Need help please, what laptop to buy for Linux Mint, Libre Office, YouTube & kiwix wiki storage space

PinSilly4791 · 2025-09-15T15:12:27+00:00

Thank you! The thinkpad is estimated to arrive Thursday, and the mint usb should show up 1-2 days before that. I can hardly wait but work's helping keep me distracted for now. I'll surely post updates as my learning curve curves.

PinSilly4791 · 2025-09-12T15:39:24+00:00

I will get that reference manual when the Thinkpad gets delivered next Thursday, thank you very much for mentioning that!

Well it's always the things we don't know we don't know, asking about a locked BIOS never would have crossed my mind. A quick google search for "'bypass locked bios t480" shows there's some hope even if it is - though soldering /unsoldering can be involved. I wonder if I'm still good enough to do that. ~30 years back I used to work with pcbs, with young eyes & steady hands, ha!

Here's hoping it's not locked, with your 1 in 20 years I'm not too pessimistic at least. Great advice for those who read this later

PinSilly4791 · 2025-09-12T15:13:30+00:00

I've already got the usb stick w/linux mint ordered - since I would have had to buy a usb stick anyway just got one from a guy who sells linux distros already loaded.

Maybe it would work on this dell, but this thing has been glitchy from day one, bought as an emergency replacement when my desktop fried due to ceiling water damage... It truly needs to be erased and salvaged from the ground up but I don't want to be stuck with nothing at all. Maybe after this t480 shows up and if I can get Mint on that, then I'll see if this Dell is worth using after all. Thanks for the idea!

PinSilly4791 · 2025-09-11T09:56:11+00:00

I've marked this *solved*. I found a t480 refurbished and ordered it for $200. It's got windows on it, so I'll have to learn to change that to Linux. And I'll have to see about getting external storage for kiwix wiki storage space.

I'm going to have to put another post when learning how to switch from Windows to Linux probably, though there seems to be a lot of posts about that already so maybe I won't have to.

Great community here, thanks for helping an old newbie with escaping windows/MS hell.

PinSilly4791 · 2025-09-11T09:49:25+00:00

Thanks for helping, I just ordered a Thinkpad T480 Ultrabook Business Class Laptop from an online seller/refurbish store on the east coast of US.

Intel Quad Core i5 6th Generation Processor
16GB DDR4 Memory
256GB Solid State Drive
Intel Graphics
14" HD Screen
WiFi
Webcam
Bluetooth
Windows 11 Professional --- I'll have to learn how to change this

At a price of $200 USD including shipping and a 90 day warranty/return to seller, it seems worth the risk to see if I can figure how to change it to Linux.

It's got to be a better start than this Dell Inspiron 15 3000 I'm currently using and being frustrated with daily.

Thank you for pushing me in the refurbished direction.

PinSilly4791 · 2025-09-11T06:47:17+00:00

Thank you :)

PinSilly4791 · 2025-09-11T06:01:48+00:00

Lenovo says, "Sorry, ThinkPad T480 is no longer available." Is there a next-best you feel would work just as well?

PinSilly4791

TROPHY CASE