybe FreeDOS) or just "did not support Microsoft by buying some Windows license"

> What brand GPU is used by your primary laptop?

intel, nvidia, radeon
Huh? Either it's intel HD or Geforce-something and Radeon OR it is intel, nv, AMD/ATI (and possibly others like VIA, or something from the ARM world)

> budget
> "800 and below"

One segment for 0... 800 but 4 steps in the 800...1600 region?
Mine was 80 Euros (used) and I invested in an industrial grade SSD and a little more RAM.

> hurdles

Many possible and I guess it depends on the very model.

[illwieckz]

Michael, on the first question “Of the following, what do you view as the most important factor when deciding on a new laptop?” I can't answer. It's missing “Trackpoint”. So I answered “Brand” but it's not true. It's true I bought a Thinkpad because they have a Trackpoint, but if some laptop maker (that is not Dell neither HP) make a laptop with a Trackpoint, I can say Bye Bye to Lenovo.

The most important factor to me is the presence of a Trackpoint. Without a Trackpoint I will not buy a laptop. At All. I really need Laptop makers hear that.

For the question “Do you expect a Linux-loaded laptop to be...” I expected the “I don't expect the laptop being preloaded with Linux or anything else” answer.

After the GPU question, “What brand GPU is used by your primary laptop?”, I was expecting another question asking “What brand GPU do you expect in your laptop?”, because I really don't want laptop makers use the results of the survey to decide the GPU they will put in laptop in the future. Having one brand GPU in a laptop does not mean user wanted that brand, since there is other important factors.

For example my laptop has a Nvidia GPU, but I had no choice. It looked like racket to me. If I had the choice my laptop would have an AMD GPU. The current GPU “popularity” is biased and can't tell if people want Nvidia GPU in their laptop, because even those who don't want Nvidia GPU in their laptop has Nvidia ones and suffer from it. Like many people, I had no choice, there was only Nvidia GPU available for the kind of laptop I was looking for. This is not what I call “popularity”. This “popularity” tells nothing about what people want.

And well, if a laptop maker hear me, this is my answer to the “What would you like to see in a "dream Linux laptop?””:

In order of priority:

1. REQUIRED: Trackpoint (Lack of Trackpoint is a no-go. I will never buy a laptop without Trackpoint, neither brand new neither refurbished)
2. REQUIRED: Radeon graphic (I will never buy a brand new laptop with Nvidia inside. Nvidia graphic is like racket, I bought ThinkPad because of trackpoint, but Nvidia is pure shit, the lack of non-Nvidia GPU in performance laptop sounds racket, I don't want a Nvidia GPU. I bought my laptop second hand to be sure Nvidia got no one money from this racket. Nvidia got no money from me since 10 years. That Nvidia-based laptop is the crappiest thing I got in my life, even CPU opencl is faster than nvidia GPU opencl on my laptop, VGA/DP output does not work when nvidia is used, and X.org needs hacks like I was used to do 10 years ago to display something. Nvidia is racket and crap)
3. WANTED: Ryzen CPU (strong plus)
4. DREAMT: no preinstalled windows. (I don't like racket)

I DON'T need preinstalled Linux (I will wipe it out).

My most important factor when deciding on a new laptop is the presence of a “Trackpoint”. I can workaround the shitty Nvidia drivers bugs and issues, I can't workaround the lack of a Trackpoint. I don't like Intel CPU but I can live with it: my laptop will be usable, I can't use my laptop without a Trackpoint.

[Vistaus]

Michael Regarding the question about whether my current laptop came pre-loaded with Linux: it came pre-loaded with ChromeOS. I know there are heated debates on whether or not ChromeOS (and Android) counts as Linux. So what should I answer: yes or no?

Alright, I've decided to answer "yes".