> has no freedom-related problems
All of them do. It's a matter of how big the freedom-related problems are.
The best you can get are the Libreboot laptops (which, of course, are
refurbished, not new), though some ARM devices like the OpenPandora can be
used in a reduced capacity in complete freedom. (Personally, I'm excited for
the Pyra, which seems like it'll probably be coming out this year.)
Even new x86 computers that are completely compatible with Trisquel include
features which are so powerful that they are effectively universal backdoors.
For Intel CPUs, that's called the Intel Management Engine, or "ME". It is
mandatory in every Intel CPU these days (has been so for a few years now).
The ME is literally capable of doing anything to your computer remotely,
including reading everything.
> A acquantaince has suggested the Dell 15 5000
Dell is one of the companies that implements digital restrictions to restrict
what wireless cards you can use with its computers. Just for this reason, you
should avoid them. If Think Penguin (http://libre.thinkpenguin.com) is above
your budget, some companies that don't seem to be implementing digital
restrictions are ASUS and Acer.
If you do go that route, I'd suggest trying a Trisquel live CD on the
machine, and if something doesn't work, return it. You'll need to get the
computer from a store that accepts the return, of course. The thing is, even
if one of a laptop model works with Trisquel, a slightly different revision
might not.
