On Tue, 2022-02-01 at 09:28 -0400, George N. White III wrote:
I recommend looking for a model from a couple years ago -- long enough for user reports of any issues to be findable by Google.
At present, large organizations are replacing relatively new laptops that won't run Windows 11 (e.g., some models of Dell Latitude 7480, but see Setting up Linux in 7480 - Dell Community) so you might want to check Dell's "refurbished" systems or eBay. One problem is that such laptops are often sold with a variety of wifi cards, so you may need to swap in a more linux-friendly component. Higher end Dell and Lenovo are generally easier to service than some consumer laptops, but you can often find online instructions for SSD and wifi upgrades.
I've run fedora for years on an old Dell Latitude E7440 and it still works great. Very easy to upgrade and service as well. I also have it running on a newer XPS13, not sure which specific version but it's a least 3 years old, and it also has run great with no issues at all.