How to choose the best Dell laptop to run Linux?

When you ask any Linux user which laptop you should choose, you almost always get one of two answers: Dell or Lenovo. Lately, however, Dell's line of Ubuntu and Red Hat-based development and engineering laptops with Canonical and Red Hat certification, Dell validation, and factory install options have been the most common recommendation.

The purpose of this article is to help you choose the best Dell laptop to run Linux. We assume you already know the difference between a dual-core processor and a quad-core processor. So we'll leave hardware considerations aside and instead focus on more general aspects of choosing the best Dell laptop.

Dell Linux Compatible Systems

“As part of Project Sputnik, Dell launched an open exploratory project to identify what developers wanted in an ideal system,”

Dell Explains

the origin of its Linux-compatible systems. “The systems come with Ubuntu or Red Hat Enterprise Linux. With Canonical and Red Hat certification, Dell validation, and factory installation options, you can rest assured your system is running smoothly, allowing you to focus on creating value and improving business results. »

Two most popular Linuxes: The Dell systems ready at the moment are the

Dell XPS 13

and the

Dell Precision 5520

. The first is a sleek, ultra-thin 13.3-inch laptop with a beautiful InfinityEdge display, a powerful processor from Intel, and up to 16GB of memory. The latter is a productivity-focused workstation with a 15-inch display, the latest Intel Core and Xeon processors, NVIDIA Quadro M1200 professional graphics and up to 32GB of memory.

New or used?< /p>

Due to their popularity, there is always a steady supply of used and refurbished Dell laptops on sites like eBay and Amazon. If your budget is tight, a used or refurbished laptop can save you a lot of money, with minimal inconvenience.

While used laptops are usually sold directly by their former users, refurbished laptops have been returned. to a manufacturer or seller for various reasons. Manufacturers and sellers test refurbished products for functionality and defects, repair them, and resell them. Minor cosmetic damage aside, refurbished laptops from Dell tend to be in pristine condition, with a fresh battery included.

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Check Linux compatibility databases

Unless you choose one of Dell's Linuxes. ready laptops, you should always check if your preferred model is compatible with Linux. The Material Database Project

H-Code

is a good place to start, but many other similar sites are also available. Most popular Linux distributions have their own hardware compatibility resources, including

Linux Mint

,

Ubuntu

and

Arch

.

Even if you don't find your favorite model on any list, you can still get a pretty good idea of ​​its compatibility with the Linux operating system simply by evaluating how many models from the same manufacturer are compatible with Linux. And if that also fails, there are always forums where you can ask other Linux users if they have experience with the laptop you want to buy.

Conclusion

Choosing a Linux laptop these days isn't too different from choosing a laptop in general, especially if you decide to go with Dell. Most Dell laptops work directly with all major Linux distributions, and Dell even sells a range of Linux-compatible machines with Canonical and Red Hat certification.

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