Best linux laptop for a gift?

[Stephen Partington]

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 <joe at actionline.com wrote:

> Thanks to all who responded.
>
> Mike <mylinux at cox.net> 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 at 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 at 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 at 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.
>
>
>
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