Linux

What is the best laptop for elementary OS?

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Dell XPS 15 vs Dell XPS 13 vs System76 Lemur

 vs System76 Oryx Pro vs Lenovo Thinkpad T480s vs HP Envy 13-ab016nr vs Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon Touch vs HP Spectre x360 15t vs Lenovo ThinkPad T460s vs Lenovo Thinkpad T460 vs Lenovo Thinkpad T470s

Specs

RAM

8 / 16 / 32GB DDR4 at 2400MHz

CPU

Intel Core i3-7100H / Intel Core i5-7300HQ / Intel Core i7-7700HQ

Storage

500GB HDD + 32GB Flash / 1TB HDD + 32GB Flash / 256/512GB/1TB PCIe SSD

Weight

2kg (4.44 lbs)

GPU

Intel HD Graphics 630 / NVIDIA GTX 1050 with 4GB GDDR5

Ports

1 HDMI 1.4 2 USB 3.0 with PowerShare 1 Thunderbolt™ 3 (2 lanes of PCI Express Gen 3) Supports: Power In / Charging, PowerShare, Thunderbolt 3 (40Gbps Bi-Directional), 3.1 USB Gen 2 (10Gbps), VGA, HDMI, Ethernet and USB-A via Dell Adapter

Aspect Ratio

16:9

Size

14.06 x 9.27 x 0.45-0.66-inches

Display

15.6-inch FHD (1920x1080) / 15.6-inch UltraSharp™ 4K Ultra HD (3840x2160) Touch display

Battery

56 / 97WHr

Wireless

802.11 AC & Bluetooth 4.0

Webcam

720p

Trackpoint

No

Display Size

15.6 inches

Operating System

Windows 10

SD reader

Yes

Touchpad Size

4.1 x 3.1 inches

Release date for the most recent model

2017

Screen size

-

Screen resolution

-

Card Reader

-

Hard Drive

-

Dimensions

-

OS

-

Processor

-

Memory

-

Audio

-

Graphics

-

Security

-

Camera

-

Networking

-

Input

-

Video Ports

-

Charger

-

Expansion

-

3DMark Firestrike Score

-

GPU

-

Geekbench 3 Score

-

GeekBench Score

-

3DMark FireStrike Score

-

RAM

8 GB/16GB

CPU

8th-generation Intel quad-core i5-8250U or i7-8550U processor

Storage

128GB/256GB/1TB SSD

Weight

2.7 lbs

GPU

Intel UHD Graphics 620

Ports

2xUSB3 & 1xDisplayPort

Aspect Ratio

16:9

Size

-

Display

-

Battery

-

Wireless

802.11 n & Bluetooth 3.0

Webcam

720p

Trackpoint

No

Display Size

-

Operating System

-

SD reader

-

Touchpad Size

-

Release date for the most recent model

-

Screen size

13.3"

Screen resolution

UHD, FHD

Card Reader

No

Hard Drive

-

Dimensions

-

OS

-

Processor

-

Memory

-

Audio

-

Graphics

-

Security

-

Camera

-

Networking

-

Input

-

Video Ports

-

Charger

-

Expansion

-

3DMark Firestrike Score

-

GPU

-

Geekbench 3 Score

-

GeekBench Score

-

3DMark FireStrike Score

-

RAM

32 GB

CPU

Intel Core i7-8550U

Storage

-

Weight

3.6lbs

GPU

Intel 520 HD

Ports

-

Aspect Ratio

-

Size

13.38 x 9.5 x 0.89 inches

Display

-

Battery

-

Wireless

-

Webcam

-

Trackpoint

-

Display Size

-

Operating System

-

SD reader

-

Touchpad Size

-

Release date for the most recent model

-

Screen size

14.1inch

Screen resolution

1080p

Card Reader

-

Hard Drive

Up to 4TB SSD or up to 4TB HDD

Dimensions

-

OS

-

Processor

-

Memory

-

Audio

-

Graphics

-

Security

-

Camera

-

Networking

-

Input

-

Video Ports

-

Charger

-

Expansion

-

3DMark Firestrike Score

-

GPU

-

Geekbench 3 Score

-

GeekBench Score

-

3DMark FireStrike Score

-

RAM

-

CPU

-

Storage

Dependent on display size 15″: 1× M.2, 1× 2.5″ 7mm height drive. Up to 5 TB total 17″: 2× M.2, 1× 2.5″ 7mm height drive. Up to 6 TB total

Weight

Dependent on display size 15″: 4.37 lbs (1.98 kg) 17″: 6.61 lbs (2.99 kg) Base weight. Varies on configuration

GPU

-

Ports

-

Aspect Ratio

-

Size

-

Display

15.6″ or 17.3″ 1920×1080 144 Hz refresh rate or 3840×2160 4K HiDPI, Matte Finish

Battery

Dependent on Display 15″: Embedded 4 Cells Polymer battery pack– 55Wh 17″: Embedded 4 cells Polymer battery pack 66Wh

Wireless

-

Webcam

-

Trackpoint

-

Display Size

-

Operating System

-

SD reader

-

Touchpad Size

-

Release date for the most recent model

-

Screen size

-

Screen resolution

-

Card Reader

-

Hard Drive

-

Dimensions

Dependent on display size 15″: 14.96″ × 9.92″ × 0.73″ (37.99 × 25.19 × 1.85 cm) 17″: 16.48″ × 11.30″ × 0.98″ (41.86 × 28.70 × 2.49 cm)

OS

Pop!_OS 18.04 LTS (64-bit) or Ubuntu 18.04 LTS (64-bit)

Processor

8th Gen Intel® Core i7-8750H, 2.2 up to 4.1 GHz – 9 MB cache – 6 cores – 12 threads

Memory

Up to 32 GB dual-channel DDR4 @ 2666 MHz

Audio

Stereo Speakers, Stereo Mic, Headphone Jack, Mic Jack, S/PDIF

Graphics

NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1060 or 1070

Security

Disabled ME, Kensington® Lock

Camera

1080p HD Webcam

Networking

Gigabit Ethernet, Intel® Wireless-AC WiFi, Bluetooth

Input

Multitouch Touchpad, Multi-Color Backlit Chicklet Keyboard

Video Ports

1× HDMI output port (with HDCP), 2× DisplayPort 1.3

Charger

Dependent on graphics and display size 15″: 150 Watts, AC-in 100–240V, 50–60Hz 17″ + 1060 GPU: 200 Watts, AC-in 100~240V, 50~60Hz 17″ + 1070 GPU: 230 Watts, AC-in 100~240V, 50~60Hz

Expansion

Dependent on display size 15″: 2× USB 3.1 Type-C, 3× USB 3.1 Type-A, SD Card Reader 17″: 1× USB 3.1 Type-C with Thunderbolt 3, 2× USB 3.1 Type-A, 2× USB 3.0, SD Card Reader

3DMark Firestrike Score

-

GPU

-

Geekbench 3 Score

-

GeekBench Score

-

3DMark FireStrike Score

-

RAM

-

CPU

-

Storage

-

Weight

-

GPU

-

Ports

-

Aspect Ratio

-

Size

-

Display

-

Battery

-

Wireless

-

Webcam

-

Trackpoint

-

Display Size

-

Operating System

-

SD reader

-

Touchpad Size

-

Release date for the most recent model

-

Screen size

-

Screen resolution

-

Card Reader

-

Hard Drive

-

Dimensions

-

OS

-

Processor

-

Memory

-

Audio

-

Graphics

-

Security

-

Camera

-

Networking

-

Input

-

Video Ports

-

Charger

-

Expansion

-

3DMark Firestrike Score

-

GPU

-

Geekbench 3 Score

-

GeekBench Score

-

3DMark FireStrike Score

-

RAM

16GB

CPU

7th Generation Intel Core i5-7200U

Storage

512GB SSD

Weight

-

GPU

Intel HD Graphics 520

Ports

3 x USB 3.0 (1 x HP USB Boost), 1 x HDMI, 1 x headphone/microphone combo, 1 x multi-format SD card reader

Aspect Ratio

-

Size

-

Display

-

Battery

-

Wireless

-

Webcam

-

Trackpoint

-

Display Size

-

Operating System

-

SD reader

-

Touchpad Size

-

Release date for the most recent model

-

Screen size

13.3inch

Screen resolution

1080p

Card Reader

-

Hard Drive

-

Dimensions

-

OS

-

Processor

-

Memory

-

Audio

-

Graphics

-

Security

-

Camera

-

Networking

-

Input

-

Video Ports

-

Charger

-

Expansion

-

3DMark Firestrike Score

810

GPU

-

Geekbench 3 Score

-

GeekBench Score

-

3DMark FireStrike Score

-

RAM

-

CPU

-

Storage

-

Weight

-

GPU

-

Ports

-

Aspect Ratio

-

Size

-

Display

-

Battery

-

Wireless

-

Webcam

-

Trackpoint

-

Display Size

-

Operating System

-

SD reader

-

Touchpad Size

-

Release date for the most recent model

-

Screen size

-

Screen resolution

-

Card Reader

-

Hard Drive

-

Dimensions

-

OS

-

Processor

-

Memory

-

Audio

-

Graphics

-

Security

-

Camera

-

Networking

-

Input

-

Video Ports

-

Charger

-

Expansion

-

3DMark Firestrike Score

-

GPU

-

Geekbench 3 Score

-

GeekBench Score

-

3DMark FireStrike Score

-

RAM

8GB

CPU

8th Generation Intel Core i7

Storage

256GB SSD

Weight

2.89 lb

GPU

Intel Graphics 620

Ports

2xUSB-C, 1xUSB-A

Aspect Ratio

16:9

Size

-

Display

-

Battery

-

Wireless

-

Webcam

-

Trackpoint

-

Display Size

-

Operating System

-

SD reader

-

Touchpad Size

-

Release date for the most recent model

-

Screen size

15.6inch

Screen resolution

UHD

Card Reader

-

Hard Drive

-

Dimensions

-

OS

-

Processor

-

Memory

-

Audio

-

Graphics

-

Security

-

Camera

-

Networking

-

Input

-

Video Ports

-

Charger

-

Expansion

-

3DMark Firestrike Score

920

GPU

-

Geekbench 3 Score

-

GeekBench Score

-

3DMark FireStrike Score

-

RAM

8GB/16GB

CPU

Intel Core i5

Storage

256GB SSD

Weight

-

GPU

-

Ports

-

Aspect Ratio

-

Size

-

Display

-

Battery

-

Wireless

-

Webcam

-

Trackpoint

-

Display Size

-

Operating System

-

SD reader

-

Touchpad Size

-

Release date for the most recent model

-

Screen size

14inch

Screen resolution

-

Card Reader

-

Hard Drive

-

Dimensions

-

OS

-

Processor

-

Memory

-

Audio

-

Graphics

-

Security

-

Camera

-

Networking

-

Input

-

Video Ports

-

Charger

-

Expansion

-

3DMark Firestrike Score

839

GPU

Intel HD Graphics 520

Geekbench 3 Score

6796

GeekBench Score

-

3DMark FireStrike Score

-

RAM

8GB/16GB

CPU

6th gen Intel Core i5

Storage

240GB, 500GB, 1TB HDD/SSD

Weight

-

GPU

-

Ports

-

Aspect Ratio

-

Size

-

Display

-

Battery

-

Wireless

-

Webcam

-

Trackpoint

-

Display Size

-

Operating System

-

SD reader

-

Touchpad Size

-

Release date for the most recent model

-

Screen size

14"

Screen resolution

1366 x 768

Card Reader

-

Hard Drive

-

Dimensions

-

OS

-

Processor

-

Memory

-

Audio

-

Graphics

-

Security

-

Camera

-

Networking

-

Input

-

Video Ports

-

Charger

-

Expansion

-

3DMark Firestrike Score

-

GPU

-

Geekbench 3 Score

-

GeekBench Score

6708

3DMark FireStrike Score

-

RAM

8GB-24GB

CPU

Intel Core i7-6600U 6th Gen

Storage

1TB SSD

Weight

2.9 lbs/1.364 kg

GPU

Intel 520 HD Graphics

Ports

3xUSB-A, 1xUSB-C, HDMI, Ethernet

Aspect Ratio

-

Size

-

Display

-

Battery

-

Wireless

-

Webcam

-

Trackpoint

-

Display Size

-

Operating System

-

SD reader

-

Touchpad Size

-

Release date for the most recent model

-

Screen size

14inch

Screen resolution

1080p

Card Reader

-

Hard Drive

-

Dimensions

-

OS

-

Processor

-

Memory

-

Audio

-

Graphics

-

Security

-

Camera

-

Networking

-

Input

-

Video Ports

-

Charger

-

Expansion

-

3DMark Firestrike Score

-

GPU

-

Geekbench 3 Score

-

GeekBench Score

-

3DMark FireStrike Score

1078

Pros + Cons

Pro
 Operates well on a Linux system

All essential things, like network connectivity, ports and sound, work right “out-of-the-box” with a Linux operating system. There is a compatibility issue on the new 9560 model with its graphics card but the laptop is still very usable with its integrated Intel graphics card.
Comment

Pro
 Very well-rounded laptop

The cheapest configuration is a great choice for general non-intensive use - things like internet browsing, watching movies and similar tasks. Whereas the more expensive configurations are gradually more capable of intensive tasks, like video editing or gaming. It’s not as good as a specialized computer built for a specific purpose, like a video editing laptop with an enormous RAM size or a gaming laptop with a superior graphics card, but it’s a very well-rounded, reliable laptop.
Comment

Pro
 Slick design

The whole design is quite stylish. The aluminium chassis provides a very clean look while the black carbon fiber palm rest with an almost borderless display cements it as a visually modern laptop. All of this is made with a premium build quality.
Comment

Pro
 Optional password-free-sign-in via a fingerprint reader

For an additional $25 it’s possible to enjoy a password-free-sign-in by having a fingerprint reader. It will keep your laptop safe while still providing convenient access to it.
Comment

Pro
 Solid keyboard and trackpad

The keyboard and trackpad are reliable and solid all-around. The keyboard is responsive but is not super “clicky”, rather a bit soft. It has a white backlight on black keys that illuminates them at night. The touchpad is rather large while having no buttons. Despite this, the XPS 15 can reliably distinguish between the left and right clicks which are done on the trackpad itself.
Comment

Pro
 Amazing display

Two display choices are available for the XPS 15, an Ultra HD touchscreen or a Full HD non-touch screen. Both screens have a very wide array of colors as they cover approximately 100% of sRGB color space. The viewing angle is around 170 degrees. However, at 45 degrees, slight color change can be noticed. With around 350 nit output for brightness, it’s a viable choice for outdoor usage. All of this makes it an amazing display.
Comment

Pro
 Good battery life if you pick the 1080p display

Models with the 1080p screen last about 10 hours with general usage. Naturally, if more intensive tasks are involved, the battery will be drained faster.
Comment

Con
 Audible coil whine

Coil whine can be heard when it’s generally quiet and the fans are not running. Audible when the laptop is connected to the power supply. The manufacturers have acknowledged it as a problem and, if possible, will push out an update which should eliminate it. Until then, it’s still a gripe.
Comment

Con
 Awkward webcam location

The webcam is located under the screen instead of on top. It means that your face will be shown from a lower angle which can seem a bit weird. It also means that your fingers can partially obstruct the webcam while you’re typing.
Comment

Con
 Noisy fans

The laptop is very quiet during idle and light usage but when there is some workload, the fans get quite loud and distracting.
Comment

Con
 Some ghosting in games

The display is not intended for gaming purposes so it can produce an effect called “ghosting”. Ghosting is when the pixels are not able to change their colors fast enough, so the color of the preceding frame can still be slightly seen on the next frame. This causes a blurring effect. Note that it only happens on high framerates coupled with fast objects.
Comment

Con
 Palmrest collects sweat

The palm rest is made from carbon fiber which attracts fingerprints and sweat. After some time it gets kind of unpleasant to touch and needs to be cleaned.
Comment

Con
 9560 model's GPU has compatibility issues on Linux

The new 9560 model has some trouble accepting its GTX 1050 Ti video card while running a Linux operating system. Fortunately, the integrated Intel graphics card is capable enough to substitute it. The manufacturers are probably aware of the issue and will, most likely, release an update for it.
Comment

Con
 Battery doesn’t hold long with the Ultra HD screen

If you’re choosing the configuration with an Ultra HD screen, expect a very short battery life of around 6 hours for general usage. With more intensive tasks it's even less than that.
Comment

Pro
 Can run most modern games

Being an excellent all-rounder, it can be used as a gaming laptop for games that are not exceptionally demanding, like Overwatch or Dota 2. Unless you’re using the cheapest model, you can expect a reasonable 60 frames per second for almost all modern games, provided that you’re willing to lower the game’s settings.
Comment

Pro
 Lightweight and portable

It's weight is only 2.7 lbs, making it very portable.
Comment

Pro
 Great build quality

The body has a slick and elegant design. It's a mix of aluminum, carbon fiber and magnesium which hardly ever flexes even when held with one hand.
Comment

Pro
 Stunning display

Before buying you can choose between the 4K UHD- or full HD-resolution touch displays or a full HD non-touch one. However, Linux compatibility for super high resolution displays can be spotty at times, so you might be better off sticking with the full HD if you plan on running Linux. Display quality is very good as far as viewing angles, brightness and color reproduction go. It also has a very small bevel so the screen goes more or less edge-to-edge. It also has an output of 400 nit, putting it in the "really bright" category as far as displays go. As for color reproduction, XPS 13's display produces an impressive 107.2 percent of the sRGB color gamut.
Comment

Con
 The battery does not last as long as advertised

The laptop never performs to the promised 11-15 hours, average usage is around 7-8 hours.
Comment

Con
 Requires very long and painful configuration after installing Loki

Still some stuff doesn't work, e.g. external screens.
Comment

Pro
 Great online customer service

Dell's customer service is one of the best in the industry. Especially the online customer service website. There you will find frequently asked questions which usually solve 90% of issues, if that's not enough, there's a live chat with a customer service representative, who are usually very helpful and very understanding about every issue that may arise.
Comment

Pro
 Decent speakers

The Dell XPS 13 has above average speakers for a laptop, they get very loud but at max volume tend to distort the music a little too much.
Comment

Pro
 One of the best trackpads available

The Dell's trackpad is one of the best trackpads available on the market. It has smooth and precise tracking and even supports three-finger gestures similar to the Macbook's.
Comment

Pro
 Plenty of RAM for all programming needs

Building software typically takes more resources than running the final product, having a lot of RAM helps building big complex applications faster.
Comment

Pro
 Toggleable and customizable keyboard backlighting

Users can turn on or off the backlighting of the keyboard as well as adjust the brightness.
Comment

Pro
 Latest generation hardware

The XPS 13 was recently updated with all the latest generation hardware which means that it won't become outdated any time soon.
Comment

Pro
 Great Linux support

You can configure the XPS 13 to come with Linux out of the box. Even if you pick the Windows version, the XPS 13 has Linux drivers for all of its features and most users have reported that the whole process of installing a Linux distribution on a Dell XPS 13 is very simple.
Comment

Con
 The touchscreen reflects light making it hard to see unless the lighting on the display is properly set

The screen for the touch-screen model is glossy instead of matte (non-touch screen). For what is a Linux notebook this does not make a lot of sense since most Linux users are the more tech savy who program. A glossy screen is more for multimedia, something Linux is not really known for excelling in.
Comment

Con
 Spongy keyboard

The keyboard feels a bit spongy and also does not have a lot of travel to the keys. When bottoming out there is no feel of completion.
Comment

Con
 The battery wears out quickly

After some use, the battery continues to fall at an alarming rate, to only 5-6 hours after a couple of months.
Comment

Con
 Not a great choice for people who use their laptops to game as well

The Dell's integrated graphics are very poor for gaming and you won't be able to play graphics intensive games on it at all. A latest-generation AAA game will run at about 20 FPS with lowest settings. While a less graphics-intensive game such as Dota 2 for example will run at 30 FPS with lowest settings.
Comment

Con
 Phone support from Dell Customer Service could be better

Phone support is very slow. Customers have reported waiting for up to 15 minutes to get connected to someone who will be able to help solve their issue.
Comment

Pro
 Great keyboard

The keyboard is high quality, feels great to type on and isn't too mushy or too shallow. Even though there's nothing very special about the keyboard, it's as good of a keyboard as you could want.
Comment

Pro
 Uses an SSD for faster operations on disk

Using an SSD greatly increases performance for every I/O operation, especially compared to laptops that use an HDD. The laptop will boot faster, programs that need to read and write to disk will run faster and scripts will compile much faster than on an HDD.
Comment

Con
 Gets warm

While most of the laptop remains cool even under load, the mid-back section (near the hinge) can get rather toasty, reaching 45C (113F).
Comment

Con
 Limited ports

There is a Thunderbolt 3 connector (which doubles as a USB Type-C port), 2 USB 3.0 ports and a SD card slot. It covers the basics, however some users may need an adapter or dongle.
Comment

Pro
 Portable

At about 3.6lbs, it's a relatively lightweight laptop that can be easily carried around.
Comment

Pro
 Comes with free lifetime software support

Officially System76 provides free lifetime support for Ubuntu. And they will also try to provide unofficial support for other distros to the best of their abilities.
Comment

Pro
 Ubuntu just works out of the box

System76 machines come with Ubuntu 16.04 LTS pre-installed with all drivers and necessary software ready to go. For Ubuntu users there's no need to install their distro of choice from scratch.
Comment

Con
 Poor build quality

Like with most System76 products, the build quality for the Lemur is rather poor, especially when you compare it with other laptops at this price point. The plastic feels a bit cheap and flimsy and is not as durable as other laptops.
Comment

Con
 Terrible battery life

Even when just web browsing, the battery will last five hours tops.
Comment

Pro
 Great performance

The "medium" build of Lemur (8GB of RAM, i7 CPU) can do most activities just fine. Whether that activity is developing Android applications, writing documents, or editing a 4K video with Kdenlive, the Lemur will not have any problems with lag or overheating.
Comment

Con
 Limited hinge angle

The hinge only opens to around 120 degrees. This is suitable for desk work, however on a lap it could be limiting.
Comment

Con
 Screen brightness doesn't go low

Even at minimal brightness, the screen is too bright to comfortably use at night.
Comment

Pro
 Very customizable

Before buying the System76 Oryx Pro from the System76 website, you get to customize almost every aspect of the laptop as far as specs go. The price depends on what you choose to put inside your laptop and prices vary from $1475 for the basic version to $7000 for a laptop with a 17.3" Matte IPS Display, a GTX 1070, 6th Gen i7 CPU, 64GB RAM, and two SSDs of 5TB and 4TB respectively.
Comment

Pro
 Great Linux support

All System76 laptops come with Linux out of the box. The Oryx Pro comes with either Ubuntu 16.04 LTS or Ubuntu 16.10. But that does not mean that other Linux distributions are not supported, quite the contrary. Most Linux distros should work without any major problems with the Oryx pro and most (if not all) drivers are available.
Comment

Pro
 Amazing overall performance

The default 6th generation i7 Processor coupled with the 16GB of RAM (even better with the versions with 32GB and 64GB) make for an absolutely amazing machine. It has a dedicated SSD for the OS only which massively increases startup time and for anything else you can choose up to two SSDs or HDDs of varying sizes. The Oryx Pro is perfectly capable of doing some heavy-lifting including 4K video editing and gaming at highest settings without a hitch.
Comment

Pro
 Good speakers

One of the bonuses of having a larger body is that you get to use good speakers instead of some small ones stuck underneath the laptop. They are also angled toward the user and the sound is crisp and loud enough, even though it lacks some bass.
Comment

Pro
 Good display

Has a 1080p matte display with an optional IPS matte display version. With great colors and brightness and almost no eye strain even when it's used for extended periods.
Comment

Pro
 Good keyboard

The keyboard is very nice, it's not amazing by any means but quite comfortable to work with. The keys are pretty thick, thicker than what you may find in laptops today and with a nice springiness to them. The keyboard also supports multicolor backlighting.
Comment

Pro
 Good for gaming

The Oryx Pro is probably the best laptop with Linux support out of the box that is great for gaming as well. This is mostly because of the NVIDIA graphics cards. It comes by default with the GTX 1060 but for $289 more, you can add a GTX 1070 instead. The default 8GB of RAM is good for gaming but the 16GB RAM is ideal.
Comment

Con
 Customer service could be much better

System76's technical support is pretty bad. When there's a problem that should be solved by them, they usually resort to sending replacement parts instead or blaming third-parties (even if those third-parties are not at fault) of something that they should be fixing.
Comment

Con
 No 4K option

It lacks the option to have a 4K display. While not a deal breaker, it's a shame that a laptop with a display as good as Oryx Pro's does not have a 4K option which would also be a great plus for gamers.
Comment

Con
 Very heavy and bulky

Weighing at 5.5lbs for the 15.6" version it's relatively heavy and it's one inch thicker than the XPS 13. But the extra space is not put to waste, considering how it has an Ethernet port, SD card slot, 2 Mini DisplayPrts, HDMI port, 2 USB 3.1 Type-C ports, 3 USB 3.0 Type-A ports and headphone and mic jacks. The GTX 1070 version also includes a headphone amplifier. However, the power brick that comes with the charger is ridiculously large at 2lbs which understandably adds to the weight of the laptop since most of the time you have to carry both with you.
Comment

Pro
 People who usually use their laptop on a desk will feel very comfortable with this

The Envy 13 has a hinge on the back which gives the laptop a slight extra boost in keyboard height. This puts the keyboard at a much more comfortable typing position and reduces RSI and finger-fatigue from extensive periods of typing.
Comment

Pro
 Good performance for the price

The HP Envy 13 offers good performance for its price. It can handle up to 16 Chrome tabs open simultaneously without even a bit of lag. Daily mainstream activities such as web browsing, editing files and even development work can be done on this laptop without any particular issues.
Comment

Pro
 Extremely portable

The HP Envy 13 is one of the thinnest laptops on the market at just 12.9mm thick. This detail, coupled with the fact that it weighs just above 1.3kg make the Envy 13 one of the lightest and most portable laptops on the market.
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Con
 The touchpad may be unreliable

Sometimes while dragging the cursor to select text, the touchpad will not interpret the input correctly and may start zooming in or zooming out.
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Con
 No touchscreen version

HP does not provide a touchscreen version of this laptop.
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Con
 Poor battery life

The Envy 13 has a relatively poor battery life. You may get about 9 hours out of it if you use it for general web browsing and some productivity work, but anything more than that (watching videos, light gaming) and you will start noticing that the battery life is considerably lower.
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Pro
 Upgradable screen

If you choose to, you can upgrade the display to a 14.0" 2560x1440 panel.
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Pro
 Good Linux support

Although not currently available, the Thinkpad X1 did come with Ubuntu pre-installed in some regions and has been given certified pre-install status by Ubuntu. Lenovos have a reputation for being easier than the typical windows ultrabook for getting Linux up and running, and the X1 carbon is no exception. EditComment References 2 4 0···
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Con
 2014 refresh changed trackpoint and keyboard too disruptively

The 2014 model removed the caps-lock key and moved the home/end keys into it's place. It also has an "adaptive" key system that messes with the function keys and changes their function based on what mode the keyboard is in. They also killed off the clickable mouse buttons on the trackpad to emulate the design of the macbooks.
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Con
 Computers may have man-in-the-middle adware installed

Lenovo is shipping computers preinstalled with man-in-the-middle adware called Superfish. It's a web proxy that can hijack any web session, including encrypted/https sessions. And since the root certificate is the same for everyone with private key present on the machine that's now publicly known, anyone can spoof any site to people using Lenovo laptops. Currently, it affects IE and Chrome browsers with Chrome expected to push an update that will block the certificate soon. Uninstalling Superfish won't remove the certificate. Lenovo are standing by their choice to install adware.
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Pro
 Great, colorful display

The Spectre x360 has a great glossy Full-HD screen to complement its amazing design. At 317 nits, the screen is pretty bright and it has a decent color range as well, covering 101.7 percent of the sRGB color spectrum.
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Pro
 Good keyboard

HP put a lot of effort in the creation of this keyboard and it shows. With 60 gram actuation weight and a travel length of 1.3mm, typing on the Spectre x360 is a great experience, reminiscent of typing on a mechanical keyboard.
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Pro
 Long battery life

For simple activities such as web browsing and editing files, the HP Spectre clocks in at around 11 hours of autonomous battery life.
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Pro
 Excellent performance

Performance of course depends on the configuration, but a medium-powered configuration with 8GB RAM and i7 provides an excellent performance. Multitasking is a breeze and the laptop doesn't stutter or lag even with 20 Chrome tabs open simultaneously. The SSD is also extremely fast and is able to copy 40GB of data in about 2 seconds. Gaming performance is decent as well, managing to hit 40FPS with Dirt 3 on medium settings.
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Pro
 Great design

The HP Spectre x360 has an all-aluminum body that gives it a very premium feel. The edges are all smooth and polished which provide a great highlight accent to the laptop.
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Con
 Can easily trap heat and overheat

The extremely thin chassis is a drawback as far as heat management goes. Even a relatively simple activity like streaming HD videos will overheat the laptop and put the internal heat at about 105 degrees Fahrenheit which is 10 degrees higher than the 95 degrees "comfortable" threshold.
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Con
 Has some bloatware

While it's less than HP usually has, there are still apps like Netflix, The Weather Channel, Hearts Deluxe, Connected Photo etc.
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Pro
 Great performance for daily mainstream tasks

The Thinkpad T460s is more than adequate at performing daily mainstream tasks. It achieved a Geekbench 3 score of 6796 which is way ahead of the average for this laptop category (6271). The 256GB SSD is also very fast and is able to copy 4.97GB worth of data in just 33 seconds. Even though the GPU does not support any heavy gaming or CAD work, it's still possible to do some picture or video editing comfortably.
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Pro
 Good touchpad

The T460s has a 3.9x2.2inch buttonless touchpad which provides relatively accurate navigation without lag or stuttering. It has a matte surface which has the right amount of friction to be enjoyable to use. The touchpad also supports multi-touch gestures and two-finger swiping.
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Pro
 Great build quality

The body is made of magnesium and the lid is reinforced by carbon fiber which makes it extremely durable as well. Lenovo claims that the laptop has passed MIL-STD 810G durability tests for extreme temperatures, high altitudes, humidity and vibrations.
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Pro
 Very portable

At 3lbs and at 13 x 8.9 x.74 inches it's a very small, lightweight, and portable laptop.
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Pro
 Great minimalistic design

The chassis has a simple matte black coating that surrounds the whole laptop. The only dashes of color are provided by the red trackpoint on the keyboard and the red dot on the logo on the back of the lid.
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Con
 Poor battery life

In order to make this laptop thinner Lenovo have opted to remove the extended and removable batteries which in turn has decreased the overall battery life of this laptop. Simple web surfing using Wi-Fi at a screen brightness of 100 nits caused a full battery to be drained in just 7 hours.
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Con
 Stiff and shallow keyboard

The keys are relatively stiff and require too little actuation force which in turn makes users "bottom out" rather often which can get quite annoying.
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Pro
 You can swap the external battery with a second one without shutting down the laptop first

Since the T460 also has an internal 3-cell battery besides the external one, you can hot-swap the external unit once it runs down with another one (because the external battery is drained before the internal one) without shutting down the laptop, effectively adding an addition 10 hours of battery life to your laptop.
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Pro
 Excellent battery life

The T460 uses Lenovo's PowerBridge technology which basically combines an internal 3-cell battery with an external, removable 6-cell battery. Both of these units amount to an average of 13 hours and 12 minutes of normal use.
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Pro
 Extremely durable

Like all other Thinkpads, the T460 can handle a beating. The chassis is made of plastic reinforced by fiberglass which makes it extremely durable. Lenovo also claims that the T460 has passed several MIL-SPEC 810G durability tests, including those for extreme temperatures, shocks and vibrations.
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Pro
 Capable of serious multitasking and productivity work

With 8-16 Gigs of RAM and with an SSD, this laptop is capable of doing some serious multitasking without experiencing any lag whatsoever.
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Pro
 Excellent touchpad

The Touchpad in this laptop is excellent. It's very responsive and consistent with both swipes and gestures.
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Pro
 Excellent keyboard

The T460 has an excellent keyboard which provides a very pleasant typing experience. The keys have and overall 2.33mm of vertical travel, which is pretty deep for laptops (1.5mm-2mm is typical). The keyboard is also spill-resistant, which is not surprising, considering the length Lenovo has gone to to make this laptop as sturdy as possible.
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Con
 The display does not have very rich colors

Even though the 1080p display is very accurate and produces a sharp image, it struggles a bit with displaying accurate colors. Tests show that the T460 reproduces only 67 percent of the sRGB color gamut with both touch and non-touch panels.
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Pro
 Great build quality and durability

The chassis is made of magnesium and the lid is plastic reinforced with carbon fiber. Building the body with the same material also means that there's no visible material transitions.
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Pro
 Great minimalistic design

The chassis has a simple matte black coating that surrounds the whole laptop. The only dashes of color are provided by the red trackpoint on the keyboard and the red dot on the logo on the back of the lid. The minimalistic look makes this laptop a perfect fit for business and productivity environments.
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Pro
 Excellent performance for non-gaming activity

The T470s provides excellent performance for anything non-GPU related. It's extremely fast and responsive and provides more than enough power for business or development related work. It can also play some games that are not resource intensive at relatively high framerates with medium or high settings. For example Bioshock Infinite with medium settings plays at an average of 26.7FPS.
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Pro
 One of the best keyboards that can be found in a laptop

The keyboard for this laptop is one of the best laptop keyboards on the market. It has slightly concave keys which make is easier to hit them. There's a good amount of travel, especially for such a thin laptop. The keyboard is also spill-resistant, which adds to the overall durability of this laptop.
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Con
 Display not suitable for picture editing

The T470s display has a low sRGB color gamut at 95% which is quite low for this category which makes it a poor choice for people that would use it for picture editing.
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