My New Seven Year Old Laptop
I bought a laptop on Craigslist because I wanted an inexpensive entry into trying Linux. I’m weaning myself off of the planned obsolescence of consumer technology. And I’m preparing for a future where all of my computers are second-hand.
I scoped out laptops on Craigslist for months. Some of the things I wanted, like replaceable parts or more ports, are things you tend to get with older laptops, while newer laptops are thinner and lighter at the expense of repairability and ports. But coming from my very powerful M1 MacBook Air, I was worried that any Intel processor would run like crap by comparison. So I prioritized getting a newer processor (and a newer model) over other features.
Finally I settled on an HP EliteBook x360 1030 G3 (Catchy name, right?!). It was a good price at $150 with an 8th generation Intel processor. It has a pair of USB-C Thunderbolt ports, a USB-A port, and HDMI.
I’m getting comfortable using Debian Linux. It’s not as polished as macOS, but I haven’t found any major usability issues. There are some quirks because apps are written using different tool kits and lack a common look and feel. (For example, the appearance of the window buttons for minimize, maximum, and close are different between applications. This does not happen on macOS.)
I see all this as a long-term investment in Linux as a skill.
It’s interchangeable components and applications gives me an insurance plan against future updates that I don’t like, and it means I can carry my experience to another Linux distribution that is nearly the same as what I’m used to.
I’m more prepared to take a cast-off computer and put it to use because Linux uses fewer system resources than macOS and Windows, and if that isn’t enough, there are distributions designed for less powerful hardware.
This 2018 EliteBook running Linux is good enough for my personal needs. With that, I can check out from consumer technology and keep this second-hand computer deal going forever. No more comparing what I have to the latest model. No more reading the tea leaves of the Apple rumor mill. And no more tech news.
To the tech reviewers and content creators, keep it up. After all, I’m gonna need your ten-year-old reviews whenever I get around to upgrading.
Previously: