Our rundown of the best Linux laptops money can buy.
The best Linux laptops in 2021 offer brilliant alternatives to Windows 10 or macOS devices. Basically, if you want a laptop that comes with open-source software, you no longer have to install Linux yourself, or go for clunky, low powered laptops. Some of the biggest names in computing, like Dell, offer laptops with Linux distros pre-installed. Picking one of these not only means you’re not relying on proprietary software, but it can lower the cost of the laptop as well, as you’re not paying for a Windows 10 licence. Meanwhile, these Linux laptops come with the same premium designs and build-quality that the Windows 10 versions do. There are also an increasing number of boutique laptop makers that are offering devices with Linux installed. So, why should you go for one of the best Linux laptops on this list? Linux is a free and open source operating system that offers you a huge amount of freedom and privacy – and they are usually more secure as well (due to Windows 10 in particular being so popular, and therefore more of a target for viruses). While Linux has a bit of a reputation for being complicated and technical, there are a number of distros (Linux variants), that are ideal for beginners, such as Ubuntu and Mint. And, if you buy a laptop with Linux pre-installed, then getting started is even easier. With this guide, we’re going to dive into the best laptops that are specifically built for the open-source operating system. There aren’t any mainstream notebook vendors, beyond Dell at least, that offer Linux as a base OS option on a new laptop. This leaves us with other smaller manufacturers, which can carve out a niche for themselves with the best Linux laptops. Plus, you can still install Linux on pretty much any laptop, even though some manufacturers lock down their products, making installing Linux kind of a pain. There are lots of different Linux desktop environments to choose from, and a whole host of open source Linux apps available. We picked out five of the best Linux laptops on the market right now, all of which have been fine-tuned to run some of the best Linux distros (like Ubuntu, for instance). That means they’re guaranteed run the open-source OS out of the box without any tinkering. And if you’re not yet confidence with using Linux, we’ve featured the best Linux training providers and online courses. In the meantime, these are the best laptops specifically built to run Linux that we could find: We’ve also featured: The XPS 13 may no longer be the undisputed champion of the Ultrabook market, but it’s still one of the best Ultrabooks out there.
