This post is a presentation of my choice of laptop from different points of view for people with knowledge in hardware and free software (GNU/Linux). It is also written from this exact laptop.
The hardware
Let’s get to the point and start by presenting the physical part of it. The thinkpad X220 is a 2011 laptop (about 11 years old as of writing).
It boasts those impressive specs:
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12" screen (1366x768 IPS)
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i7-2640M CPU (dual-core, 2.80GHz, max 3.5GHz)
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16Gb DDR3
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SSD 512Gb (the most recent part of this rig, 4 years old)
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1x USB 3.0, 2x USB 2.0
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DisplayPort, VGA
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RJ-45 1Gb/s, Wifi
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A docking station with more ports is also available via a port on the back of the chassis
I bought that laptop almost new a little bit more than 5 years ago. It was probably used in a company and left in storage for a long time. All that to say that it’s in excellent condition.
The software
For the software I run a Debian Stable GNU/Linux system with i3 (migration to sway in progress) with a lean on simple terminal software or light and efficient solutions. Outside of the browser I spend most of my time in a terminal (zsh in kitty, great project) which I find the best and most complete way to interact with my computer.
The choice
Why this laptop with this environment ?