This might end up as a "stream of consciousness" (that's like a boring/uncool version free styling) so feel free to include your sarcastic replies below. Or wish me luck. Whichever.
I just bought a fancy AlienWare 15" gaming laptop...I know...I know... I think the number of ports and possible upgrade paths is what sold me on it over other options. I actually did browse System76 (OEM linux system seller) for a little while. They had some comparable configurations with more hard drive expansion slots but couldn't meet the price spec-for-spec. Maybe in 6 or 7 years when I upgrade again. The main thing that made me stop and hesitate on this alienware was the Killer wifi card. I wish I could have opted out of that. I've read nothing but bad things about killer working with linux. Maybe I can swap it out.
My current laptop is a Sager/Clevo purchased in February of 2013 (it's the one in my signature). Actually there's nothing wrong with it. It can play all the games I have, it has lots of usb ports, it can power my two 21:9 monitors without any problems....no issues what-so-ever. Except the fans seem to constantly run even when idle. Probably needs a good dust blow out and maybe thermal re-paste. I could have kept upgrading it with more RAM and larger and larger hard drives in perpetuity. Until the actual CPU and GPU were some where less then intel IGP or something. I mean if that ever happened. Probably another 6 years I could have kept it going. That would be like...11 years of one laptop.
Technically the GPU can be upgraded but the for whatever reason the upgrade kits around $700 for a minor bump up and as much as an actual laptop with a newer card for the higher end upgrades which...seriously, why bother with an upgrade kits if it's that much? Maybe the price of the gpu upgrade kits would be down to reasonable in another 6 years.
I don't have any idea how long/far I'll make it with linux as a daily driver. Nor do I know which Linux I'll settle on. Probably Mint since inevitably I'll ending up need proprietary drivers. That's still a thing right? Mint coming with proprietary hardware drivers?
Since I still need Windows at home for certain work functions I'll have to explore my options for that. Maybe if there's an RDP client for linux I can connect to a virtual windows instance in Hyper-V then use that for whatever. Or possibly some other option. Maybe virtualbox would work. Full screen virtualbox with win 7.
I just bought a fancy AlienWare 15" gaming laptop...I know...I know... I think the number of ports and possible upgrade paths is what sold me on it over other options. I actually did browse System76 (OEM linux system seller) for a little while. They had some comparable configurations with more hard drive expansion slots but couldn't meet the price spec-for-spec. Maybe in 6 or 7 years when I upgrade again. The main thing that made me stop and hesitate on this alienware was the Killer wifi card. I wish I could have opted out of that. I've read nothing but bad things about killer working with linux. Maybe I can swap it out.
My current laptop is a Sager/Clevo purchased in February of 2013 (it's the one in my signature). Actually there's nothing wrong with it. It can play all the games I have, it has lots of usb ports, it can power my two 21:9 monitors without any problems....no issues what-so-ever. Except the fans seem to constantly run even when idle. Probably needs a good dust blow out and maybe thermal re-paste. I could have kept upgrading it with more RAM and larger and larger hard drives in perpetuity. Until the actual CPU and GPU were some where less then intel IGP or something. I mean if that ever happened. Probably another 6 years I could have kept it going. That would be like...11 years of one laptop.
Technically the GPU can be upgraded but the for whatever reason the upgrade kits around $700 for a minor bump up and as much as an actual laptop with a newer card for the higher end upgrades which...seriously, why bother with an upgrade kits if it's that much? Maybe the price of the gpu upgrade kits would be down to reasonable in another 6 years.
I don't have any idea how long/far I'll make it with linux as a daily driver. Nor do I know which Linux I'll settle on. Probably Mint since inevitably I'll ending up need proprietary drivers. That's still a thing right? Mint coming with proprietary hardware drivers?
Since I still need Windows at home for certain work functions I'll have to explore my options for that. Maybe if there's an RDP client for linux I can connect to a virtual windows instance in Hyper-V then use that for whatever. Or possibly some other option. Maybe virtualbox would work. Full screen virtualbox with win 7.