I’m trying to downsize from an aging gaming laptop to an ultrabook I can use for writing, web browsing, and JavaScript / Python web development. I understand an ultrabook will be a downgrade in the performance department, but I don’t need all the performance my current laptop offers.
I’ve been looking at ThinkPad X1 Carbon Gen 8 machines and they seem like a good sweet spot of price to recent parts/repair-ability. Anybody have other suggestions for Linux ultrabooks? Needs to be <$400 USD.
PS. For more intense tasks, such as training language models, I plan on renting cloud compute as I don’t have the space for a deep learning machine at home.
edit: meant under $400, I am a dumbass
Not really an ultrabook, but the thinkpad T4xxS series is pretty great too and you would probably get stronger hardware for the same price than with an X1 carbon.
Edir: The xx meaning other numbers of course. I’m using a T470s for many years and am still happy with it. I’ve got a more powerful desktop computer as well though.
+1 with Thinkpad any S series. More portable and compact (thanks to the lightweight compensation than other series). Also thinkpoint is the main point of Thinkpad laptop that brings you joy to the fullest on this machine.
The connectivity is also nice. The RJ45 socket is especially important for me, so the laptop couldn’t be thinner anyway.
-1 on the S versions. they have soldered RAM and are negligible thinner but way worse for expansion, serviceability and don’t have dual batteries. ditto for the carbon in the OP, the T480 is a way better choice and way cheaper.
Citation needed. My T470s has dual battery, RAM is not soldered and it is easily servicable. I just upgraded the ssd not long ago. Also, I find the thickness difference significant enough. It’s just a bit easier to slide in and out of your backpack. And I also prefered the general haptics of the S when comparing them back then. The price difference for the same configuration was somewhere between 100-200€ back then and I decided it was worth it. Total price was 1500, it was on a discount though.
Edit: Oh you probably meant that one of the batteries is swappable from the outside. That’s definitely a nice feature of the ones without S. Also, the 480 might be already thinner and feel better than the 470 without S did…
was refering to T480 vs T480s, since they’re in OP’s budget. the former has dual batteries and can handle up to 64 GB whereas the latter is negative on both fronts and has either 4 or 8 GB soldered with one slot free.
T470 with and without S should be in the $150 range nowadays so not a very future-proof acquisition if they’re buying today.
Ok, dual battery where one is swappable is actually really nice as I said. It’s possible that one ram slot in my 470s is also soldered… not sure. But honestly imo that shouldn’t affect the decision at all. 24 gigs of Ram is enough, even today. 32 might be nice to have but very rarely makes any difference. 64 or more makes sense if you do video editing or the like, but apart from that is overkill. It depends on what you want, but I’d never sacrifice a plus in portability for the option to upgrade ram beyond 32 gigs in a laptop.