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Author doesn't cite how they decided that only MacBook or Framework would fit their needs. I've never had trouble with Dell laptops with any Linux distro I care
by debo_ 10mo ago
Author doesn't cite how they decided that only MacBook or Framework would fit their needs. I've never had trouble with Dell laptops with any Linux distro I cared about. If I wanted a powerful Linux laptop, I'd probably look at something like Dell's premium model:
https://www.dell.com/en-ca/shop/laptops-ultrabooks/dell-16-premium-laptop/spd/dell-da16250-laptop/caeda16250hbtshslv#customization-anchor https://www.dell.com/en-ca/shop/laptops-ultrabooks/dell-16-p...
- justarandomname 10mo agoMy first laptop back in 2005ish or so was a Dell Latitude. Ran XP until Vista came out and I switch to Linux which it ran for a couple years until it was stolen from my car. I recall unimaginable pain and suffering due to wifi, which, IIRC, I side-stepped by buying replacing the stock Broadcom card with an Atheros card and I'm certain is not nearly much of an issue as it used to be.
- debo_ 10mo ago2005 is a really long time ago.
- justarandomname 10mo agoYeah, 2 decades! I was just enjoying a bit of nostalgia for that old clunky grey laptop.
- kelnos 10mo agoWhen it comes to WiFi on Linux, 2005 experiences are irrelevant to today.
- justarandomname 10mo agoThings have come a long way! For years after I would only buy Atheros WiFi cards, these days its usually Intel ones.
- varispeed 10mo agoPlease don't trigger my Dell PTSD. This is garbage tier hardware designed to harass employees.
- debo_ 10mo agoOk
- The_President 10mo agoNothing says quality like a display option with a picture comparable to a cheap portable DVD player from 2007.
- timcobb 10mo agoThis is a good call. I wonder what this means: > featuring up to 80W of performance
- The_President 10mo agoProbably marketing reading the power adapter
- timcobb 10mo agoYeah but why is marketing regarding the power adapter in the headline?
- okanat 10mo agoIf your company demands/keeps buying the shittiest, cheapest plastic Dell laptops instead of XPSes or higher end Latitudes/Precisions, that's not Dell's fault. My company uses XPSes and Precisions. They work great.
- dagmx 10mo agoXPS are pretty mediocre build quality in my experience. Precisions are better.
- mort96 10mo agoI've had two Dell XPS laptops (a 13" 2015 model and a 15" 2-in-1 2018 model). Both had significant touchpad issues: not sure if that's a driver thing or a hardware thing, but both would sometimes act as if there was a phantom touch somewhere on the trackpad which messed with my actual input. One of them had a keyboard where key caps of frequently used keys (super, shift, ctrl) would split in two after a ~year of use; this was not fixed under warranty, I paid out of pocket after a year of ownership, another year later it happened again. After those two Dell XPS laptops, I got a MacBook Pro 2021 with an M1 Pro instead of getting the keyboard fixed again. No issues. Linux support isn't great, but at least macOS is a relatively competent UNIX so it's fine. I might consider another non-Mac laptop in the future. But it's not gonna be a Dell.
- debo_ 10mo agoI think I may have the same 2015 13" model you are describing. Which distro were you running out of curiosity?
- mort96 10mo agoMostly Arch Linux at the time, though I've had Elementary OS on it as well. I used to run i3 (and eventually Sway) on it, which worked well since I could have a keyboard-centric workflow and not rely o bc the trackpad.
- debo_ 10mo agoHuh. I wonder if they were both hardware issues. I've run arch on my laptop with no issues.
- fluidcruft 10mo agoI have had many Dells that have been great with FreeBSD and with Linux. You do have to do your research though. Frankly, I wouldn't expect any touchscreen to work with Linux. That's not a Dell issue though.
- 10mo ago
- YorickPeterse 10mo agoI did briefly look into the XPS series but it seems this series isn't really a thing anymore? I also found a lot of comments describing recurring issues with the trackpad (or was it the keyboard? I can't remember). Basically it seemed like too much of a gamble.
- debo_ 10mo agoI'm not a massive fan of the hardware or anything, but most Dell laptops (including this premium one I linked) are tested to work with Ubuntu. If you're ok to use an Ubuntu-derivative as your distro, you should almost always have that as an option. Much like the Framework, it should be easily returnable if you have an issue.
- DetectDefect 10mo agoHow is Dell's firmware security story?
- debo_ 10mo agoI can't think of many things I care less about than firmware security, so I am personally not sure.
- deleted 10mo ago[deleted]
- DetectDefect 10mo agoSure, it's only a place for permanent rootkits and bootkits to proliferate, why care about it at all?
- markus_zhang 10mo agoI bought a few refurbished Dell laptops/desktops in recent years, and while older models hold fine, more recent models broke down quite easily within a year. Sure all of them are refurbished models (purchased through official website) that cost from $400 CAD to $800 CAD but I'm sketchy of the build quality of recent models.
- debo_ 10mo agoGood to know. My most recent is from 2021 and it holds up quite well.
- markus_zhang 10mo agoWhat model did you buy? Was it a new one? I'm looking for anything that can live up to 5+ years. I have seen all kinds of issues, and the most frustrating thing is, most of the issues are small but deal-breaking.
- debo_ 10mo agoThe XPS 13". I like highly portable laptops. The hardware has held up quite well.
- markus_zhang 10mo agoThanks. I always bought workstations, maybe I should try XPS instead.
- dagmx 10mo agoDell build quality and longevity vary wildly. My XPS 15 had a host of issues, all of which occurred commmonly but weren’t knowable at the time of purchase since it was early. 1. Battery swelling which wrecks the touchpad 2. Sleep issues so it would turn into a furnace in a backpack 3. Screen and keys randomly stops responding 4. Creaky body 5. Screen gets weird temporary burn in.