Linux laptop: These models take on MacOS and Windows

Linux is luring more and more users into its spell. And there are good reasons for that: In recent years, the operation and installation of many distributions (i.e. different versions of Linux) has become so much easier that you no longer need specialist knowledge to put a Linux PC into operation. Most distributions are free of charge, run on old systems and anyone who wants and can can tweak every little system setting to their hearts’ content. Disadvantage Linux: Microsoft programs such as Word and Excel do not work.

And there is another catch: not every laptop always runs immediately without complaint with Ubuntu, Mint or Pop! OS. It can happen that the graphics card, sound or wifi do not work properly. I don’t care about throwing Windows off the disk and throwing Linux on it, so you shouldn’t do it. Unfortunately, you can only find out whether you can breathe new life into your old laptop with a Linux distribution by researching beforehand.

But one thing should be said: The chances have never been better than today that a modern Linux distribution will find the right drivers for sound, WLAN and Co. and install them automatically.

These manufacturers build Linux laptops

You are on the safe Linux side with a laptop designed for Linux. There are now a few manufacturers who have launched Linux laptops on the market. Some of the better known include HP, Dell, and Lenovo. Somewhat niche – but not a bit worse – are and.

However, German buyers usually have to wait a little longer for System 76 laptops because the manufacturer is based in the USA and ships its devices from there. In this country, buyers want to use the German manufacturer Tuxedo. At least when you don’t feel like waiting forever and high transport costs.

Another interesting manufacturer for Linux laptops is. The devices run on the Linux distribution PureOS, which is stylistically reminiscent of Apple’s MacOS. The laptops also have so-called “kill switches”. These are switches that, for example, cut off the power supply to the webcam – better safe than sorry.

Dell Mobile Precision 7550

The Linux distribution Ubuntu is preinstalled on Dell computers. With its laptops, Dell is primarily aimed at business customers and less at private end users. The devices cost around 3,000 euros and there is a good reason for this: Most Linux users are programmers, scientists or engineers.

Depending on which software you develop or use, you need special performance. One example would be 3D modeling. This is what the En masse: Dell has given the workstation a full 64 gigabytes of DDR4 RAM. An Nvidia Quadro T2000 with four gigabytes of DDR6 memory serves as the graphics card.

The core is of course the processor: The Intel Core i9-10885H comes with eight cores that clock together with up to 2.4 gigahertz and individually with up to 5.3 gigahertz – more power is hardly possible in a laptop. Accordingly, the Linux laptop is only suitable for professional users who need this performance.

Dell.de | Dell Mobile Precision 7550

Dell G3 15 3500 HDNDH

The normal consumer will be familiar with the happier. The somewhat more frugal Intel Core i5-10300H processor works in it. Don’t worry, the chip can easily cope with daily tasks such as Libre Office and surfing. He even edits and cuts short videos with programs like DaVinci Resolve – perfect for private use.

Dell has given it an older Nvidia GeForce GTX1650Ti as a graphics card. The newest games could have problems. Hardcore gamers therefore refrain from using the laptop. You’d better use a Windows device because most games are optimized for the Microsoft operating system. But one thing should be said: More and more games on the “Steam” platform are now running smoothly on Linux.

Cyberport.de | Dell G3 15 3500 HDNDH

Lenovo ThinkPad P15 G1

What Dell can do, Lenovo can do too. The is a powerful workstation. The Intel Core i7-10750H processor works in it with six cores and thus two cores less than in the Dell alternative. At Lenovo, the 32 gigabytes of RAM are half as large as at Dell. Lenovo uses a terabyte SSD hard drive as system memory. With the Nvidia Quadro RTX 3000, Lenovo has donated a graphics card that Nvidia developed for professional users. Means that the Quadro RTX 3000 driver is designed for increased stability when it is performing visualization work.

Cyberport.de | Lenovo ThinkPad p15 G1

Why Are Linux Laptops So Expensive?

Most Linux laptops are workstations with a lot of power. And only very few users need this service. Most of them are researchers, software developers or system administrators who manage a server infrastructure. The fact that these users in particular rely on Linux is mainly due to the fact that Microsoft charges extremely high license fees for the use of its software – but then provides support if something goes wrong.

Software developers are a special case: They rely on the open source operating system because Windows is rather poor than suitable for development in most programming languages. This is because, unlike MacOS and Linux, Windows does not support the “Portable Operating System Interface”. This is a programming interface between the operating system and software. Most software developers therefore prefer to fall back on the unpleasant apple than to deal with Windows.

But don’t let that put you off: Normal users can use Linux for daily tasks without any problems. However, applications such as Word or Excel do not run. There are free alternatives for this, such as Libre Office. The same also applies to Photoshop, which sees its Linux mirror image in the GIMP.

Linux Laptops: The Most Interesting Distributions

If you want to breathe new life into an old laptop, you can try a Linux distribution. It used to be a lot of fiddling because it often happened that the operating system did not recognize certain hardware of the laptop and therefore did not install any drivers. Fortunately, those days are almost over.

Of course, such disruptive factors can still occur, but never before have most Linux distributions run as well as they do today. But there is still one downside: the battery life. Because most laptops are designed for Windows, the engineers are optimizing power management for the Microsoft operating system. Linux users can do this manually, but this requires patience and know-how. In other words, it is not for the normal user.

Cinnamon, Mate or Xfce: which edition?

Most distributions come in different editions. This means nothing more than the desktop environment. Put simply, windows or effects such as closing or opening new windows look a little different with Cinnamon, Mate and Xfce. In addition, the different editions offer slightly different pre-installed functions. In general, the Mate and XFCE are more suitable for older devices with weaker hardware. But they run more stable than Cinnamon. That looks the most beautiful for it, but it also needs a 3D-capable graphics unit.

How to install Linux

All you need to install Linux is a computer with an Internet connection, a USB stick with eight gigabytes of storage space and the free software. First, download an image of the Linux distribution you want to try. Insert the USB stick into the computer onto which you have loaded the image. Then open Rufus that you downloaded and installed earlier.

In Rufus, select your USB stick under “Device” and the image of the Linux distribution under “Boot Selection”. A click on the “Start” tab is enough and Rufus creates a bootable USB stick with Linux. Restart the computer. If the USB stick is plugged in, the PC should start automatically from it. If this is not the case, you have to change the boot sequence in the BIOS. You can access the BIOS by pressing “F12” or “Del” during the start-up process.