You may want to approach this the other way. I you go to newegg.ca for example, i see the cheapest chrome book at about 400$, instead, do search on 8GB portable (4GB is cutting it close), and you will see many refurbs come up 350-400$ (order by price increasing), and new coming in at 550'ish. >From a spec perspective, once you find something you want, google for linux support and peoples experiences. You could even find out what dell models had ubuntu pre-installed, and find the windows equiv. being sold refurb. for cheap (i would guess). With bloatware on cheap windows licenses, the cost of windows factored in is about 0$ (at least it would be on a refurb.) I just can't help but think if you drive the search from something certified to linux (or chrome) from supplier (pre-built), you will severely narrow your HW options. Having said all that, I have at least twice built up a linux portable from a wiped windows one, and had video go black after grub screen, just to have to research to add a boot time option for a intel video issue, and this type of thing, since you are not a dev., would drive you mad. If you can find people reporting trouble free install from Linux Mint, or Ubuntu, it should be a safe bet. You can also try to run a live DVD/CD on the machine before you buy, that would really cement the process. You could also consider a live DVD/CD with a purchase that has full return policy. Good luck! nice to see you attempting the Linux route. Also, intel processors isn't a must, can run linux fine on amd (and a whole bunch more for that matter). And I would go for 8GB ram at min. Trouble spots are usually touch pads with multi-finger support, touch screens, and wifi module, at least a few years ago, could still be a pain.
-tl On Tue, Nov 22, 2016 at 3:53 PM, Irwin Barrer via talk <[email protected]> wrote: > Dear Talk List Members > > I am brand new to Linux, open source, etc. I am a user, not a developer. > > I am interested in buying a laptop and installing Ubuntu on it—I like the > idea of a free alternative to Windows or MacOS, and price is a big factor. > > A while back I saw some relatively inexpensive laptops on Dell with Ubuntu > preinstalled. Unfortunately these are no longer available and only a > high-end developer system is available with Ubuntu preinstalled. > > So I have started looking into laptops with Chrome OS (Chromebooks) and > installing Ubuntu. I’ve done some research, but still uncertain. Intel > processors seem to be a must and 4GB RAM—which is the most I can find on a > Chromebook. > > Does anyone have any experience with Ubuntu? Any help/advice would be > appreciated. > > Best > IB > > > Irwin Barrer > [email protected] > > > --- > Talk Mailing List > [email protected] > https://gtalug.org/mailman/listinfo/talk >
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