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Why do people still recommend Thinkpads for Linux when there are Linux-oriented manufacturers now?

I’ve noticed in the Linux community whenever someone asks for a recommendation on a laptop that runs Linux the answer is always “Get a Thinkpad” yet Lenovo doesn’t seem to be a big Linux contributor or ally. There’s also at least six Linux/FOSS-oriented computer manufacturers now:

So what gives? Why the love for a primarily Windows-oriented laptop when there are better alternatives?

KIM_JONG_JUICEBOX ,
@KIM_JONG_JUICEBOX@lemmy.ml avatar

Didn’t Lenovo like 15 years ago make a line of desktops that shipped with some redhat derivative installed? Or am I thinking of something else?

FiskFisk33 ,

i think I saw a few only a couple of years ago

techognito ,
@techognito@lemmy.world avatar

They still sell with Fedora pre-installed

MartinXYZ ,

I believe Dell even has some models that come with Linux preinstalled.

techognito ,
@techognito@lemmy.world avatar

Dell, HP and Lenovo can deliver with Linux pre-installed

sunbeam60 ,

Not just deliver - they support them. I’ve got a Dell micro-PC running as an Ubuntu Server and it regularly receives BIOS and firmware updates from Dell through the default fwupgdr-mgr.

pwr22 ,

Which HP models have good official Linux support these days? I thought they had stopped supporting the one(s) they did and I’ve had a bunch of bad experiences generally :(.

TheCaconym ,

I wouldn’t trust a manufacturer-installed system to be honest

Given the size of the userbase I doubt they’d invest in developing and adding preinstalled similar adware as their windows OEM systems but you never know

Better order it without OS

weshgo ,
@weshgo@lemmy.sdf.org avatar

for a lot of people (me included), a cheap second hand thinkpad (or dell pro) with a light distro would be more than enough to cover their computing needs for years.

sentient_loom ,
@sentient_loom@sh.itjust.works avatar

What king of dell pro compares to a thinkpad?

weshgo ,
@weshgo@lemmy.sdf.org avatar

not sure what you mean, but I find that Dells are also cheap (second hand) easy to find, reliable, solid and easy to maintain (like the hardware is easy to access for cleaning and replacing/updating).

edit : I’m using a latitude 5470 with lubuntu. I bought it second in a pawn shop a few years ago and added some RAM last year, it still runs like a charm.

SoaringDE ,

Had Tuxedo experience: 3/5 at most Had ThinkPad experience: 4/5 at least

MonkderZweite ,

I have some preferences in hardware (Vendors are still riding the 4k-in-laptop-size bandwagon) and Thinkpad has good customizability.

Just looked into Malibal, they have no less than WQHD currently and i get a top of the line customized Thinkpad for less than their 2000+.

pwr22 ,

Entroware is another you could add to the list. I had a good experience buying from them. They do the usual Clevo OEM things.

Rogers ,

Used thinkpads especially the older ones (t480 and older) have a ton of extra parts floating around, and you can get them cheap. I built a t480 with 8th gen i7 from parts for around $170 over a year ago, it has been a great experience. I upgraded the trackpad and keyboard and plan to upgrade the screen, cooling, and battery next.

devfuuu ,

It really depends on where you are located for the things to be worth it. I had to buy a new keyboard for my t470 a few months ago after dropping a full latte on the computer top - only the keyboard got fucked, drain holes worked awesome and only need a little of internal drying and cleanup - and just that cost me 100 €.

It really is the best laptop I ever had and I had on my hands a much more recent X1 and currently a Dell XPS, both which I hated.

What I can say and be happy is that after all these years I can still at least find parts and buy them, any other computer I simply wouldn’t be able to find any parts or after market for it.

But in my country basically impossible to find market for it or parts and only recently did people were able to order some few models from their online store, the thinkpads simply weren’t sold besides business deals around here.

Agent641 ,

Heck, why buy a pre-made laptop anyway, just take this bag of microchips and this spool of solder and compile your own!

theragu40 ,

Don’t be silly, you also need some chewing gum and bits of string.

lud ,

Integrated circuits‽

I make my CPUs using individual transistors on a breadboard.

Ajen ,

The way God intended

Muffi ,

Spare parts and resilience. Thinkpads are the most tanky laptops available.

bruhduh ,
@bruhduh@lemmy.world avatar

You don’t know yet about clevo laptops, my first laptop from 2015 and running good as new

1984 ,
@1984@lemmy.today avatar

I don’t like thinkpads anymore. They used to be great but Lenovo decided to kill off their best feature - the keyboards.

My fingers actually hurt when typing on a ThinkPad keyboard now. They are so shit.

I think people are nostalgic and they remember what the brand used to be. But I’m not impressed by them anymore. They keep scoring top marks at notebookcheck reviews however, but every new ThinkPad has disappointed me with bad screen or bad looks or feel.

sentient_loom ,
@sentient_loom@sh.itjust.works avatar

I have an amazing screen on my T16. But I wish it had a better keyboard and more upgrade options.

filister ,

To be honest, they also made them less serviceable. But in the not so long past they used to be really great. You can easily find replacement parts, upgrade them. If I have to buy a new one, I would buy Framework, if second hand is an option, ThinkPad is unbeatable, but you need to do a small research which model doesn’t have soldered RAM and offers battery replacement.

TheAnonymouseJoker ,
@TheAnonymouseJoker@lemmy.ml avatar

Not that hard. Each ThinkPad model has a PSREF sheet you can download in 5 seconds, and check everything down to the screen brightness in nits, and all kinds of slots and ports on motherboard. This kind of standardised, easy to procure documentation does not exist for any laptop maker at all.

Drug_Shareni ,
  • cheap (companies sell off their stocks when upgrading so you get a few years old business laptop for a fraction of the price)
  • cheap and plentiful parts
  • popular models are usually easy to upgrade and repair
  • it’s built so coked up business sharks can throw it across the office
  • best laptop keyboards
  • trackpoint and physical mouse buttons
  • great Linux support
temptest ,
@temptest@hexbear.net avatar

I, for one, haven’t had to look at laptop manufacturers for nearly a decade because my Thinkpad is still running Linux without a problem.

Aside from political reasons (which are valid!), what makes those manufacturers worth choosing over a Thinkpad?

lukas ,
@lukas@lemmy.haigner.me avatar

Fingerprint reader support. Every fingerprint reader I owned didn’t work on Linux. Every laptop I owned with a fingerprint reader never worked on Linux. It’s almost a law of the universe: If it’s not made for Linux people, the fingerprint reader won’t work on Linux.

signofzeta ,

Good point. It was quite the adventure trying to find drivers for my T470’s fingerprint reader. It’s been working great ever since, but it was a long road.

beeng ,

Thinkpad T480s fingerprint reader working here…

ChronosWing ,

Works fine on my P52s. Required installing the drivers but no issues after that.

Forevermore ,

None of them really match the ThinkPad reliability, cost effectiveness and after sales experience.

sentient_loom ,
@sentient_loom@sh.itjust.works avatar

They stand the test of time, used ones can be bought at reasonable prices, there is an abundance of configurations, and they still have the best (the only good) keyboards for any laptop.

grumpyrico ,

thats exactly why i bought my dirt cheap x1 3rd gen

Shinji_Ikari ,
@Shinji_Ikari@hexbear.net avatar

Computers are more or less the sum of their parts.

For the longest time, and even now I think, the “Linux laptop” companies mostly sold re-branded quasi-generic laptops from Chinese manufacturers and focused on the software aspect to ensure compatibility. This meant that a lot of aspects were cheapened out on. The chassis, trackpad, keyboard, display, fit and finish in general were second class. Sure it was a machine that ran Linux, but most computers do that pretty well.

Laptop shopping is already fraught with pain and hazards. How do you know you’re getting something that wont break down? Add the “vote with your wallet” premium price on these boutique Linux laptops, and they don’t seem that appealing.

Thinkpads on the other hand have a huge community of nerds documenting compatibility. They have enterprise customers dumping pallets of used machines into the used market every year, and have far better parts accessibility than the quasi-generic machine.

Then there’s the trackpoint, you never need to leave the home row. You’re not victim to subpar trackpads(Every non-mac trackpad is subpar, sorry, I don’t make the rules, they suck absolutely.)

I’ve had my X1 Carbon 4th gen since new in 2016. Even if I can’t upgrade it, 7 years on its still nearly perfect. I got an Dell XPS 15 from work ~5 years ago and I’ve gone through two batteries, finishes are wearing off, the hinge is wonky, and IT HAS NO TRACK POINT.

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