Mac Neo vs. a same-price laptop with Windows but wiped to have Linux

[KartikP]

I am going to buy a laptop for college next year... Which is the best under a budget of 600 USD? A Mac Neo or another with Windows, which I would wipe or dual-boot with Zorin or KDE Plasma? I expect it to run 6 years at the least...

 

[Fae3iSUx]

1. You don't need a brand-new laptop. Buy used, refurbished.
2. HP, Dell, Lenovo - these are the best bets for Linux laptop without hassle. Avoid Mac.

 

[KartikP]

1. You don't need a brand-new laptop. Buy used, refurbished.
2. HP, Dell, Lenovo - these are the best bets for Linux laptop without hassle. Avoid Mac.

But would that last me 6 years without any major issues like battery life?

 

[Fae3iSUx]

But would that last me 6 years without any major issues like battery life?

Battery can be replaced, in laptop of any age.
6 years - will a brand new last that long? Usually you have 1–2 years of warranty then you are in the same situation as buying used from the beginning. Does it justify double the price compared to typical used modern laptop?

 

[Rocketing-warp9]

Plus- Asahi Linux is not available on Neo yet.
Three Words.
ThinkPad
Dell XPS.
Don't be like me and go head-on Mac unless you get an older Intel Machine. (For Linux- Anyway)
I tamper with Mac because I like the Kit in general-
But not really "Linux" friendly unless you use a VM.

I'd still play around a little with both sides to see what you like best!

 

[theLegionWithin]

I am going to buy a laptop for college next year... Which is the best under a budget of 600 USD? A Mac Neo or another with Windows, which I would wipe or dual-boot with Zorin or KDE Plasma? I expect it to run 6 years at the least...

I'd recommend a refurbished thinkpad t480 - or a thinkpad t14 gen5 if you want something newer. both have very high modularity, you can switch out/upgrade a lot of the components. within your budget though, t480 is probably the best bet.

prices have basically doubled recently but a few years ago I picked up a refurbished t470 for $150. havent run into any issues with it as yet.

 

[Brickwizard]

I am pro dell for laptops, I had a2010 Insperon [i go it at 3 yrs old] and ran it up to the screen getting smashed in 2024, over that period I changed the battery 3 times, parts are reasonably priced and easy to fit, I replaced it with a Latitude, my second choice would be a second hand Lenovo

 

[Fae3iSUx]

I had two Dell Inspirons from around 2010 as well. Sold both in working condition last year.
Replaced them with ASUS from 2013, which I continue to use daily, with 16GB RAM and SSD is good enough for Youtube and browsing.

For work while travelling, I have 13.3" HP ProBook, which I bought 3 months ago for £50, and later upgraded to 32GB RAM and NVMe at a cost of additional £110. It will serve me for years. Specs are in my signature.
If I tried to buy equivalent machine today but brand new, I'd probably paid not £160, but over £500.

 

[Trml]

I'd recommend a refurbished thinkpad t480 - or a thinkpad t14 gen5 if you want something newer.

I'd second thinkpads any time, Dell xps close up. If you go look for refurbed thinkpads, my tip is to check and compare their business lines (T/X) for related models of a generation. For example, the t480s may even be cheaper refurbed than a t480, but has some extra RAM (some soldered plus the unsoldered), and a chassis that has both more magnesium - with it being a tad lighter at the same time. If you're planning on using it mobile, weight may matter.

 

[CaffeineAddict]

One more voice for Lenovo

 

[deb_user]

I'm currently running a Thinkpad T480 built in 2018. It works fine. Everything in it is easily replaceable. It has two batteries, one internal, and one external removable battery. Either can be replaced if necessary, and when I bought it refurbished the external was replaced. It just requires sliding one button on the bottom and sliding the battery out. It runs on just the internal if the external is removed, it's hot-swappable. The CPU, RAM, SSD, keyboard, are all replaceable/upgradable, and I did replace the SSD. I removed the one it came with, which had Windows, and just put another with Linux installed, and I immediately had a Linux computer. I would not even consider buying a new laptop. There are refurbished laptops coming off corporate lease in the thousands, every day. They have generally been well cared for, but as soon as the lease expires, corporations just replace everything on a new lease, and the old ones get sold for parts or refurbish, and sold cheaply. I bought this T480 with a 500GB SSD, 32GB RAM, for about $200 from an ebay seller. It was probably the best value I've ever found on any technology hardware, and I expect it to last for another 10 years or more.

I agree that the s series might be better for someone who needs portability. They're lighter and thinner. But I mostly use mine at home, having retired my desktop, which still works fine, but ties me to one location. With the T480 I can stay in the living room with my wife, and compute while she watches TV, instead of being in another room. The size and weight don't matter much, although the difference between a T480 and a T480s in those areas isn't all that noticeable to me.