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New laptop time. Thinkpad recommendations?
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this post was submitted on 03 Feb 2024
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If you want to support Linux devs and continued development, I would buy from System76, Tuxedo Computers, or even Framework.
If you're going to buy used then yeah the Thinkpad is fine.
Framework laptops are op buy it once use it for ever
They're also significantly more expensive than ThinkPads and might be a bit much for what OP plans to do
This is definitely the biggest concern. Somewhat short battery life is also significant.
For ThinkPads?
No, Framework. Sorry if that wasn't clear.
Oh it's fine. Do Framework laptops have a lower battery life than ThinkPads?
Than Thinkpads? I don't know, but probably lower. My Framework only gets 8 hours of use, and 30 hours sleeping if I'm lucky. Definitely not the best, but being plugged in isn't too bad, and the adapter is nice and small.
But it'll arrive with Linux and it'll work. You also don't have to spend a week googling wifi chips to see if they'll work.
Just throw in a $20 Intel Wi-Fi card if necessary, and don't buy the first models of the latest CPU, as with any manufacturer, and Thinkpads are some of the another for Linux.
Thinkpads are locked down, the bios will refuse to boot if you install a non-Lenovo wifi card.
This is a prime example of why we should be supporting manufacturers that ship open source firmware like coreboot and not the proprietary junk Lenovo ships.
None I've ever used have been. I have a card I dropped in working right now on a 2 yr old Thinkpad.
For a new laptop, the initial cost is higher. But the idea is that future maintenance and upgrades would significantly lower the long-term cost of laptops. If a part breaks, you don't need to buy a new laptop, just that part. If a new CPU comes out that you want, just upgrade your mainboard for less than the cost of a new laptop.
I hear this a lot but in my experience the Framework is often in the same range and sometimes slightly cheaper. Right now a framework with i7-1360P and 16GB Ram is $1469. An X1 carbon with a (slightly slower) cpu is $400 more. Ryzen is similar. Not hating on Thinkpads but the Framework is a lot more competitive than you'll often hear and the upgradeability is obviously a massive financial incentive too.
I think normally when people are referring to buying a ThinkPad they aren't talking about a modern model. Usually not even the X1 Carbon series; especially past the 6th gen. They're referring to models in the X,P, or T series before the T490. Models that can be bought relatively cheap and upgraded however the user wants.
The T480 can be bought for around $200. The CPU is going to be a fair amount weaker but for $1,200 some people are willing to make the sacrifice for a casual personal use machine.
That makes sense. Buying used is always going to be more economical (and ecological) than new, no matter how "anti waste" it is.
I think a Framework laptop could make sense for a power user who is using it for work or gaming but I feel like upgrades are needed less frequently with web browsing, coding, and word processing.
I'd be curious to see how many people essentially use ThinkPads as a secondary computer that's just a bit more traditional and customizable than a Chromebook.
I've got a batch 1 and, barring some of the issues you'd expect from a new manufacturer, it is exceptional
I love the idea of framework but they're so expensive for the hardware you get
I get why that is and I will surely at some point end up with one but might wait til they're more readily available second hand
I get the price premium, but they refuse to sell a lower tier motherboard (i3/ryzen 3) so you gotta splash out 1k+.
guess the intention is to get 2nd hand boards but they're still quite pricey since it's so new
I think their hardware is too expensive to justify an i3 model. The price difference between an i5 and an i3 is probably too small compared to the cost of the rest of their device.
Came here to say Framework.
I got a System 76 Lemur 9 a few years ago. It was slightly cheaper than a comparable Dell XPS. The laptop is pricy but overall quit nice. I'd consider another one.