rufugee

Veteran Linux user here. After 10 years on a MacBook (great hardware, deteriorating OS), I’m done. macOS has drifted too far into locked-down mediocrity. I’m selling the Mac and going full Linux again.

Here’s what I need in a laptop, today:

  - Battery life that doesn’t leave me chained to a wall
  - GPU solid enough for running local LLMs and occasional CUDA work
  - Hardware that just works with Linux—no weird ACPI quirks, no sleep/wake drama, no firmware acrobatics

I’ve looked at the Framework 16, and I want to love it—but consistent reports of abysmal battery life are hard to ignore.

I’m not considering Asahi or Apple Silicon for now. Too many headaches with missing packages, broken toolchains, and ARM-specific weirdness. Yes, Linux on Apple hardware is a dream—but it’s not production-grade (yet).

So what’s the pinnacle of Linux laptop hardware in 2025? Let’s say price isn’t the bottleneck—just give me rock-solid compatibility, real-world battery life, and the horsepower to stay productive.

Appreciate any firsthand recommendations, regrets, or curveballs.