MX Linux Forum

Hi,
I'm looking to buy a new laptop mostly for internet browsing (including videos), normally with quite a few windows/tabs open. My price range is $300-$400. I'm not interested in a Chromebook or any other "computer" with similarly imposed limitations.

I have a few questions:

In this price range, what CPUs should I consider and which CPUs am I better off avoiding. I'm looking to maximize performance and minimize wait times.
Also, if you could possibly share the kind o laptop brands/makes that you personally prefer and those which you rather avoid.

I have been limiting my search to Walmart, Amazon and Best Buy. Are there other websites where I could possibly find better deals? I want to take advantage of Black Friday if I can.

Thanks for your help

At that price point you will be much better off buying a used Lenovo Thinkpad or Dell Latitude. For web browsing with multiple tabs open, RAM is more important the CPU, and you should be aiming for 16GB or more.

My personal preference is for a Latitude, but I'm probably in the minority here!

Chris

+1 on what Chris said. I REALLY dont like Dell... but if your going to buy one than I also agree on a Latitude.

I have had very good luck with these folks - support was very good on two occasions.
https://featuremarketing.com/collections/laptop

I'll add that a refurbished HP ProBook would be another good option.

I use Ideapad S145 i3-1005G1 with 8G RAM and I'm happy with it.
If battery life matters I'd buy https://www.bestbuy.com/site/acer-aspir ... Id=6530235

pixie wrote: ↑Sun Nov 24, 2024 1:10 pm I use Ideapad S145 i3-1005G1 with 8G RAM and I'm happy with it.
If battery life matters I'd buy https://www.bestbuy.com/site/acer-aspir ... Id=6530235

You have to be careful with modern Acers as their UEFI Set Up Utility (BIOS) is quite funky. Have a look at this thread which details @keos's struggles with an Acer Aspire 3:
viewtopic.php?p=771866#p771866

I've always been amazed at how much better the specifications I can get with refurbished hardware, compared to new hardware of the same price. Also, I've found that older machines have fewer problems with Linux compatibility.

BR, Lars.

Here in Australia where laptops are much dearer than the US, I purchased a 5 year old ex-government Dell Latitude 7490 with a i7 and 32 gig of ram, for under au$500
It's a fantastic machine and MX 23 runs beautifully on it.

I always buy refurbed Dell Latitudes and HP Probooks from eBay. I've always gotten way better deals on there than Walmart or Amazon. Temu also has some good deals but I have never bought a computer from Temu before. Other things I have but not electronics....yet. I usually aim for i5 or better with at least 8GB RAM but preferably 16GB RAM or with the option to upgrade your RAM to 16GB+ with a 500GB SSD or less. You can always upgrade your SSD to a higher storage capacity at a later date.

Since 2021 all the laptops I have bought are used ThinkPads, they are built with Linux compatibility in mind from the planning stage.

Get them when they are coming off corporate lease and the price to value is excellent.
Make sure you get an Intel 8th gen or a newer AMD if performance matters.
Look for the best screen available when you buy.
RAM and SSDs are usually easy to upgrade, if you can use a screwdriver.

One time only, I bought a refurbished machine. The keyboard felt like some kind of sticky liquid spilled on it in the past and I hated it. Some keys had to be hit 2-3 times before the character showed. I ended up giving it to my daughter who was in middle school back then, not really caring if she was going to break it. After that experience I prefer not to buy used, but I do understand the point that you folks are making.

Any thoughts on places where to get the best deals on new computers?

Your profile puts you in New York so come up to Canada and buy it here. This $600.00 HP 15 with the current exchange rate would be $425.00 in $U.S.
https://www.bestbuy.ca/en-ca/product/hp ... 1/17981255

jeffreyC wrote: ↑Mon Nov 25, 2024 12:13 pm Since 2021 all the laptops I have bought are used ThinkPads, they are built with Linux compatibility in mind from the planning stage.

Get them when they are coming off corporate lease and the price to value is excellent.
Make sure you get an Intel 8th gen or a newer AMD if performance matters.
Look for the best screen available when you buy.
RAM and SSDs are usually easy to upgrade, if you can use a screwdriver.

ThinkPads are great! Those and Dell are easier to work on than say HP! They're also pretty cheap refurbished on eBay!

xh1 wrote: ↑Mon Nov 25, 2024 6:41 pm One time only, I bought a refurbished machine. The keyboard felt like some kind of sticky liquid spilled on it in the past and I hated it. Some keys had to be hit 2-3 times before the character showed. I ended up giving it to my daughter who was in middle school back then, not really caring if she was going to break it. After that experience I prefer not to buy used, but I do understand the point that you folks are making.

Any thoughts on places where to get the best deals on new computers?

You have to really do your research before buying a refurbished computer! Always check the going price, read the full description, look at the pictures very keenly, plus read the seller's reviews and ratings! If it's bought at a brick and mortar store then get them to boot it up and let you try it out. If they won't do that then hopefully they have a warranty. If you want to buy new, it just depends on the hardware specs you're looking for but like I said I find the best deals on ebay but I might buy one from Temu just to see what the prices and quality are like. Walmart sometimes has good deals. Amazon usually overcharges and Best Buy is hit or miss.

xh1 wrote: ↑Sun Nov 24, 2024 11:11 am Hi,
I'm looking to buy a new laptop mostly for internet browsing (including videos), normally with quite a few windows/tabs open. My price range is $300-$400. I'm not interested in a Chromebook or any other "computer" with similarly imposed limitations.

I have a few questions:

In this price range, what CPUs should I consider and which CPUs am I better off avoiding. I'm looking to maximize performance and minimize wait times.
Also, if you could possibly share the kind o laptop brands/makes that you personally prefer and those which you rather avoid.

I have been limiting my search to Walmart, Amazon and Best Buy. Are there other websites where I could possibly find better deals? I want to take advantage of Black Friday if I can.

Thanks for your help

Black Friday would be the best time to get good deals.

Look for Acer or Dell. Dell has generally higher quality than Acer. Acer are fantastic value for money. Dell and Acer are easier to repair compared to their counterparts, especially HP and Lenovo. I stay away from HP, Lenovo and others. Asus can also be looked at. If you are okay with Linux being your prime OS then look at Tuxedo laptops too. But be prepared for limited after sales support.

A few important points.
Stay away from 13th and 14th Gen Intel CPU based machines. If you are fine with AMD or Qualcom based CPUs then that should be good enough for your need. But please note that AMD based systems are not as powerfull as Intel.
Additionally stay away from laptops which have NVidia GPUs if you plan to install Linux on it. Now or in the future. If you plan to use only Windows then you should be fine.

Additionally if you do not need mobility, i.e. carrying the machine from one place to another then MiniPCs and MicroPCs could also be looked at. Old used Mac mini, those based on Intel Silicon can be had and they are a steal. But you will need a monitor for this. Some of those Mac minis can run linux too.

Kudos for avoiding Chromebook type laptops.

It seems we have mixed suggestions here which may only just confuse xh1. All great suggestions nonetheless! Some say Lenovo, HP, Dell or Acer. It really comes down to personal preference. I've put Linux on many different kinds of computers in the past and they all worked great! Some i had to do some tinkering with but nothing too complex. I'd say get something that's easy to work on, upgrade parts etc, and that is most likely to be Linux compatible. As far as hardware specs go, you could actually get something decent within your price range @xh1 if you take the time to shop around and compare deals on the specs and models you're looking for. There's going to be lots of great deals online due to Black Friday. Don't forget, there will also be deals the following Monday for Cyber Monday! Best of luck to you! I hope you find something you'll be satisfied with!

LinuxSpring1 wrote: ↑Mon Nov 25, 2024 11:37 pm
Additionally if you do not need mobility, i.e. carrying the machine from one place to another then MiniPCs and MicroPCs could also be looked at. Old used Mac mini, those based on Intel Silicon can be had and they are a steal. But you will need a monitor for this. Some of those Mac minis can run linux too.

Kudos for avoiding Chromebook type laptops.

It's funny you mention - initially I actually thought about a Mini PC. My main concern was possible compatibility issues between the PC, monitor and keyboard, not knowing if, for example, image sharpness or video skipping could be a problem.

I don't need mobility so I can certainly go that route. The specs are certainly better for Mini PC than they are for laptops.

xh1 wrote: ↑Tue Nov 26, 2024 5:45 pm
It's funny you mention - initially I actually thought about a Mini PC. My main concern was possible compatibility issues between the PC, monitor and keyboard, not knowing if, for example, image sharpness or video skipping could be a problem.

I don't need mobility so I can certainly go that route. The specs are certainly better for Mini PC than they are for laptops.

I have several Intel NUCs that work well with MX Linux.

Chris

@xh1
If you do decide to go the minipc route, make sure that you research your chosen model for Linux compatibility before you purchase because not all minis are equal or made well.

LinuxSpring1 wrote: ↑Mon Nov 25, 2024 11:37 pm Kudos for avoiding Chromebook type laptops.

I've used some great Chromebooks, and they can be terrific value for money, if you shop around.

The problem, of course, is stripping all the horrible Google rubbish off, and installing a real Linux. Even now, there's no good documentation (that I know of) for this, nor even an up-to-date list of which models work. The last time I installed Linux (Ubuntu, IIRC) on a Chromebook, I had to dismantle it and bridge two pins on the motherboard to enable the bootloader to be unlocked. It was a horrible job, although I believe it was easier on some models.

I wouldn't rule out a Chromebook if you know of one that can have a proper Linux installed. But I guess the only way to be sure, is by the personal recommendation of somebody who's done the same thing on the same model.

BR, Lars

xh1 wrote: ↑Tue Nov 26, 2024 5:45 pm

LinuxSpring1 wrote: ↑Mon Nov 25, 2024 11:37 pm
Additionally if you do not need mobility, i.e. carrying the machine from one place to another then MiniPCs and MicroPCs could also be looked at. Old used Mac mini, those based on Intel Silicon can be had and they are a steal. But you will need a monitor for this. Some of those Mac minis can run linux too.

Kudos for avoiding Chromebook type laptops.

It's funny you mention - initially I actually thought about a Mini PC. My main concern was possible compatibility issues between the PC, monitor and keyboard, not knowing if, for example, image sharpness or video skipping could be a problem.

I don't need mobility so I can certainly go that route. The specs are certainly better for Mini PC than they are for laptops.

Have a look at the Dell OptiPlex Micro Form Factor and others from Dell. There are variants too from Dell both in Micro and small form factor. Most of these can be fitted behind a 20+ inch monitors.

I am partial to Dell because they are easy to repair and maintain. However what I am not a fan of dell is their value-for-money proposition. In that Acer wins hands down. But Acer has lower quality than Dell.

lars_the_bear wrote: ↑Wed Nov 27, 2024 8:43 am

LinuxSpring1 wrote: ↑Mon Nov 25, 2024 11:37 pm Kudos for avoiding Chromebook type laptops.

I've used some great Chromebooks, and they can be terrific value for money, if you shop around.

The problem, of course, is stripping all the horrible Google rubbish off, and installing a real Linux. Even now, there's no good documentation (that I know of) for this, nor even an up-to-date list of which models work. The last time I installed Linux (Ubuntu, IIRC) on a Chromebook, I had to dismantle it and bridge two pins on the motherboard to enable the bootloader to be unlocked. It was a horrible job, although I believe it was easier on some models.

I wouldn't rule out a Chromebook if you know of one that can have a proper Linux installed. But I guess the only way to be sure, is by the personal recommendation of somebody who's done the same thing on the same model.

BR, Lars

Chromebook have a problem that they are connected and hosted on the web. They are basically a thin client computing with most of the processing offloaded to the cloud. Works for some but not for me.

If you don't need a laptop a minisforum minipc is a great buy. I have 2 myself. They have a $480 AMD Ryzen 9 8945HS with DDR5, 2 nvme gen4 slots, and 2 2.5GbE ports. You add the memory and hd's, monitor/mouse/kb and you will have a really nice brand new desktop pc that maxes out at 5.3GHz
store.minisforum.com/products/minisforum-um890pro
Or there is a ready to go laptop, the ThinkPad T14s Gen 2, 14" FHD, Intel Core i7-1185G7, 16GB, 256GB NVMe SSD, Windows 11 Pro for $475 refurbished from here, ruggedbooks.com/products/thinkpad-t14s-i7-refurbished
The minisforum um890 pro is the better deal imo.
Happy hunting

LinuxSpring1 wrote: ↑Wed Nov 27, 2024 11:21 pm Chromebook have a problem that they are connected and hosted on the web. They are basically a thin client computing with most of the processing offloaded to the cloud. Works for some but not for me.

That's certainly how Google would have us use them. But some Chromebooks can have all the Google stuff removed, and replaced by a real Linux. If you have, or can find, a Chromebook that supports that, it's a highly cost-effective way to get a Linux laptop. Since ChromeOS is based on Linux, we can be reasonably confident that all the hardware will work (albeit with a bit of tweaking), which isn't a claim that can be made for most laptops.

As I said, though, there's no easy way to know in advance which Chromebooks can be de-Googled and which can't. I wouldn't buy one unless I were certain. There's some information here, about Chromebooks which are known to be suitable for de-Googling, and what needs to be done at the hardware level to unlock the bootloader:

https://docs.chrultrabook.com/docs/firm ... vices.html

I've done this on a Chromebook that I just happened to own. It's a long and painful procedure, and hardly worth it to save, say, 1-200 pounds against the price of a 'regular' laptop. I did it out of principle, and for educational purposes. I don't think I'd buy a Chromebook to put Linux on it. I just mention it because it might be worth considering, if you're really strapped for cash.

BR, Lars.

xh1 wrote: ↑Sun Nov 24, 2024 11:11 am Hi,
I'm looking to buy a new laptop mostly for internet browsing (including videos), normally with quite a few windows/tabs open. My price range is $300-$400. I'm not interested in a Chromebook or any other "computer" with similarly imposed limitations.

I have a few questions:

In this price range, what CPUs should I consider and which CPUs am I better off avoiding. I'm looking to maximize performance and minimize wait times.
Also, if you could possibly share the kind o laptop brands/makes that you personally prefer and those which you rather avoid.

I have been limiting my search to Walmart, Amazon and Best Buy. Are there other websites where I could possibly find better deals? I want to take advantage of Black Friday if I can.

Thanks for your help

I can't speak for the price range, but we have two dell laptops in the house and they are solid with linux. Excellent.

I previously had a system76 laptop, and was impressed at how system76 made such a good job of creating a laptop that does not play well with linux (not even popos).

Thank you so much everyone for your input. It was very helpful and I appreciate you taking the time to write.
I ended up buying this machine on Amazon that I hope will work for me with Linux:

https://www.amazon.com/NIMO-i3-1215U-i5 ... 39K&SPES=1

Nice laptop. The power requirements make it a good choice for lightweight portable computing and the price is right too.

xh1 wrote: ↑Fri Nov 29, 2024 4:42 pm Thank you so much everyone for your input. It was very helpful and I appreciate you taking the time to write.
I ended up buying this machine on Amazon that I hope will work for me with Linux:

https://www.amazon.com/NIMO-i3-1215U-i5 ... 39K&SPES=1

Nice Laptop. 32GB RAM and USB-C charging with PD of 65 Watt. Wonderful. This brand NIMO is it a well reputed brand? How much did you pay for it?

LinuxSpring1 wrote: ↑Wed Dec 04, 2024 5:26 am Nice Laptop. 32GB RAM and USB-C charging with PD of 65 Watt. Wonderful. This brand NIMO is it a well reputed brand? How much did you pay for it?

Amazon bent my arm saying it's just for Amazon Prime members. So I had to pay and extra $15. So it was $415 which, in light of everything else that I saw, is pretty good. I know nothing of the company, other than it's a startup from DE. They have chat support which I used and feel it's pretty good. All in all, I think I lucked out with this one.