I was about to pull the trigger and buy a System 76 Pangolin when the trade BS started. As far as I can tell, there are no Canadian manufacturers (or repackagers like System 76), so I’m looking for suggestions. My preference would be Canadian, but happy to consider anything non-US.

I prefer to buy hardware that can last - my phone is nearly 10 years old, and my tower PC is almost 20, with various upgrades over time. I know that laptops aren’t as good for upgrades, but some sturdiness, and non-soldered RAM would be appreciated.

I’m looking for a 15"/16" laptop that plays well with Linux (I like Pop!OS, but fine to migrate) it would be primarily for office stuff, but with decent enough iGPU that I can do basic graphic work, and play some indy games. I’d like something that generally doesn’t sound like a helicopter when I use it. 1-2Tb SDD, and 32 GB RAM. ~$2500 CAD is my max.

I looked at Lenovo, but they’re getting expensive, and I’m not sure whether they go through the US prior to hitting Canada or not.

Thanks in advance!

  • Avid Amoeba@lemmy.ca
    6·
    11 小时前

    I’d buy an off-lease ThinkPad. There’s plenty liquidators that sell machines that were upgraded from one corp or another.

      • Avid Amoeba@lemmy.ca
        1·
        27 秒前

        Many advertise on Facebook Marketplace and Kijiji. Small computer stores here and there. If you’re in the GTA, an example is Computation Ltd near Jane and Bloor. There are many others, that’s just one I know of and purchased from.

      • Sturgist@lemmy.ca
        2·
        5 小时前

        Lots of times they’ll put stuff up through auction houses like here.

        Just pop in you city, or the closest large city, then liquidation auction into the search engine of choice. Should get a few hits for even moderately sized cities.

        It’s a bit of an addiction, combing through lot listings, trying to find the decent bits and hoping to not get out bid at the last second.

  • zhenbo_endle@lemmy.caEnglish
    6·
    14 小时前

    My first thought was framework, they’re a transparent and small business and super linux-friendly. However, I just found that

    Headquarters Address: 447 Sutter St, PMB 135, San Francisco, CA, 94108-4618, United States Trademark: Framework®, Registered in U.S. Patent and Trademark Office

    https://frame.work/ca/en/contact-us

    Edit: I found a wiki page listing laptop brands, and there are several non-US brands https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_laptop_brands_and_manufacturers

    I like Pop!OS, but fine to migrate

    I think you don’t need to migrate if you find a laptop that works great in Ubuntu/Fedora/etc. IHMO most linux-related issues are caused by drivers, especially NVIDIA and WiFi. If the kernel is updated, then different distros should behave similarly.

    • LycanGalen@lemmy.worldOP
      2·
      12 小时前

      Thank you. I’d opted out of framework a while ago, because the 13 is a bit too small, and I’ve heard the 16 has some fitting issues, which, if I got a new laptop every couple years, I’d be down to support them, but that’s not me.

      And agreed about popOS, I actually landed on it because it just worked with my nvidia GPU, but if there was some partnerships or whatnot, I wouldn’t die with a new distro.

  • filt@infosec.pubEnglish
    12·
    19 小时前

    Buy preowned/used business laptops. $2500 is insane, spend less. You can find used laptops with the specs you suggested for less than $500, and they’ll likely last you 10+ years.

    • LycanGalen@lemmy.worldOP
      2·
      18 小时前

      Thank you! Not sure how my DDG-fu missed Eurocom and that wiki page 😮‍💨.

      I’ll take a look!

  • Joe Dyrt@lemmy.caEnglish
    11·
    12 小时前

    Once you start looking, you’ll find plenty of resellers, esp in USA. Get one before turn madness resumes!