this post was submitted on 21 Aug 2023
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Linux

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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?

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[–] outbound@lemmy.ca 0 points 1 year ago (1 children)

Refurbished ThinkPads are awesome!

  • Availability - ThinkPads are very popular in corporate environments and are generally replaced every 2-3 years. Although mostly Intel CPUs, there is a wide variety CPU+GPU available from lightweight to high performance.
  • Tough + well built + last forever
  • Easy to upgrade/repair. They're very user-accessible and its simple to upgrade RAM or SSD/M.2 drives. Plus, because they are so popular in the corporate environment, replacement parts (from batteries to WiFi+Bluetooth chipsets to trckpads) are very available and cheap.
  • Well supported in most (if not all) linux distros. Graphics just work, trackpads just work, WiFi just works.
  • Cheap.

Sent from my ThinkPad T580 (with both an internal and removable battery, I get 10+ hours of battery life)

[–] Franzia@lemmy.blahaj.zone 1 points 1 year ago* (last edited 1 year ago) (2 children)

I've heard of potential security issues when buying them. How can I mitigate that - buying from a safe source, wiping them etc.?

Thanks it sounds like simply wiping the system is enough to get around security flaws.

[–] rufus@discuss.tchncs.de 1 points 1 year ago

We're talking about Linux here. You'll probably wipe it anyways. Chances are slim the company that used it before put Arch on it.

[–] outbound@lemmy.ca 1 points 1 year ago

Always wipe and do a fresh install. If you're installing Linux, its unlikely that the refurbisher will have installed your flavour of Linux anyway. If you want to dual-boot with Windows, most business ThinkPads come with a Windows Pro licence - just download the ISO and install it fresh, then install Linux.