Mm, yeah, that was all I really found. Not heard great things though - feel like in the coming years if it takes off it'll become a solid product for the price. System76 was recommended too.
Only brand i know that does only some of what i want is framework but it charges a hefty markup. Maybe can get one second hand and upgrade but the days of getting a decent thinkpad at 20% rrp on ebay is over it seems
I do actually need the nipple and mouse trackpad buttons its how i play mmos without a mouse in bed (stupid requirement)
Yeah, the startup fee, plus cos it's in relative infancy I dnt think it's worth it yet if you're not a true enthusiast. Hopefully it takes off a bit.
Those thinkpads are still out there, but yeah, a little redundant in performance in 2024. T580 with the Thunderbolt dock and all the other upgrades was an absolute mini machine, but for the price it would cost to kit it out these days, I guess I'd probably just get whatever I could find that doesn't have fucking everything soldered in. I feel like the next era of DIY computer shit is gonna revolve around desoldering. Pain in the arse.
meanwhile the giant touchpad is an actual complete waste of space. the thing you use for a few minutes every five months when you accidentally left your mouse when taking the laptop somewhere
The buttons take up so much vertical space from the trackpad that it's much harder to move the mouse with your thumb with your fingers resting on the keyboard. Not to mention that it decreases the amount of space on the trackpad where a click can register, since trackpads are hinged at the top
Most companies I've worked for have issued me a Thinkpad. When you have a machine that's so ubiquitous in office settings, you want it to have as boring and consistent a UX as possible so that everyone can adjust to it easily from whatever they're used to. For the same reason, I'm also glad the laptop in the OP seems to finally put Ctrl in the correct place, though at least that was fixable before.