Contrary to popular belief, Yes, it is possible to buy a Linux laptop, that is, it comes with this operating system pre-installed. That's a good option if you're a Linux fan and just want your hardware to work: it's not just that the operating system is pre-installed – you can install it yourself in a few minutes – but also that Linux will be supported properly.
By selling Linux computers out of the box, what the manufacturer is saying is that they have done all the work for you to make sure the hardware works perfectly and that has Linux drivers. The people who take care of your hardware support, so they will take it seriously If you have any problems while using their operating system, they will not be indifferent nor will they tell you that they only work with Windows.
Guide Index
- 1 The most recommended Linux laptop
- 2 UAV Edge v2024 with Linux
- 3 Acer Nitro 5. Something more powerful
- 4 Asus ROG 17 inches. High end hard to find
- 5 The Chromebook option
- 6 Buying a Linux laptop to avoid problems
- 7 Why buy a Linux laptop?
- 8 How to format a laptop with Linux
- 9 Can Windows be installed on laptop with Linux?
- 10 Best Linux Laptop Brands
- 11 Conclusion
The most recommended Linux laptop
Unfortunately, purpose-built Linux laptop costs slightly more than Windows ones (but as you will see in the Dell XP model below). Even low-end laptops, often with Intel Celeron processors, come with a small fee added, if they include a distribution Linux. Why that may be so is not safe, since Linux has no license fees. It could be that Linux laptops are pointing to a specialized market, willing to pay more, and that companies operate in minor production runs.
UAV Edge v2024 with Linux
El VANT, the Spanish brand which competes with Slimbook, is one of the laptops that you can buy with Linux preinstalled, specifically with Ubuntu. This computer has a 14″ screen, 7th Gen Core i13 processor, 24 GB of DDR5 RAM, 1 TB of NVMe SSD, and an Intel Iris Xe iGPU.
Its processor is powerful And there is no problem in terms of connectivity, since it comes with the essential ports and Bluetooth-like services that allow us to pair devices without problems. Also we have Two years warranty y Spanish assistance with this brand.
Oh and ... Opens in 10 seconds : )
If you don't care so much about the OS as having a nice ultrabook look here.
Acer Nitro 5. Something more powerful
Another laptop of the brand with no operating system ready to install Linux. It seems that these types of brands are the first to consider this operating system, the same thing happened with the BQ brand with phones. But continuing with this Acer Predator line, without a doubt stands out for hardware what's wrong with it. Its autonomy is sufficient but not remarkable, it can reach 5 hours if it is used with a normal screen brightness. At a general level it has a very good performance as it is powerful. Something that we see in its performance but also in its technical characteristics.
Regarding its use, we can use it during the day to day or to work, also for students, to watch movies and television on demand, or also to play if it is not one of the video games that demand many resources from our laptop, since as We have said if it fails a bit on the one hand this is the graphics card, which although not bad is not the most powerful on the market (a Nvidia RTX 3050 Ti). This factor makes it have a somewhat more affordable price for gaming laptops, and that it is one of the few options within a normal budget for those who are considering a Linux laptop, or if they do not want to start with it.
Asus ROG 17 inches. High end hard to find
Asus is nailing it down by giving Linux fans a laptop they can feel like their own with it. ROG Strix. The operating system is almost identical to the version of Windows that came out in January., including the one-piece screen that essentially fits a 17-inch laptop with a 15-inch body. But instead of having Microsoft software, the Asus ROG has Linux.
Is even cheaper than Windows version when you list the tech specs, with a Ryzen 5 processora 1080p display - which is not tactile - 16 GB RAM memory y 512 GB of solid state storage (SSD).
Unfortunately in Amazon Spain there are not usually many units and it sells out quickly, so if the offer is not available we recommend activate alerts 😉
The configuration options are a bit different, though, so let's go over them:
- Asus offers cheaper Windows variants with 8GB of RAM, a model with a Core and Ryzen processor. But this model lacks an operating system, so you can install Linux, and it is quite compatible.
- Moving away from the base Linux models gets you a little less storage and a touch screen with a resolution of 3200 × 1800 for 1200 euros. There is no way to find a middle ground, settling only for the screen or the storage, unlike the Windows variants.
- Linux users can get a very powerful model for about 700 euros, and they can go up to 512 GB of storage for something more. Windows users can only get the 256 and 500 GB option, and only through a Microsoft store, where it will cost a little more.
Asus has played with Linux notebooks before, even released a version of its previous Ubuntu-based Linux VX5 notebook. For a while, it seemed like the project was failing, but now the brand is showing an even greater commitment to Linux, with a wide range of VX5 configurations and an Ubuntu version of its more robust M3800 portable system. Furthermore, the company also provides clear instructions on how to charge other distributions Linux, such as Fedora or Debian.
A little anecdote: While Linux users have always been able to install their operating systems on any Windows device, that was complicated with Windows 10, when Microsoft switched to the UEFI Secure Boot System. Users still have the option to disable UEFI in Windows 10, but that may not be the case with all Windows 10 devices, potentially creating more headaches for Linux distributions that don't support UEFI.
In other words, it is important that users have hardware options with Linux installed from the beginning. The fact that there is no Windows fee for now is a treat for Linux fans.
The Chromebook option
The Chromebooks They are personal computers that work with the Google Chrome OS operating system. Plus, can be turned into cheap Linux laptops very easily. Chrome OS is already basically a modified desktop Linux with a different interface, so the Chromebook operating system will already support Linux. You can install a traditional Linux desktop system alongside Chrome OS, and use the same hardware drivers that came with the Chromebook, so hardware should work perfectly.
More about Chromebooks at this article.
The problem with using the Chromebook as a Linux PC is that Chromebooks aren't really designed for it. They have little storage and are designed to be lightweight systems with which to connect to the Internet. They are not ideal if you want to use multiple virtual systems and compile code files at the same time. Even so, are significantly cheaper than laptops dedicated to Linux systems. If you just want a small and cheap device with which to use Ubuntu, the Chromebook may be what you need.
Buying a Linux laptop to avoid problems
For those of you who have been living under a rock for the past year, the Microsoft folks have come up with a little ruse telling computer manufacturers that, to have Windows 10 certified, they will need to activate the Secure Boot system. on your devices.
To install Linux you have to enter the UEFI settings and disable Secure Boot, before you can install the distribution of your choice. This process has even done more difficult for the ordinary user you want to use Linux.
Some may not have even tried Linux because they are operating system agnostic. Some use Windows simply because it turns out that it came installed on the computer they bought, and the simple idea of installing another operating system had not crossed their minds.
And what if you want to try Linux but are not confident enough to install it yourself?
The first thing you can do is download a distribution and burn it to DVD. If you're not sure which version of Linux to choose, try to find a list of popular distributions that might work for you, or even try a few.
New Linux users will still be much safer trying the most popular distributions such as Ubuntu or Linux Mint, and, for Windows users, there will always be Zorin.
Still, it's understandable that the idea of downloading a distribution and copying it to a disk or USB can be overwhelming for some. But that's not a reason to rule out Linux. An alternative is the companies that allow you to buy such Linux distributions on DVD or USB.. And, as we have said, you can even buy laptops with Linux pre-installed.
Why buy a Linux laptop?
If you've been paying attention to the statistics of the desktop operating system market, you probably know that Linux is at 1%, and it does not seem to move from there.
That's a dramatic underrepresentation, of course, due to the fact that Linux is free. Unlike Microsoft, for example, which keeps a careful account of every copy that Windows distributes, Linux has no vendor counting units; users simply download, share, and enjoy their operating system's open sources to their satisfaction without any official follow-up.
From a functional point of view, that works without problem for users. The problem is that this makes it too easy for hardware and software vendors, device driver manufacturers, and critics of all kinds to downplay Linux from a market point of view. That, in turn, makes it less likely that new software will be adapted for Linux, for example, or that key drivers will be created for that operating system; in short, that slows the growth of Linux.
What can be done to remedy it? If you already use Linux, you can make it known on the networks. There are pages that have a counter "We are more than 1%" of Linux, such as DudaLibre, which proves that the operating system is much more used than standard surveys suggest.
If you want to help demonstrate the market value of Linux, the next time you are in the market and looking for a new device for your business or your personal projects, buy the pre-installed distribution. Not only will it save you from having to install it, but you will be sure that it works, with support in case of unforeseen events. Even better, your purchase will be included in the market data of the next study, since the seller will be doing accounts, and you will help a very good operating system to be recognized as it deserves.
How to format a laptop with Linux
Formatting a laptop with Linux is a simple task for advanced users, but may not be so easy for newer users. To achieve this, we just have to follow these steps:
- The first thing we have to do is get an ISO of the desired operating system. We can choose the same system that was installed by default or any other.
- Next, we have to create what is known as a LiveUSB, that is, an installation USB or from which we can test the operating system without danger of messing up our native installation. For this we can use tools such as UNetbootin or a tool like Startup Disk Creator, the second available in the official repositories of many Linux distributions and the most recommended. If we do it from Windows, we can use tools like Rufus.
- In the next step we will put our pendrive in a USB port. If we wish, we can format it with a tool such as GParted.
- We open the software we choose to create the LiveUSB. The following steps explain how to do it with Startup Disk Creator.
- In the section above, we choose the ISO to install. In the bottom one, the destination pendrive.
- We click on "Make a Startup Disc", or "Create startup disk" if you have it in Spanish.
- We wait for the process to finish, which will take a few minutes.
- Next, we restart the computer and start from the USB. If it does not start automatically from our pendrive, we have to restart again and press the function key (Fn) F12 to choose the boot drive. If this does not work, we enter the BIOS and change the boot order so that the USB is before the hard disk (Floppy).
- Now it only remains to install the operating system. What we will see on the screen will depend on the type of installer, since there are several such as Ubiquity (the one used by Ubuntu) or Calamares. Basically, we have to choose the language, indicate if we want to install third-party software, choose the type of installation, among which we have the possibilities to use the entire disk or create partitions, choose the country, username and password and wait.
- Finally, when asked, we restart the computer, without forgetting to remove the pendrive so that it does not start from it again.
Can Windows be installed on laptop with Linux?
Sure. Yes you can. And, especially since the launch of Windows 8, the operating system installs the necessary drivers from the software updates and all the hardware should work without problems, although that is the theory. In practice, we can find that there is a port that does not work as we expect, being the one that causes the most problems with HDMI; It is common that after installing an operating system different from the one that came from the factory, with all its software and drivers by default, we cannot connect our laptop to an external monitor in this way.
The system to do it will vary depending on the laptop that we have in our possession, but it is basically as follows:
- If necessary, enter the BIOS and change the interface type (UEFI, EFI, Legacy, etc).
- We introduce our DVD with Windows. Another option is to create an installation USB, for which we can use tools such as Rufus o WinToFlash.
- We start from our installation unit. Computers are generally configured to boot from DVD first and then from hard drive, so if we want to install Windows from DVD, it should boot directly. If we want to install the system from a USB, from the BIOS we have to change the boot order. There are also laptops that allow us to choose where to start from when we turn on the computer by pressing a function key, such as (Fn) F12.
- At the section on the type of installation, we choose the option "Something else" and delete all the partitions on the hard drive. If we wish, we create the necessary partitions.
- We start the installation and follow the instructions that appear on the screen.
- Once the installation is finished, it is important to check for updates, since the drivers for our equipment will be installed from there.
Best Linux Laptop Brands
slim book
Slimbook is a company that has managed to gain a lot of popularity for offering computers with Linux operating system installed by default. But, unlike what other brands offer, Slimbook has in its catalog all kinds of computers, such as some more powerful for developers or professionals and others with somewhat more discreet components for home use. Their teams they usually offer a good design, so it is worth taking them into account if we are looking for a computer with Linux whatever our needs.
System76
System76 is an important brand in the Linux world, in part because they offer us their own operating system: the Pop! _OS based on Ubuntu. In addition, it also makes and sells good laptops, all with medium-advanced components and many of them with Linux operating system. In their catalog we will find all types of computers, such as desktops, laptops and mini, and they are also responsible for important software such as FirmwareManager which will find and install any specific firmware for our equipment.
Won
Vant is another brand of computers that has decided to bet on Linux. What predominates in its catalog are computers with a Ubuntu LTS installed by default but, sometimes, they also offer us the possibility of including the latest version of the operating system. Unlike other brands that only offer Linux computers with advanced components, Vant also offers somewhat more discreet equipment, so it is worth taking them into account if we want to buy a Linux computer whatever the use that we are going to make of it. .
Tuxedo
Tuxedo is a very popular brand in Linux for making and selling computers equipped with Linus Torvalds' kernel operating system. In its catalog we find all kinds of computers, but most include advanced components or they are designed with developers in mind. They recently announced the kubuntu focus, a computer created side by side with the Kubuntu developers to offer the best possible user experience when working with the KDE version of Canonical's operating system.
Conclusion
For Linux users, there is a wide range of laptops that come with your preferred operating system pre-installed. That means you don't need to go hunting for drivers that work for you or fiddling with your computer's settings, you can buy notebooks with Linux pre-installed from the factory. Even so, for those of you who want to continue installing Linux on your own, You can always buy a certified Ubuntu laptop. Ubuntu has a list of all computers, including laptops, who have received the credential "Ubuntu Certified", which means they can use Linux without you having to modify them.
For those of you who want both operating systems, I suggest you learn how to use and install a Windows 8 dual boot system with Linux. It is to be expected, therefore, that you will have problems trying it because of the Secure Boot. Perhaps it would be smarter to study how to install Linux on a Windows 8 computer.
Telecommunications Engineer closely linked to the world of computing. I complement my daily work with a suitable laptop for my tasks and I help you to achieve the same adapted to your needs.
Everything that I just read very interesting and very useful.
Thank you very much for sharing such valuable information.