Which laptop PC should I get?

Foggy

Depending on what you want, another option is a Pixel Tablet running GOS with a keyboard case to turn it into a laptop. Better security but some tradeoffs as you're still running the mobile versions of apps, ie not as flexible.

Eirikr70

I presume that your new Piwel is gen 8 or later. I would recommend that you try desktop mode (I have a 6a so I don't know what it looks like). If you don't need a renewal of your laptop within the next few months, I would bet that GrapheneOS desktop mose can become a good alternative to a laptop. Then the acquisition of a keyboard, mouse and screen would be sufficient and avoid buying a mortal desktop.
EDIT : the word lapdock was what I was looking for.

xxx

eclecticeclair 1. Good battery life (at least 10 hours of screen-on time) and 2. Upgradeable storage?

Thinkpad T-Series with a low power Panel. Stellar Linux support included. :-)

wjl

What n1b, and also xxx said already.
Over the years, we've had several laptops, the latest one a Thinkpad Yoga style (now called 2-in-1), and all of them with Linux. No complaints whatsoever, except that in the oldest one - a Celeron generation dual core - the fingerprint sensor doesn't work.
Macs might be better security-wise, but I'd always take a Thinkpad with Linux instead. More freedom imho.
typo edited out...

Eumenia

N1b Linux Mint, Fedora, Silverblue and Secureblue recommended (each one adding security and inconvenience). Maybe start with out of the box Linux Mint (more consistent and sustainable) or Fedora (more secure and MacOS like) to get the hang of it.

I don't think that Fedora is any less convenient then Mint, but it's a lot more secure.
Mostly because it uses Wayland instead if X11

N1b

Eumenia it's so different that I'd say it depends on the end user. But yes Fedora is a big step up in security and the GNOME desktop is much more like MacOS (even better and more intuitive in my opinion).

Elgoog

Eumenia

I don't think that Fedora is any less convenient then Mint....

I recently switched to Fedora from Ubuntu.Though I'm happy to have better security, I do find Fedora less convenient, in that installing updates always entails rebooting.

Shendai

Best bang for the buck, in my opinion, is the Thinkpad T480. This is an older laptop, quite a few generations back now, but its solid, small, and incredibly feature rich. You can find these on the used market in great condition with good options for ~$200. Load it up with a Linux distro and it'll fly. I still miss the Thinkpad's keyboard when using any other laptop.

You likely won't get amazing battery life, even if you replace it with a new battery, so that's probably a no-go for you. 6-7 hrs max with light usage. It's still my favorite smaller laptop next to the Framework.

zache

Shendai +1 For the T480. It can also be flashed with Libreboot or Heads.

tux_

Desertstorm Absolutely not. The last thing you want is a device controlled by Apple. Linux or bust.

successiveminkrwoj

tux_ I agree in terms of Privacy, but taking security in consideration (especially hardware), macs are still the best.

Psyonico

(Note of warning, my laptop is a gaming laptop, so I basically have to leave it plugged in).

The issue you may find with Linux, or so I've heard, is that battery management is not quite as good as Windows and nowhere near what an apple silicon Mac can do.

A possibility that I haven't personally looked into is getting one of those Snapdragon laptops and running a distro that has a version compiled for ARM. You should get pretty good battery life out of that. Admittedly you're then dealing with ARM software instead of x86/64, which may cause some headaches.

There is a version of Linux in the works that runs on Apple Silicon, it's called Asahi Linux... But, that's literally all that I know about it.

https://asahilinux.org/about/

N1b

Psyonico The issue you may find with Linux, or so I've heard, is that battery management is not quite as good as Windows and nowhere near what an apple silicon Mac can do.

This has mostly been resolved in my experience, getting a solid 8-10h out of my AMD Framework but yes Macbook with Apple's ARM is better. Not sure if Linux on ARM is ready yet...

Psyonico There is a version of Linux in the works that runs on Apple Silicon, it's called Asahi Linux...

While it's a remarkable project, Asahi Linux is basically the worst of both worlds. You lose the security of a tightly integrated MacOS (plus some features), and you are stuck with an overpriced Macbook you can't fully use. Better sell the Macbook and get a really nice luxurious laptop that fully supports Linux (or 3 basic Laptops, Macbooks cost quite a lot :D).

Eumenia

N1b it's so different that I'd say it depends on the end user. But yes Fedora is a big step up in security and the GNOME desktop is much more like MacOS (even better and more intuitive in my opinion).

Yes for people that come from Windows it's maybe less convenient to use GNOME then Cinnamon, but after they get used to it, I think Gnome is very convenient.

mar2112

Elgoog That's interesting. I've been using Fedora since the time it was called RedHat and I never have to reboot when I update my system. Upgrading requires a reboot which is expected.

Eumenia

Elgoog I do find Fedora less convenient, in that installing updates always entails rebooting.

Its not for all updates only for low level stuff I think

Psyonico

Eumenia
It depends. If you update through KDE Discover or the GNOME version of that, it will tell you to reboot after every single update. If you update via terminal it won't specifically tell you, but I believe it's still considered better to reboot.

Elgoog

Psyonico I'll have to try updating from the command line next time. It had occurred to me to wonder whether perhaps the need to reboot had something to do with my having full-disk encryption.

Eumenia

Psyonico It depends. If you update through KDE Discover or the GNOME version of that, it will tell you to reboot after every single update. If you update via terminal it won't specifically tell you, but I believe it's still considered better to reboot.

It doesn't prompt me to update if I update applications, only if I update something like core libraries or the Kernel itself

xxx

Elgoog updating from the command line next time.

It has something to do with the gnome-software integration. Dnf works like apt.

Phead

N1b

Since you mentioned it - how does your Framework machine compare to a Macbook noise wise? Over the years I've worked with many different brands, from HP over Dell to Asus and each and every single one of them had the same issue - annoying fan noises. How annoying is the fan in your Framework, especially under low work loads like browsing (no compiler stuff or anything CPU heavy)?

N1b

Phead how does your Framework machine compare to a Macbook noise wise

Under regular workload the fan doesn't turn on, I can't hear anything. But even when it does it's quite silent. Of course a Macbook air M1 or later is always silent since there's no fan, so wins by default.

Check this and this video out to get a good impression. I think fan noise won't be an issue, but maybe the design, aspect ratio or price might be...

Nanashi

Looking at your requirements, the short answer is: none.
The longer answer is: it depends.

If you're looking for security, your Mac is already secure.
If you're looking for privacy, your Mac, or any other ARM laptop, is definitely not the answer.