@unixviking hi friend. I notice your interest in Linux and Thinkpads! Which Thinkpad would you recommend for Debian? I'm considering replacing my 2015 MacBook pro 13 inch. This is my couch laptop and it sits on a little roll tray that I pull up to the sofa while using it. Doesn't have to be very compact or portable and I was looking at the T16. I just don't want to struggle with drivers and I want a nice typing experience.

General computing, some vs code.

@michaelharley Hello! Generally speaking, you can’t go wrong with a ThinkPad for Linux/Debian—as long as it’s not a newer model where driver and firmware support is still lacking.

The ThinkPad T480 is generally considered the last “good” ThinkPad because you can still upgrade just about everything on this model—RAM, SSD, NVMe, Wi-Fi, etc. Driver support under Linux is also solid because this model has been on the market for a while, and as a widely used business model, it’s readily available (eBay, refurbished sellers), so spare parts are plentiful.

I personally use even older models like the T420, T430, or T440p with Debian and Fedora, but those are getting a bit too old. That’s more for nostalgia’s sake.

Otherwise, I mainly use a T490s because I wanted one that would support Windows 11 if necessary and, above all, is compact and lightweight. On the downside, aside from the NVMe and the battery, you can’t replace anything else yourself. That’s because, starting with the T490 and up, most components in ThinkPads are soldered in place. And the built-in 4G modem doesn’t work with Debian or Linux, which often causes problems. Otherwise, I’m very satisfied.