On Wed, 2017-04-12 at 21:34 -0500, Adam Thompson wrote:
I've been thoroughly soured on HP laptops, too.
I'd say stick with one of:
- Dell Precision
- Dell Latitude
- Lenovo X-series
- Lenovo T-series
- Lenovo W-series
- Apple MacBook Pro
Based on laptop prices right now, I would also strongly consider either leasing it (match the warranty and lease durations!) or buying refurbished.
YMMV.
-Adam
I have no experience with HP laptops but I agree with Adam's suggestion.
I currently use an Lenovo X230 which was a subtle yet important refresh for a Lenovo X220 (USB3 express card kept falling out) though my comparatively ancient MacBook Pro 4,1 (2008) is still my 'main' machine due to some software for which there are no suitable ports. I went down the Lenovo route after not hating the T430 I've been issued at work (well I hate the spinning rust but the rest of the machine is very solid).
Briefly looked at the Dell XPS 13 Ubuntu edition but the quote was almost 10x what I paid for the X230 (don't be afraid of refurbished) and some reports of sound board chirping. I picked up a 4K monitor (one of the few with proper DVI-D) and haven't looked back.
When the urge hits me it will be hard decision between the Dell XPS 13 and a new Mac. Neither are suitably upgradable so they won't have the service life my trust old Mac has had.