Good Linux Convertible Laptop

super_user_do

super_user_do

Active Member
Joined
Apr 23, 2022
Messages
101
Reaction score
44
Credits
750
Hello everybody
I need a laptop for uni/work and super lightweight gaming (rocket league, Minecraft, LoL) and I would love to use Linux on it. I've seen some people using Surface laptops with full touch capabilities and the pen but I'm not sure what to get and I don't know if there are better options.

My budget is 600€ but I can spend more, it's just the sweet spot

Thank you in advance :)
 


Look for a reconditioned one over 2 yrs old [this will give the maximum chance of getting everything working with Linux] then decide what features you want, thinking of longevity a proper laptop is less susceptible to damage than the 2 part ones, there are some pretty good lightweight ones available, But I do not have any experience in the Italy market, it is a question of having a good search around , finding something you like, and ask again with the full make and model number for opinions.
 
I would concur with m'colleague. As @Brickwizard says, a decent re-furbished laptop is probably the best way to go.

I wouldn't go for a Surface. From what I understand, they're 'locked-down' too tightly in the UEFI/BIOS to be able to run Linux without a lot of issues. There's plenty of other reliable, Linux-friendly makes about; Dell (especially), HP, Lenovo, Asus.....to name but a few.

We can certainly help with opinions nearer the time, when you have something like a "shortlist" of items you want to consider.

Mike. ;)
 
super_user_do wrote:
I need a laptop
Click to expand...
The usual answer for linux users who need to check out the workablility of a laptop is to load a live linux distro from a live iso on a usb and see what works and what doesn't. Hopefully, a wise shopkeeper won't mind. Unfortunately these days, some machines won't allow such boot-ups without some adjustments to their configurations, but sometimes that can be done easily enough with co-operation.
 
Last edited:
osprey said:
super_user_do wrote:

Hopefully, a wise shopkeeper won't mind.
Click to expand...
I think I'll buy It from a great chain for some specific financial reasons of mine and i'm not sure they'd approve it.

Does Linux work OOTB with touch screen in 2022? Dont I have to install any driver or something?
 
super_user_do said:
Hello everybody
I need a laptop for uni/work and super lightweight gaming (rocket league, Minecraft, LoL) and I would love to use Linux on it.
Click to expand...
osprey said:
The usual answer for linux users who need to check out the workablility of a laptop is to load a live linux distro from a live iso on a usb and see what works and what doesn't. Hopefully, a wise shopkeeper won't mind. Unfortunately these days, some machines won't allow such boot-ups without some adjustments to their configurations, but sometimes that can be done easily enough with co-operation.
Click to expand...
Good luck with trying that out.

Most shopkeepers don't have a clue about Linux or that Linux can run as Live from a usb thumb drive for test purpose without installing.
 
Bartman wrote:
Most shopkeepers don't have a clue about Linux or that Linux can run as Live from a usb thumb drive for test purpose without installing.
Click to expand...
Yes. Shopping is a discretionary business.
 
Thinkpads. If you want to libreboot, choose a suitable model like x220. But those models are not super fast and like potato devices when comparing to modern expensive computers.
I have a thinkpad T450 and it is amazing for me. I don't do gaming, so I don't have any experiences related to that field.
Thinkpads are repairable, durable and rock solid
 
osprey said:
Bartman wrote:

Yes. Shopping is a discretionary business.
Click to expand...
I'll try, but I'm not sure how a technitian of a great chain would react especially because nowdays most of the latest manifactured PCs run windows11 OOTB and in order to boot linux you necessarely have to disable the secure boot.

I tried to boot Pop!_OS on my friend's PC today and when he tried to log back into windows, the OS asked him for a decryptation key he could have only by logging into his Microsoft account. What if he didn't log in with a Microsoft account?
 
Just go to the other distribution forum, search and read everything POP related, it's not what you think it is, and has been a problem since day 1 , when released it was no1 on Distowatch for 6 months, it is now 5th and still falling [or is that failing]

Other Distributions

Discuss other Linux Distributions. If we see a particular distribution generating a lot of topics in here we will create a new section for it.
www.linux.org www.linux.org

and yes, I have tried it on 2 test rigs,
 
super_user_do wrote:
I'll try, but I'm not sure how a technitian of a great chain would react especially because nowdays most of the latest manifactured PCs run windows11 OOTB and in order to boot linux you necessarely have to disable the secure boot.

I tried to boot Pop!_OS on my friend's PC today and when he tried to log back into windows, the OS asked him for a decryptation key he could have only by logging into his Microsoft account. What if he didn't log in with a Microsoft account?
Click to expand...
It's certainly an issue, asking to test a computer with a live disk. Many aspects of computing are misunderstood by people who are not well-informed. In my own case, there have been small IT local businesses who have been co-operative with live disk tryouts. On the chain stores, I have no experience.

On the secure boot issue, in the BIOS/UEFI I'm familiar with, secure boot can be turned on or off, and the priority of boot media can be adjusted and/or selected from boot menus. That's a limited experience of course so I can't say more than that.
 
super_user_do said:
Does Linux work OOTB with touch screen in 2022? Dont I have to install any driver or something?
Click to expand...

Regrets I had not seen this earlier.

Allegedly, and I emphasize that as I no longer use touch screens,

GNOME

is supposed to be the best Desktop Environment for support for touchscreens, so any Linux that has a GNOME DE may fit the bill.

Wizard
 
osprey said:
On the secure boot issue, in the BIOS/UEFI I'm familiar with, secure boot can be turned on or off, and the priority of boot media can be adjusted and/or selected from boot menus. That's a limited experience of course so I can't say more than that.
Click to expand...
Ofc It can be disabiled, but when you do have to reboot Windows It asks you a Key you can find only onto your Microsoft account
 
super_user_do wrote:
Ofc It can be disabiled, but when you do have to reboot Windows It asks you a Key you can find only onto your Microsoft account
Click to expand...
Thanks. Good to know.
 
I wouldn't even attempt trying out a LiveBoot in any of our chain-stores here in the UK. PCWorld is a good example; despite that there's usually tons of guys hanging around waiting to "be of assistance", you can tell they're all singing from the same company hymn-sheet, and not one of them has a clue that anything other than Windows even exists!

You try what's being suggested, out will come the holy water and the pitchforks in no time at all.....that's if you don't get escorted to the entrance, and shown the door for being disruptive to staff and customers. They really don't understand our world at all. I don't think they want to, either!

All they can see is someone trying to "mess with" a perfectly good item of saleable stock. I guess @Brickwizard can probably back me up on this.

(*shrug*)


Mike. ;)
 
Last edited:
@MikeWalsh 4 years ago I needed a new printer, so I went to PCW at sale time armed with my old 32bit zg5 running Linux,
when approached by an assistant, they asked if they could help me, I am looking for a Linux compatible printer what have you got? I don't know what's Linux was the reply, so I asked to test one, no the assistant could not let me, but one of the so-called technical bods said he could, so off we went with the printer I wanted to try over to the service area, he plugged it into the power, and connected a cable to the usb, [he would not let me] and switched on my zg5, its a bit slow I said after a minute or so it booted up my Linux installation, you do not have an optical drive to install the drivers he said, so after explaining again it was not windows, so his driver disc was no good, he asked what to do, I said hand me the net book, I proceeded to open the printer controls and whallah there it was, that's fine I said box it and I will take it [showing him the print set up page] he gave me a strange look and said but how, you haven't installed the drivers, Linux comes with drivers included for 80% of printers I told him, I just needed to check, poor sod still looked confused
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Staff online

Members online

Total: 586 (members: 7, guests: 579)

Latest posts

Top