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Ask HN: I need a Unix-like laptop that works as a laptop. Am I stuck with Mac?

3 points by jgwil2 ↗ HN
My personal computer is a 2014 MacBook Air that has been great to me for almost ten years but now needs replacement. I would love to get away from Apple for the next one, but I will be using it primarily as a laptop, so a good trackpad and battery-life/correct sleep behavior is essential.

Are there any Linux setups that can deliver something close to MacBook performance in those areas or am I doomed to be stuck with Apple?

14 comments

[ 2.7 ms ] story [ 14.8 ms ] thread
david927
Have you seen this?

https://frame.work

jgwil2
I've seen it and I hope these folks succeed, but I've read various threads on this forum and elsewhere that suggest that sleep and battery-life are still serious issues on these machines.
scblock
I'm curious to see what the AMD mainboard and the newer Intel boards are like, but with Linux 6.10 on an 11th-gen Intel Framework 13 battery life is 4-5 hours and sleep drains the battery completely in 1-2 days even after switching from s2idle to deep sleep. I have not tried setting up hibernation.

The trackpad is pretty good, hardware support is excellent. It boots so fast (about 20 seconds to Plasma desktop) that my solution for the shit sleep behavior is to just shut it down when I remember to.

My use is a mix (about 50/50) of laptop use, typically plugged in, and desktop use with a 4k monitor and Dell USB-C dock.

Build quality (robustness, general feeling of rigidity, quality) is lacking compared to a MacBook (pro or air).

gregjor
Get a ThinkPad, or a Dell. Anecdotal but two friends bought Framework laptops and returned them.
lordkrandel
Apple machines have optimized hardware software and batteries, and cost double the price for that reason. If you want that kind of battery life, optimization, lightness, plug and play, snappiness, beautiful look and such, I guess you should just spend the money and buy from Apple again, since you like it. Me, myself, I choose something else because my priorities are others. This being said, I really don't like the tone of the question. Every laptop "behaves as a laptop". It's just like saying "I want a woman that behaves like a woman", imposing your way of seeing things onto others.
aurareturn
He can get an M1 Air brand new from Walmart for $650, which would be an incredible upgrade from a 2014 Air.

Nothing beats the M1 Air for $650 in my opinion.

jgwil2
I phrased the question that way because I talk to a lot of people who run Linux on their laptops plugged into a monitor on their desks 90% of the time, using a mouse and an external power source. My use case is different, so I have different needs.

I ask the question because I would like to reduce my dependence on a mega-corp and support Linux and smaller manufacturers if possible.

throwaway48540
What other laptop has the price/performance (not just CPU/RAM) of a Mx Air?
vhodges
I love my 13" Framework (12th Gen Intel) - Running Nix btw, but I am rarely on battery so can't comment there.

Over the years, I've also looked at the Dell XPS 13 developer edition and the Purism. There was a system 76 model I was looking at too, but went with the Framework

I had a 2012 retina MB pro and it was (so far) probably the best machine I've ever owned, but I use an m2 MB pro for work and I would not buy one for myself.

flaptrap
I've been using Linux on laptops since at least 2007. This one has extra M.2 and SATA bays, so, after a SSD failed suddenly in the prior laptop, I can have a mirror in place. I installed 2X4TB (with the unused Windows boot device in place).

Sleep/Hibernation is supported if you are using systemd (at least) although Debian does not seem to know it. That is to say, sometimes you have to find the right settings, but everything is documented.

jgwil2
Do you have a specific recommendation for a machine?
Suppafly
Other than portability concerns, what are you using it for? Do you need specific programs to work well, games, browsing, etc? If you're just using it as a portal to web based apps, something like a chromebook will give you what you need.
jgwil2
Light coding (think VSCode or Vim and a terminal for SSHing into a remote server or running a compiler/debugger), browsing, some word processing, ripping DVDs with a remote drive. Have looked at Chromebook but it seemed a little underpowered and also just swaps one megacorp for another. Gaming is not a factor but a Unix-like programming environment is.