I have a framework laptop for work and I build my own desktops for personal use (mostly gaming). When I was in college I used to spend days getting things working on laptops, usually having to build a custom kernel or making custom configuration for sound. I don't have the patience anymore.
Yes, I have the framework laptop because it's designed to be Linux compatible. I put pop_os on it and everything just worked with no tweaking.
My employer didn't truly provide it. Using Linux is one of my hiring requirements and they told me to provide my own machine. But employers should really look at framework machines if they want something repairable.
I have a TuxedoComputers laptop and a custom built PC where every component was checked on https://linux-hardware.org/
Any new laptop or PC that I buy will be from a linux vendor.
HP 255 G7 laptop because I got it tor Christmas. It works fine. At least on the OS side. UEFI will reset your boot entries should you boot anything from external drive. You can use Bootice (Windows) or efibootmgr (GNU+Linux) to put the correct boot entries back.
Running Windows, the laptop had issues with HDD powering down and up repeatedly when the screen turned off and laptop wasn't on charger. This wasn't issue with power settings, and searching web I wasn't the only one having this issue. The WiFi was also less reliable on Windows.
Running GNU+Linux, it depends. Linux Mint: All works.
Manjaro: Previously the WiFi card could just die, requiring restart. This stopped occuring about a year ago. But now there's a new issue. Internal USB hub spontaneously dying (rarely also affects external ports) when using Bluetooth (connected on internal USB hub) requiring a restart. The likelihood of that increases if you switch to TTY.
You have a peculiar set of issues there 🤔 I wish I could help, but probably the manjaro community might lend a hand. Would you get HP if you had the funds and choice?
If I had the funds, I'd go for a ThinkPad. Generally they just work, as I've heard, but also it's probably the last line of modern laptops that has good keyboard. I just wish modern laptops still had DVD, or better yet, BluRay drives.
I have a System76 Lemur Pro 10, while the hardware quality is poor (poor speakers, poor quality chassis, poor trackpad), it has been pretty solid otherwise for the last 4 years, with PopOS as my daily driver which I really love.
For work, I use a 2019 MacBook which has great hardware, but I am not a fan of MacOS. Will soon ask for upgrade to an M1. (My perfect laptop would be Apple hardware running PopOS).
My next laptop will likely be a Framework laptop unless System76 rolls out their own hardware which is much much improved than their current lot. I hope my current laptop will probably last 2-3 more years, if not more. (btw I use Steam Deck for gaming needs)
Lenovo ThinkPad P50. Prob not the most Linux compatible machine as it has an NVIDIA Quadro M2000M but it has 64GB of RAM and I got a good deal on it. Had a Pinebook Pro but it died. Also run a few bits in Docker on a Raspberry pi 4. Planning on building a NAS with FSF approved hardware next year when I have the cash. When I eventually need to upgrade from the P50 I'll prob build an FSF approved desktop machine as I've found I pretty much only use it at my desk
I'll be using the motherboard at the link below to build my own NAS. I had a QNAP which died because it had an Intel Atom processor with known flaws, so I do not trust them at all any more. The only gaming I do on the P50 is SuperTux Kart and 16-bit console emulation through Retroarch. The most taxing things I do on it are video editing and running a few VMs at the same time which that machines more than capable of doing at the moment. https://store.vikings.net/en/d16ryf
I'm using a SteamDeck as my desktop environment while docked, I think it's the only "Linux first" machine I've ever bought. All of my other systems I either built from scratch, a mish-mash of secondhand parts and purchased upgrades, or have been provided with through work.
Built my own desktop around a Threadripper 1900X I got a fairly good price on several years ago. It's supplemented by an ancient HP laptop that originally shipped with Windows Vista Home Basic. Both run Gentoo (yes, even though that laptop has no more grunt than a Pi3).
I'm still considering what the replacement for that ancient, cranky laptop will be when it finally gives up the ghost, since it's used more as a media consumption device than anything else.
I've been considering the PineTab as an option, yes. Didn't know about the Starlite, probably because it seems to be from the other side of the Atlantic. Hmm. My problem with premade tablet devices is that they're significantly smaller than the 17" display built into that junk laptop—the small screens may be higher resolution, but as I get older, I find I get more benefit from the larger absolute size. That and I don't like touchscreens. The front-running replacement option at the moment is to cobble something together from a Pi4 or other Linux SBC, a portable display, and a few other parts, but I haven't gotten that far yet. Or just pick up another used laptop from somewhere.
Does having Gentoo help the laptop limp along? Probably to some extent, but it still has the original HDD in it, so that probably slows it down more than having bespoke binaries helps.
I have an all AMD system made of a Ryzen 5800 OEM, 48GB of memory and a 6900 XT. I've been using Linux almost exclusively for more than a few months and thankfully AMD hardware runs better on Linux that it did for me on Windows. Though I may add an nVidia GPU to the mix for VFIO fun for a no-compromises setup if I need something from Windows.
I also have a homelab machine with a 13900K ES and 32GB of memory. A 13900K is overkill but it has good single core performance for a gaming server and running docker services at the same time.