[umanwizard]

There are a number of reasons.

1. I prefer Mac hardware to any PC hardware (I don't know any manufacturers who come close to apple in hardware quality, so I don't think the "comparable PC" you cite even exists in reality).

2. I prefer to use Linux, since I'm more familiar with it, I'm more likely to be able to debug it when things go wrong (macOS Just Works more reliably, but when it doesn't, I'm stuck), and also I work on software that runs in prod on Linux and I don't want to deal with Docker for Mac.

3. While this is not yet the case, I think it's likely that someday Asahi will run better and more reliably on macs than mainstream distros run on PC laptops. The reason is that they only have one target (or, I suppose, one very closely related family of targets) whereas there are a pile of different PC vendors that are all subtly broken in different ways. I've _never_ seen a high-end PC laptop run Linux without tons of bugs and weird quirks; to get a solid Linux laptop experience, you seem to need to eschew discrete graphics cards and use a system that's a few years old at minimum.

[Conan_Kudo]

I would probably suggest that Lenovo comes pretty close to Apple in terms of build quality. I have both Macs and ThinkPads and they both feel pretty good. The Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon Gen 10 is available with Fedora Linux as an option[1] and pretty much everything works out of the box with great performance.

If you're in Europe, you can also get the ThinkPad Z13 and Z16 (which are AMD-based laptops) with Fedora as well, and that should be coming to the North American Lenovo store soon (hopefully).

Lenovo works with Fedora to ensure that things work, and there's a nice process to make sure everything stays "good" with Fedora Linux on Lenovo hardware.

[1]: https://www.lenovo.com/us/en/p/laptops/thinkpad/thinkpadx1/t...

[umanwizard]

That laptop is not “high-end”. i7 processor, standard (not 4K) screen resolution, Intel graphics.

I also have a thinkpad, and it gives me no end of issues, presumably largely due to the Nvidia GPU. There are also some weird non-GPU-related quirks; for example, charging over USB-C sporadically stops working (requiring an unplug and re-plug of the cable), especially when the battery is low.

[oyashirochama]

Ny X1 has lasted for 3+ years of really hard use and only really has issues due to my own fiddling with clocks. It also has weird TB3 eGPU issues but thats nearly every laptop with a dedicated gpu and TB3, which are a pretty small list surprisingly. Took a 64gb upgrade easily, and raid nvme with ease.

[Cannabat]

The X1s have great build quality compared to other non-Apple laptops, but mine didn't last but about 1.5 years of daily work use before the case itself started failing (case metal chipping and bending + keys failing, battery issues, ports failing, etc etc). On the other hand, my 2014 macbook air still looks almost new even after almost 7 years of daily use.

I think it's as close as it gets, but it's still nowhere near Apple. I'd love to see a premium non-Apple manufacturer.

[philliphaydon]

I still have a gen1 x1 extreme and its going strong. Runs fedora flawlessly. If I don't buy Apple then I aint buying anything other than Lenovo.

Work gave me a DELL XPS 15, one of the worst laptops ever. 2 jobs, 2 XPS's, both 2 generations apart and both terrible plagued with issues.

[mackrevinack]

i have an x1 yoga, the one that started using usb-c ports instead of the older rectangular charging ports. ive had to buy 3 cables now, which are not cheap because they are attached to a brick, and i resoldered the cable myself twice as well, so basically 5 times ive had to replace it in the space of 2 years. ive been using thinkpads for as long as i can remember and this was never an issue for me.

i think the usb-c port is connected directly to the motherboard as well so i suppose i should be greatful that its only the cable that's been breaking. im going to sell this off soon and im pretty much done with lenovo for the foreseeable future

[aembleton]

It would be easier to buy a >60w USB charging brick and a USB cable. Then you can just replace the cable next time it breaks. They're only a few £

This is how I power my Xiaomi and Macbook laptops.

[asguy]

Lenovo isn't close. I have several generations of X1 Carbons, and they all do terrible things like:

- Scratch their own screens when lids are closed - Have failing LCD connectors (especially true with my 4k variant). - Flex terribly.

I bought an M2 Air recently, and it's a far better machine.

[oyashirochama]

To be fair Macbooks will still scratch their screen if they weren't using glass, Thinkpads don't if they have the glass varient as well. There isn't a true Matte option for Apple and it shows why, even if there ever release the nano frosted version it loses to basic Matte panels for range and glare or lack of.

[bombolo]

Apple computers used to break their own plastic by hitting themselves with the closing magnets and some protruding pieces of plastic.

I guess it's why they make them of metal now… Less problems with bad design and using the user as a heat sink.

[jjtheblunt]

I think metal tends to conduct heat more, so in the fan era they can run quieter

[TacticalMalice]

My 14 inch MB Pro also scratches and stains its own screen with the lid closed. It's the only problem I have with this machine.

[hackerfromthefu]

Yeah my expensive Lenovo Slim 7 Pro Carbon edition has just had the hinge fail at 11 months. I'm sick and tired of high end Windows laptops all failing due to hardware issues. I am seriously considering a Mac for the first time in two decades in disgust with the state of reliability of Windows laptops. But I don't want to run Apple software and live in their walled garden.

[jjtheblunt]

why not get a Surface, then? the keyboard is fantastic and magnetically attached, and you could opt for Intel or ARM. disclaimer : i have a Surface Pro X and it's truly excellent build quality.

[hackerfromthefu]

I heard of significant driver and stability issues on some of them, despite being all MS. How's yours going, software wise?

[bonif]

You speak like someone who has never tried an apple silicon laptop, they are in a different league.

[breakfastduck]

Not even close when it comes to build quality if we're being honest

[jjtheblunt]

Is there an ARM Lenovo with Linux?

[kervantas]

x13s

[Fnoord]

I have some hope Framework laptops are going to end up filling this niche eventually. Right now, Linux is an afterthought on them, but its the same for Apple M1/M2 series.