So I’m looking for a laptop, but before you downvote and move on, I’ve got a twist: I’m looking for a laptop with Linux support that’s going to intentionally be console-only and rely on TUIs to make a lower-distraction device.
I was looking at older Thinkpads with 4:3 screens and the good keyboard before Lenovo went all chicklet with them, but I’m kinda concluding they’re both way too expensive AND way too old to be a reasonable choice at this point.
A X220 or T40-whatever would be great and be the perfect aesthetic, but they’re expensive, hard to find parts for, and using enough crusty old shit that this becomes yet another delve into retro computing and not one into practical, useful computing which is the goal here.
So, anyone have any recommendations of any devices in the last decade that have a reasonable keyboard, screen, use modern enough components that you can source new drives and RAM and batteries and such, and preferably aren’t coated in a coating that’s going to turn to sticky goo?
Thin(ner) and light(er) would be nice, but probably not a dealbreaker if the rest of the pieces align. This will be almost entirely used at a table for writing and such.
I’ve got a Clevo laptop that covers most of your list. Mine’s a bit older, a 7th gen i5, but was very cheap, and easy to upgrade. If the newer models are built the same way, it’s what I’m going to go for when I eventually upgrade 👍
Aren’t System76 essentially rebranded Clevo laptops? Where do you find Clevo machines at an actually good price?
they are. props, however, for system76 branching out into their in-house hardware.
Mine is a Stone branded Clevo, a Stonebook Pro p11b, but as you say, there are others out there. I bought mine refurbished for about £150 and upgraded the SSD and RAM.