What features would your ideal laptop have?
Posted by NovaCustom-Europe@reddit | linux | View on Reddit | 72 comments
Posted by NovaCustom-Europe@reddit | linux | View on Reddit | 72 comments
wreath3187@reddit
I have Lenovo ThinkPad E14 gen 3 and it has been ideal for my use.
RADsupernova@reddit
Modular like the old dells, enterprise grade SSD. Doesn't have to be fast, just has to be reliable with swappable parts
DT-Sodium@reddit
An Apple M4 chip but with Windows 11.
Byson94_dev@reddit
An easily replaceable motherboard with a customizable bios and a resizable monitor screen.
Chasar1@reddit
I heard qt is very good at fractional scaling!
But the fractional scaling claim is only based on hearsay, since I have only used 1080p and 4k with Linux
Chasar1@reddit
Here are my requirements in descending order of importance:
* Linux compatibility (duh)
* I want a 3:2 aspect ratio display. I really dislike using wide aspect ratio displays on laptops. (I usually scroll up/down when programming)
* I want the chassi to be high quality metal chassi. No creaks or bending, and I preferably want to be able to open the display with one hand. (something only Apple seems to have figured out)
* I want a big, high quality touch pad. I have been disappointed in every touch pad I have tried except the ones found on MacBooks.
* A high quality HDR 2K display. 4K is a bit overkill and drains battery. By using a multiple of 1080p you don't get any fractional scaling issues that plagues Linux.
* Repairability and upgradability found in Framework laptops.
* AMD x64 CPU, since Linux + ARM can be a bit tricky at the moment and they still have the best performance. (outside of Apple's M-series SOC's)
* High quality front facing speakers. I don't listen with my knees.
* High quality finger print sensor. So far the best I have found is on the MacBooks.
So far, the computer that comes the closest to this for me is Framework laptop 13' and MacBook Pro with Asahi (fingers crossed they succeed with their project!)
But if you know of any other laptops, please list them below!
PointiestStick@reddit
FWIW, fractional scaling is a total non-issue on KDE Plasma above about 150% scale.
vip17@reddit
you may still get fractional scaling if you plug in a monitor with "incompatible" size/resolution. And an external with different hybrid GPU/vsync/refresh frequency/... would also be painful for Linux setups
PointiestStick@reddit
https://pointieststick.com/2021/12/07/what-a-good-laptop-needs/ + https://pointieststick.com/?s=laptop
Short version:
First, get the built-in input and output devices right or else it's useless: - Excellent touchpad (large glass surface; multitouch; good palm rejection firmware; physical buttons at the bottom or else haptic) - Excellent keyboard (key caps not too big or loud; key caps black or dark gray; delete key in the top-right corner; equal-sized arrow keys; home/pageup/pagedown/end keys in a column on the right; alt/windows/ctrl keys keys on both sides of the spacebar; lights on the keys that toggle states like capslock, mute, and mic mute; some kind of fn lock functionality; fingerprint reader that doesn't replace any of the keys; stick it elsewhere on the C cover, it's fine) - Excellent screen (240-280 DPI; ≥100% sRGB coverage; 90+Hz refresh rate; IPS with fast g2g times or else OLED; ≥500 nits of brightness; touchscreen) - Excellent speakers (2 tweeters that face the user because they're in the display hinges; 2 downward-facing woofers; dedicated amps; relatively flat response) - Excellent camera and microphone (4k; multiple microphone array; physical privacy shutter)
Next, make sure it's durable or else it breaks quickly. 2mm thick aluminum around the sides and corners will adequately protect the components. 1mm for the A and D covers. Make the display hinge beefy. All screws need to go into metal, not plastic.
Next, get the battery life right. A laptop needs a useful battery life of around 8 hours when actually using it to do real work (not idle). So if the average power draw when doing real work is 9 watts, it needs a 72 watt-hour battery.
Next, make sure the performance is reasonable for a laptop. Don't put in overheated components and a minimal cooling solution. It's better to match them than to chase specs. Make sure the cooling solution is good enough, but still quiet.
Next, put reasonable ports on it. A USB-C 4.0 port on either side is a good start. Round it out with one USB-A, one HDMI, one 3.5mm audio jack, and one full-size SD card reader. If it's thick enough, add Ethernet.
Next, make it repairable. The SSD and wireless card should be socketed. The battery and keyboard should be customer-replaceable units, too. Opening the case should require unscrewing no more than 4 screws, and they should be captive. Only one edge should use clips. Ideally the RAM would be socketed too, if this can be done without harming the battery life too much. Same for the entire CPU package, if it can be made small enough.
RoomyRoots@reddit
IBM ThinkPad quality with modern hardware. No Chinese companies involved.
Great-Gazoo-T800@reddit
Lenovo Thinkpads are very good.
TerriblyDroll@reddit
X1 carbon and two docks soothes me
RoomyRoots@reddit
Still inferior to the old IBM, even older Lenovo and some top of line Dell, who also has been much shittier.
MessyKerbal@reddit
The Chinese make very good hardware, when they’re paid to make good hardware. Don’t see your point.
chibiace@reddit
3 inches thick, 12 inches wide, chock full of ports and replaceable batteries.
fellipec@reddit
This. Socketed CPU, memory and storage.
CLM1919@reddit
like a modern [powerbook G3] with hot swap-able bays/battery, CPU daughter card (pick your x86... can't expect to get apple CPU/arm)
I don't want "ultra-thin" I want "more space for options". I'd be happy with 1" or 3cm thick.
TerriblyDroll@reddit
Then I wouldn’t need two docks!
fellipec@reddit
Yes, something in that gist. Bigger, with more options. Instead of reducing the size of something is already practical, add features.
Same with phone. I would be fine with something thick like the Nokia N95 but with a week long battery and a camera with optical zoom.
CLM1919@reddit
I'd be fine with a 2 day swap-able battery that I could charge (both internal and externally) with a usb-c port.
Anyone else miss physical keyboards on phones, even if it would mean smaller screens?
fellipec@reddit
A N97 style keyboard would be glorious
fellipec@reddit
A N97 style keyboard would be glorious
EmberQuill@reddit
A 14-inch version of my Framework 13 would be almost perfect. The 13 is sliiightly too small. Probably just a regular 16:9 aspect ratio instead of the 16:10, with whatever resolution it needs to look good without fractional scaling.
JoEy0ll0X@reddit
A good CPU, good RAM, good SSD nvme drive, good screen clarity with an anti-reflective matte finish, and a slightly over basic GPU because I don't feel like having a bonfire in my lap plus it's pretty much unnecessary unless you're actually gaming or crypto mining IMO
akmark@reddit
stevorkz@reddit
14inch, AMD graphics, 16gb RAM, at least 2 usb 3 ports and 2 USB c ports, upgradable ssd and ram, removable battery and usb c charging. A bonus feature would be an IPS display but not a train smash.
Handsome_oohyeah@reddit
The battery is detachable, not inside the chassis. 3 or 4 USB ports. Hard chassis, not bendable. Linux supported wifi card.
ipaqmaster@reddit
Imagine a world where your battery is hot swappable as a slot on the front side of the laptop under the keyboard that a very long battery object slides out of and clicks into any time.
The dream. I'd buy at least two for hot swapping on the go.
Handsome_oohyeah@reddit
Lol, reloading the battery. Imagine having the current battery being low, then just swapped a fully charged one. Battery life? nah, just get a spare battery
AndreasTheDead@reddit
Lenovo had such notebooks, they had one internal battery and one external and the external could be hot swapped.
Ok-Perspective-1446@reddit
Netbook sized but with a modern i3 or something
LordChoad@reddit
currently id settle for a working display
ArcadeToken95@reddit
I don't care, it just needs Linux drivers and to be 100% repairable
dohzer@reddit
A decent wireless mouse.
ipaqmaster@reddit
Basically any 1000hz+ gaming mouse using either the wire, or a proprietary transmitter that comes with the mouse.
Using bluetooth with these mice doesn't get anywhere close to 1000hz sadly.
ipaqmaster@reddit
Basically a framework laptop. Which I will probably buy one of some day that I need a new laptop.
Ideal for me:
Optional:
dGPU device, though these days I don't really need one on a laptop. iGPUs have come a long way.
A second NVMe slot on the inside would be very nice for working with other drives directly as NVMe instead of over a USB adapter which does not present them to the host as NVMe.
An OLED display would be nice but isn't fatal to me.
Maybe another internal slot for a modem M.2 key? So the laptop can connect to the internet on the go instead of needing my phone if I'm away from my networks.
A fingerprint scanner somewhere on the body (Often the power button) would be nice so I don't have to plug in my external one.
ZorakOfThatMagnitude@reddit
Trackpoint, seriously. A great screen, good keyboard layout. Good wifi/bt. Great battery life and Linux support.
Mister_Magister@reddit
This is my ideal laptop: https://www.reddit.com/r/thinkpad/comments/1k38st1/ladies_and_gentlemen_i_present_you_the_most_balls/
It has olkb keyboard, 2x2.5" sata, expandable ram, replaceable battery, apple usb-c dong(le) included, display port, vga, ethernet, expresscard, sdcard, opensource bios, I don't need anything more
chibiace@reddit
its missing the nipple
Mister_Magister@reddit
nipple is not part of my ideal laptop, fuck the nipple its such ass backwards way to control mouse. No nipple but huge touchpad
chibiace@reddit
personally i'd like one nipple for each thumb
recaffeinated@reddit
It would basically be my 16" framework but it would have 2/3rds of the weight.
Also, it would have a little mini printer on the side that would produce crisp clean legit €50 notes on demand.
Picorims@reddit
Many ports (4 USB ports, 2 display ports, jack, ethernet), including at least one very performant USB/Thunderbolt port to plug a hub or demanding fast SSDs. It needs to be extensible and handle multiple demanding peripherals.
A solid fabric that can't be easily bent, a screen that is not easily scratched.
Easy to repair. Be able to swap anything as easily as possible, no soldering. If it is expensive I want to be able to make it live for a while. Similarly, have some flexibility on options when buying. Being force to pay 500 more euros for a tiny missing critical thing on the tier below is rather anti consumer imo, while I also understand the complexity of supporting many configs.
Good Linux support out of the box (compatible hardware)
An internal SSD with 1To Storage, or at the very least 512Go. Apps and files are getting bigger and not everything can be put off the system drive.
A light on the caps lock and num lock, no software overlay.
A decent dedicated GPU (equivalent to the NVidia 60 series more or less, can be AMD as well for good Linux support).
15" 16:9 screen or slighly higher in height, 1080p at least.
Ideally under 2kg although it kinds of clashes with the above.
Ideally under 1500€, hard max 2000€. No need for a Windows license.
Sold in France!
Extreme-Ad-9290@reddit
15" display, repairable and upgradable, thin, aluminum construction, Ryzen AI series CPU, dGPU expansion slot like in Framework 16, 4 USB C, 1 SD card slot, 1 USB A, webcam and mic switch to disable them, touchscreen, 2 ssd slots, industry standard parts, thin bezels all round, LibreBoot, no copilot key, super key marked with tux, and 180 deg hinge.
Extreme-Ad-9290@reddit
And the laptop company would be Ned Thesius
MrGOCE@reddit
NUMPAD !
WHY ON EARTH PEOPLE STOPPED MAKING THEM?! IT'S VERY USEFUL, I HAVE EVEN USED IT AS A MOUSE.
AND WHATEVER THE OTHER COMMENTS SAY.
pantokratorthegreat@reddit
There are already my dream laptops on market. And definitely are not among fucking Macbooks.
Fratm@reddit
Framework 16 pretty much nails what my ideal laptop is.
2rad0@reddit
ethernet jack and a good screen.
No-Donkey8786@reddit
Decent speakers or forget it.
powermad80@reddit
Mouse buttons that are separate from the trackpad, I never want to tap or press down on a trackpad to click ever again
lproven@reddit
Something like the chassis and keyboard of a ThinkPad T420, but housing a Framework motherboard. Removable battery, and more ports than a small Framework. Maybe the 16" Framework motherboard, if it would fit. I think that has 6 micro-USB-C.
vip17@reddit
To me these are the deal breakers
- The page up/down and home/end keys. They have to be in their proper positions on the right. So many laptops nowadays drop it or merge it with the arrow keys. A numeric keypad may be an acceptable replacement
- Big screens 15.4"+. Weight isn't important
- 32+GB RAM for VMs
zardvark@reddit
It would be thick enough to have an effective cooling system, so that more performant CPUs could be installed / used.
It would be thick enough to have a proper RJ45 Ethernet port, instead of some sort of adapter.
It would be thick enough to accommodate a classic 7-row ThinkPad keyboard.
It would be a rugged, business class machine.
It would have Coreboot and TianoCore installed.
It would be modular, so that RAM, CPUs and storage could be readily upgraded.
It would not have a TN display!
It would be provided with an excellent maintenance manual, have excellent spare parts availability and be easily serviced in the field.
In short, it would essentially be a ThinkPad T420, but with modern hardware and open source firmware.
Maykey@reddit
I'm using beefy raider ge 76 for three years with similar features, where I upgraded nvme, and it feels good. I'll probably switch to lenovo next year as some specs are good.
Guggel74@reddit
Expandable keyboard, so that I have a normal keyboard.
funbike@reddit
edilaq@reddit
Una mini thinkpad de 9 pulgadas, con pantalla tactil, con 2 TB de Almacenamiento, 16 GB de RAM mínimo, 10 horas de bateria y todos los puertos disponibles
Holiday-Ad7017@reddit
14 inch Thinkpad with gaming specs
hakko504@reddit
I'd like to see a new version of my old Asus K95V. that was equpped with a 18 inch screen, bluray player, 4 memory slots, i7 CPU, GT 635M GPU, 2.5" SSD*, 3.5" HDD (!). (Yes, it had both a 2.5 inch SATA slot and a 3.5inch SATA slot. The SSD I put in around 2016, 3 years after I bought the computer.)
So a new versions would have the following specs if I could choose:
18 inch 2560x1600 144Hz screen
Core Ultra 7 CPU
4x32GB RAM
RTX 5070 GPU
2-3 m.2 SSDs, total 4TB
bluray player (yes, I still have bluray/dvds I need to convert for plex.
ahferroin7@reddit
For comparison, I’m currently using an ASUS TUF A16 Advantage Edition and after upgrading the RAM and WiFi myself have largely been perfectly happy with it, with my only real complaints being how the ports are laid out, the lack of support for a second NVMe drive despite the body of the laptop being almost an inch thick, and the fact that it doesn’t support booting directly to an external display.
ShaneBoy_00X@reddit
Full alphanumeric keyboard with large "Enter" button.
gela7o@reddit
Everything the MacBook Pro is but more upgradable and repairable.
GraveDigger2048@reddit
clitmouse (aka trackpoint) or ideally a small trackball (might be IR based like on humble Blackberries), no soldered RAM, every edge(including front) covered with USBs in both flavors (A and C).
Option to choose it with monochromatic screen( but not sillyness of full 16,7mln IPS panel displaying only white, i mean hidpi 1080 LCD dot matrix or whatever like on gameboy with WS2812b backlight to easily turn on night mode).
Replacable battery and ideally one internal to withstand like 10 mins max between swapping. Dock port on the bottom like on good old Dell D630 and later, no USB-C shit which might configure altmode DP or not.
At most Radeon GPU( but optional) to make it workable OOTB under the only OS that is usable.
Metal chassis optionally serving as an heatsink, no silly small heatpipes with thumb-sized radiators and 9krpm jet engines to pump out all this heat on time.
15". This size allows to incorporate reasonably aligned keyboard with numpad (check Dell Precision 7530 or better E5530, it's keyboard is still my no.1 for prolonged typing).
One of NVME bays accepting some SATA controller with space to fit 2.5" HDD because i like reliability of spinning rust.
RP2040 onboard to have some GPIOs (lol)
Ability to remove small portion of body/ like a flap to fit nano sized usb HID dongles.
Easy access with captive screws to fan, ram, storage.
Availability of accessory screens, might be usb-c driven but i think about something that i can hang on opened lid which serves another display (monochromatic or color).
Repariability of Framework. Availability of Framework-like motherboards, ideally one with RISC-V cpu, i wouldn't mind Spacemit's x60 :D
Power button( AND RESET) somewhere on the edge to access it without needing to open whole contraption. Accessory Linux-tested and certified USB-C dock( because let's face it, noone will fulfill my dream proper port replicator).
Propietary bus on one of the sides to expose some PCI-E lanes to dock external GPU to the device.
Oh my, you've made me dream OP...
rabbit_in_a_bun@reddit
I really like my work P14s gen 5:
Ryzen pro 8840HS Radeon 780M 32gb ram ddr5 5600 Enough usbc/usba and an ethernet port. No need for a docking station.
I think it's near perfect, and considering it's a laptop and I do my work on remote servers, it's pretty much perfect for me.
Sixguns1977@reddit
A CD tray. Lots of ports(including card readers). Completely abandoning the design philosophy of removing as much as possible in order to make the laptop smaller and lighter.
AcceptableHamster149@reddit
Lightweight and portable - about the 14" target. I've had 12" laptops that are too small and I've had 17" laptops that are too bulky. 13.3" or 14.1" is the sweet spot between portability and usability. I want a long battery life, something that's comfortable to carry around, and something that has enough performance to handle my regular daily usage. And native Linux compatibility for everything in it.
There are plenty of laptops on the market which fit the bill. Two of the more popular manufacturers which support Linux in that way are Tuxedo and Framework. Honourable mention to System76.
LoveinLiberty@reddit
I dont care how heavy is it but I wanna get perform of desktop GPU's in laptops
frank-sarno@reddit
Hardware
Proper keyboard (meaning it needs all keys, include the tilde/backtick, backslash, function keys). I bought one laptop that was missing the tilde which made it useless for Linux (yes, there was some magic keypress to get it). Must be typing friendly and not just stylish looking.
Trackpad material should avoid fingerprint oils and be easy to clean. Would also settle for replaceable covers.
Working fingerprint reader under Linux that integrates with 2-factor and other auth mechanisms. Must seamlessly unlock keyvaults.
Boot directly to external monitor. Power button that's accessible without opening the lid.
Dedicated GPU that supports CUDA. (Unfortunately this is a requirement for my work.)
Multiple USB-C ports (minimum 4) that support charging and an external monitor. I would also settle for a well integrated dock that didn't have some sloppy cable and could attach easily, possibly magnetically to the side/rear.
Software
Installation should setup page/swap and other drivers to enable full hibernation. I hate having to re-adjust this on every laptop.
Speakers should be fully supported. This is a driver problem but very clearly the Windows sound is better than Linux sound.
Fun_Chest_9662@reddit
Unix keyboard layout w/ lenovo niple. Sun was cooking with the layout.
ElephantWithBlueEyes@reddit
Working fingerprint (if we talk about linux)
ElvishJerricco@reddit
On that subject, I've been using a YubiKey Bio as my fingerprint scanner and I think it has a number of upsides. For one, it acts as a secure biometric passkey token. But it also is more secure than a regular fingerprint scanner since there's an actual cryptographic identity associated with the fingerprint that the OS can verify and use for PAM authentication. I think baking one of these into a laptop would give you a very Apple TouchID-like experience and similar levels of security.