Am I just looking in the wrong places, or is it still really hard to buy a Linux laptop with MacBook-like build quality? Are you running a Linux laptop? Where did you get it?
Well, there are two contenders in this space (based on the information I've gathered over time) and those are the Dell XPS 13, and the Thinkpad X1 Carbon.
You can also look into HP as they've been known for being quite linux friendly.
Hope this helps.
I'll second this. I've been using a MBP for years, but the time for a new laptop came and I was disappointed in the new models. I bought an XPS 13 and the trackpad is close to Mac quality. Caveat, if you like the Mac gestures etc, you won't get those. But the pad itself is quite nice, it feels "right".
I bought a 'shell' of a Thinkpad X220 on eBay for ~£66 ($85) and then bought an SSD, 8GB RAM, Wifi module, 9-cell battery.
All in, about £120 with some smart shopping.
Replacement parts (such as a palm-rest from dropping it off the sofa) cost a few quid, and that's if you manage to absolutely deck the thing.
It's happily chugging away with Debian, all components work OOTB.
Got to recommend a used Thinkpad, and advise checking out the Thinkpad subreddit, they've got some great advice on buying - not all Thinkpads are alike.
Seconding this. I paid closer to $700 for my Thinkpad X230 in 2011 and it's still going strong with Arch Linux. Not much of a gaming laptop, but it's been very solid fox nearly six years now.
This is an unfair comparison. macOS doesn't run at that resolution out of the box. Your max effective resolution is 1680x1050. Even a 15" rMBP has a max effective resolution of 1920x1200. So, 1080p is plenty competitive for dev work. Now, if all you care about is the smoothness of HiDPI, then your point is valid, but most of us care more about how much code we can fit on screen than how smooth the font looks.
If a high-res screen is critical, check out the HP Chromebook 13 G1 which has a 3200x1800 screen. You can find the 8GB RAM model for around $400 refurbished. Comes with ChromeOS but you can also install Linux distros via Crouton.
I run ChromeOS on an unmodified Chromebook, primarily for security reasons. With the situation as it is on the net, I feel more comfortable that way. Slightly newer machine, so the specs are higher (m5 CPU, 8GB of ram... still 1080p screen.)
That doesn't mean it's only usable for browsing, though. It's actually a surprisingly powerful device. I'm on the dev channel, which although occasionally buggy, also improves integration with Android a bit. It's got:
- F.lux/redshift equivalent: Night mode. It's built in, but only in dev for now.
- General Linux stuff: Termux. That's a linux-distro-as-android-app. Debian-based.
- Remote shell: SSH-in-a-window-or-tab, mosh. Or Termux.
- Remote desktop: Well, VNC, but there are tons of options here.
- Video player: mpv-android. Much better than the built-in player.
- Writing: Aint, or Google Drive. The latter does work quite well offline, the former is a good bit faster though.
- Development... Termux comes with the usual suspects; python, clang, node.js and so on all work. Can't say I've taken advantage, but it's nice to know that it's there if I need it.
All of that without flipping the development switch on the chromebook. About the only thing I'm missing is graphics support for Termux, but my needs are simple, and Emacs runs as well in a terminal as in a window.
The low-res and low amount of RAM make it a completely different league compared to an MBP. Not sure which chromebook you have, buy they also tend to have quite smaller SSDs.
Generally, chromebooks are modern netbooks (not saying that's a bad thing, just different), and not really comparable to an MBP.
You can upgrade the SSDs on them to whatever you need (not all of them, but just the models that have a pluggable SSD card). It was $50 for 128GB, but you can go much higher.
Also, the resolution is really nice. 1080p on a 13" machine is plenty of PPI.
Sure a MBP has retina, but at the end of the day you're probably running a 13" MBP at 1680x1050 which gives you less screen real estate than the Chromebook. The only difference is, things will be liquid smooth looking.
That's a great guide, thanks! When I went through the process a few years ago, it would have been really nice to have. Plus GalliumOS wasn't around then.
I'm running Arch and i3 on mine... Works beautifully.
I seem to get good battery life too, as I've been pretty selective about what I installed. Powertop takes care of the rest. The trackpad perhaps isn't as nice as my workhorse MBA, but just about everything I use regularly has some sort of Vim mode, so my fingers are hardly ever off the keys.
Yeah, the Clevo I got from Mythlogic about 3 years ago is like that--it's basically a desktop machine squashed into a small package. Which means it's a little heavier, runs hotter, not great battery life (but I rarely take it anywhere I can't plug in, so it's not a big deal really). But it's quite solid and fast. Don't know what of their current offerings would be more Macbook-like.
MacBook Pro 2015. I've used ArchLinux on this with no issues. Used a 2013 MacBook Air before that, same OS (I actually used `ssh | dd` to just copy the image, rather than reinstall anything).
The MBA needed non-kernel driver (which was a breeze to install anyway). The MBP uses an in-kernel one, so no issue there.
Oh man, piping dd through ssh! This brings back a fond memory: I was learning Unix at the time, but never used pipes for anything serious (cat | grep, not much more). I had to clone a machine at my internship; all the Windows guys used some specific tools for that, but this was a Linux box, so their tools wouldn't work. When I had the idea of piping dd through ssh, I thought I was so clever! I was really impressed that it actually worked, too. That's when I realized the power of the Unix philosophy.
I guess dd is convenient if you want to keep the same partitions, but it's not generally necessary to do an exact bit copy to copy a Linux setup. You can use rsync or cp to copy, and then run update-grub on the target to make it bootable.
Thats a good idea- I do have an old Air kicking around, but it seems a shame to lose a mac in order to gain a Linux. In any case I would like something new and purpose built.
I'm running this setup, and only found out today about this feature! I was looking into the i7 hyperthreading bug, and I'm looking forward to receiving the BIOS update automagically.
I have a X1 Carbon 5th generation with Ubuntu 17.04.
I'm very satisfied, the installation was easy, everything is working correctly, apart the fingerprint reader but biometric is a joke so no big loss.
The biggest problem with this machine is the fan system, it's configured at a pretty conservative temperature and when the fan start, it does a 1-2 seconds at almost full speed which is noisy.
The ports are just right for me, an hdmi port, two usb-3 and two usb-c which will make my life so much better when I will buy this screen/usb-c dock: http://www.philips.co.uk/c-p/258B6QUEB_00/brilliance-lcd-mon.... With an unique cable I will have everything I need when working from my desk: power, video, audio, ethernet, keyboard and mouse!
Speak for yourself because fingerprint sensor on my smartphone has changed the way I use it. Don't call the whole field of tech useless because Lenovo chooses to cheap out on their components.
I believe that comment is in reference to the fact that biometrics authentication is not as secure as folks would think. For example a printed copy of a fingerprint is likely sufficient to bypass it.
Of course there's the balance of security and convenience.
For build quality I like my Razer Blade (late 2016 build), but support is not perfect out of the box. I'm running Linux Mint 18.1. The WiFi was not supported by the live disc, but works after install. Switching between the NVidia and Intel graphics has been a problem that I haven't yet resolved.
The pros are a quad core i7, NVidia 1060, a better keyboard than MBP (my opinion), 16gb RAM, option of 4K glossy or 1080p flat panel. I chose the 1080p so I don't have glare.
I haven't had any cooling issues yet. I accidentally put it in my laptop bag when it was running and I thought it had gone to sleep. It was exceptionally hot when I pulled it out, but I powered it off to cool.
Mine has been really solid. I use it for work and side projects right now.
Switching video cards has been my biggest issue. The Nvidia sucks battery so there are times I want to switch to the integrated Intel. The switch works, but switching back hangs the machine. It happens in the logout or shutdown part of switching video and the login (MDM on mint) never loads. It doesn't matter which card I switch to or from, just the second swap every time. Mint 18.2 is using LightDM which I'm hoping will work better, but I haven't tried yet.
Dell 5520 (http://www.dell.com/learn/us/en/555/campaigns/xps-linux-lapt...). I bought one for work earlier this year and liked it so much I bought a second for home. Dual Xeons, 32GB ram, 4k display, great battery life, and a body design which feels decidedly mac-like, yet different. In fact, I actually prefer the tactile feel of the 5520.
The only real problems I have is the touchpad (currently tweaking synclient to get it just right) interfering while typing occasionally, and the completely crappy experience with the Thunderbolt docking station (it rarely goes perfectly when docking/undocking, but even if it does, sometimes the displays refuse to wake up while docked).
All that said, I really dig it. I've had two macbooks in the past, and can honestly say this machine is a FAR better experience and much more cost effective.
They are not even close to MB quality and they are not worth it. They are also making questionable decisions regarding supported OS. Apparently they are going away from Ubuntu and wants to fork Ubuntu with Unity 7.
About the quality. If you don't believe me about S76 quality please read this https://www.reddit.com/r/linux/comments/48y2db/system76_lapt... maybe that will change your mind. MBs are not perfect (non laptops are) bud they are so damn close (depends on what you need). If you want solid laptop you should really look mostly in to MB, Thinkpad series and XPS series, depends on your requirements (wants look and HD speeds? take MB, wants upgrade your laptop in the future? take Thinkpad or XPS)
In my opinion I find that the hard truth is that (1) linux battery performance will always be worse than windows and (2) over time linux will completely destroy your battery.
I've found that using a thinkpad and the TLP program helps 1 by setting some sane defaults and allowing for customization and it helps 2 by allowing the computer to better maintain the battery.
It contradicts my decades-long experience and I would have loved to know whether I have just been lucky. Is there a bug report somewhere? Or just some blog about some more data?
91 comments
[ 5.4 ms ] story [ 154 ms ] threadOP would be well suited to bringing their mighty mouse along with them.
All the components work out of the box. I would prefer a slightly better track pad, but it is still probably the best oem Linux laptop you can get.
Replacement parts (such as a palm-rest from dropping it off the sofa) cost a few quid, and that's if you manage to absolutely deck the thing.
It's happily chugging away with Debian, all components work OOTB.
Got to recommend a used Thinkpad, and advise checking out the Thinkpad subreddit, they've got some great advice on buying - not all Thinkpads are alike.
It has all of the things I care about:
- 1080p IPS display (13.3" screen)
- SSD
- 4GB of RAM
- Fast enough to handle real work loads (lots of browser tabs, running large Rails apps in Docker, streaming music, etc.)
- SD card and USB ports
The whole thing was $350 USD and it's under 3 pounds.
Details are at: https://nickjanetakis.com/blog/transform-a-toshiba-chromeboo...
That doesn't mean it's only usable for browsing, though. It's actually a surprisingly powerful device. I'm on the dev channel, which although occasionally buggy, also improves integration with Android a bit. It's got:
- F.lux/redshift equivalent: Night mode. It's built in, but only in dev for now.
- General Linux stuff: Termux. That's a linux-distro-as-android-app. Debian-based.
- Remote shell: SSH-in-a-window-or-tab, mosh. Or Termux.
- Remote desktop: Well, VNC, but there are tons of options here.
- Video player: mpv-android. Much better than the built-in player.
- Writing: Aint, or Google Drive. The latter does work quite well offline, the former is a good bit faster though.
- Development... Termux comes with the usual suspects; python, clang, node.js and so on all work. Can't say I've taken advantage, but it's nice to know that it's there if I need it.
All of that without flipping the development switch on the chromebook. About the only thing I'm missing is graphics support for Termux, but my needs are simple, and Emacs runs as well in a terminal as in a window.
Generally, chromebooks are modern netbooks (not saying that's a bad thing, just different), and not really comparable to an MBP.
Also, the resolution is really nice. 1080p on a 13" machine is plenty of PPI.
Sure a MBP has retina, but at the end of the day you're probably running a 13" MBP at 1680x1050 which gives you less screen real estate than the Chromebook. The only difference is, things will be liquid smooth looking.
I don't think I would have tried it without GalliumOS. It's surprisingly polished.
So full compatibility.
The MBA needed non-kernel driver (which was a breeze to install anyway). The MBP uses an in-kernel one, so no issue there.
It doesn't get more MacBook-like than that. :P
Depending on where the ssh server is (source or target):
† or mount the source / as ro, or systemd-switchroot to a ramdisk. Just make sure that source / is not getting writes. Or not, if you don't care.Works flawless under Fedora 25. Plus I even get the firmware updates presented "through Gnome".
Build quality is very nice, although it's no full aluminium unibody
I'm very satisfied, the installation was easy, everything is working correctly, apart the fingerprint reader but biometric is a joke so no big loss.
The biggest problem with this machine is the fan system, it's configured at a pretty conservative temperature and when the fan start, it does a 1-2 seconds at almost full speed which is noisy.
The ports are just right for me, an hdmi port, two usb-3 and two usb-c which will make my life so much better when I will buy this screen/usb-c dock: http://www.philips.co.uk/c-p/258B6QUEB_00/brilliance-lcd-mon.... With an unique cable I will have everything I need when working from my desk: power, video, audio, ethernet, keyboard and mouse!
Speak for yourself because fingerprint sensor on my smartphone has changed the way I use it. Don't call the whole field of tech useless because Lenovo chooses to cheap out on their components.
Of course there's the balance of security and convenience.
The pros are a quad core i7, NVidia 1060, a better keyboard than MBP (my opinion), 16gb RAM, option of 4K glossy or 1080p flat panel. I chose the 1080p so I don't have glare.
Switching video cards has been my biggest issue. The Nvidia sucks battery so there are times I want to switch to the integrated Intel. The switch works, but switching back hangs the machine. It happens in the logout or shutdown part of switching video and the login (MDM on mint) never loads. It doesn't matter which card I switch to or from, just the second swap every time. Mint 18.2 is using LightDM which I'm hoping will work better, but I haven't tried yet.
The only real problems I have is the touchpad (currently tweaking synclient to get it just right) interfering while typing occasionally, and the completely crappy experience with the Thunderbolt docking station (it rarely goes perfectly when docking/undocking, but even if it does, sometimes the displays refuse to wake up while docked).
All that said, I really dig it. I've had two macbooks in the past, and can honestly say this machine is a FAR better experience and much more cost effective.
http://www.mi.com/en/mibookair/
About the quality. If you don't believe me about S76 quality please read this https://www.reddit.com/r/linux/comments/48y2db/system76_lapt... maybe that will change your mind. MBs are not perfect (non laptops are) bud they are so damn close (depends on what you need). If you want solid laptop you should really look mostly in to MB, Thinkpad series and XPS series, depends on your requirements (wants look and HD speeds? take MB, wants upgrade your laptop in the future? take Thinkpad or XPS)
I've found that using a thinkpad and the TLP program helps 1 by setting some sane defaults and allowing for customization and it helps 2 by allowing the computer to better maintain the battery.