Pretty slick deal for a Linux laptop. https://computers.woot.com/offers/dell-latitude-e7450-14-intel-i5-ssd-ultrabook Dell Latitude E7450 14" Ultrabook, Intel Core i5-5300U 2.3GHz, 240GB Solid State Drive, 8GB DDR3, 802.11ac, Bluetooth, Win10Pro $369.99 Refurbished On Sun, Jan 6, 2019, 5:22 PM Joe Lowder Thanks to all who responded. > > Mike wrote: Hi Joe. can you share the > answers to your question. Thanks, Mike > > So, Mike, I've quoted three of the most recent responses > below. Earlier replies can be found in the PLUG archives: > > https://lists.phxlinux.org/lurker/splash/index.html > > I've had great success with Linux installed on several > ThinkPads (both IBM and Lenovo) for many years. A couple > of installs on Dells turned out to be problematic for me. > Mint has worked best for me. > > The reason I asked the "Linux laptop for a gift" question > was to see if the PLUG "brain trust" might have any newer > recommendations for any affordable pre-installed options. > > I gave my wife a Chromebook, but she is not satisfied > with that. > > So, I just purchased another Thinkpad 430u for $150 to set > up with Linux Mint for my wife because she is finally fed up > with Windows 10. After years of using Windows 8, she has now > been coerced into the Windows 10 nightmare and she hates it. > > I personally will not have anything to do with anything > from Micro$haft and I'm now having a problem tring to install > Linux Mint on the 430u because of the UEFI annoyance. > > Please see this link: http://upquick.com/temp/430/ > > Hope somebody can help me get past this UEFI nuisance. > > > == michael@butash.net wrote: > I only buy dell if I expect linux to work at all any more, > even then it's hit and miss (as I stare at my xps15 in an arch > linux install cd after a week). Thinkpads tend to have their > issues it seems too, lenovo doesn't so much seem to care about > linux, and is left to hobbiests to figure out, which only goes > so far. Dell at least has folks that work on the kernel team > to get some real input I've found. Using the ones they sell with > linux obviously goes a long way toward support, like the xps's, > at least with ubuntu and such they tend to support. > > == kevin@fries-biro.com wrote: > You need to balance your risk of "working out of the box" with > "cheapest". You want it to work with Linux, out of the box, Zero > incompatabilities... simple, System76. It will come with either > PopOS, or Ubuntu, from which Mint dirives. Open the box, enjoy. > Cheapest, is a crap shoot with Linux. Many of the cheapest do funny > things with the boot sequence thanks to Windows 10. But, I have yet > to see one that can not be made to work in a long time. How much > effort are you willing to put in and what is your tolerance for > things breaking on upgrade? > > == trent.shipley@gmail.com wrote: > My parents use Macs. I would be OK if they used Chromebooks. > Never is a million years would I give them a solid Linux desktop, > let alone a potentially flaky, cheap, out of the box Linux. > Why are you in the market for a cheap out-of-the-box Mint machine? > There are some pretty decent, affordable Windows machines out there, > assuming you don't have a reflex objection to Windows or Microsoft. > A Chromebook can't be beat for cheap, functional, and out of the box, > and my understanding is that it's based on Gentoo, deep, deep under > the covers. So Chromebook is a really good choice for a cheap, > user-proof computer, unless you have a phobia of Google or Chromebook. > > > > --------------------------------------------------- > PLUG-discuss mailing list - PLUG-discuss@lists.phxlinux.org > To subscribe, unsubscribe, or to change your mail settings: > https://lists.phxlinux.org/mailman/listinfo/plug-discuss