wanted: performance laptop, no windoze tax

[Kenneth Marcy]

On 7/16/2014 8:07 AM, Neal Becker wrote:
> Sorry, I know this subject has been written about before.  But google shows
> mostly 5 year old info.

No need to apologize for the subject because technology advances, so the 
answer changes for the same questions.

> What are some recommendations for a relatively high performance laptop that
> works well on linux, and without paying windoze tax?

This question needs to be answered relative to a triple of 
considerations including performance, price, and availability. 
Compromises among these characteristics may be necessary to make a 
timely, affordable choice.

If your definition of performance includes both video and data 
processing performance, then higher screen pixel densities, tending 
toward quad resolution (3840 x 2160), or closer to it, will be 
considered.  Other similar terminology includes 4K screens or QHD+ 
displays.  This level of hardware needs appropriate software to support 
it, and that means a combination of vendor video drivers, kernel 
performance, and scalable-resolution application support.  At this 
moment, the optimal combination of these factors may not yet be ready to 
install and use on the higher-resolution laptop screens.

If your definition of performance does not require higher-definition 
video, then the number of candidate machines increases, their prices 
decrease considering their capabilities, and software development may be 
relatively more complete and better match the hardware capabilities.  
These products are available to put into service without waiting for 
advancements in video software development.

If price is an important consideration, you may wish to consider 
refurbished equipment to obtain a better performance to price ratio, and 
with your choice of distribution version given adequate support of each 
of the machine's capabilities.  If your requirement is new hardware that 
has never been sold with a Windows license, then choices among hardware 
capabilities likely will be restrained among models, and price 
differentials may be relatively modest.


Ken