What ThinkPad/Latitude models are cheap and usable right now? I’m just looking for something to browse the web, but not something so low-spec that it couldn’t handle heavier desktop environments.
I just picked up a used Thinkpad t480 with 8th gen i5 / 16gb ram / ssd for about $120 on ebay. I believe 8th gen the first i5 quad core for laptops. And T480 is the last Thinkpad with removable battery and two dimm slots. Kindof the sweet spot between the old upgradability and modernish hardware imo
I think almost anything with 8+ GB Ram will do. And it should have some kind of SSD of course because that makes the biggest noticable speed difference when booting, launching apps, opening files. Also, if its too old, the battery will last only minutes, so that’s something to keep in mind.
You should probably specify your budget and preferred screen size, as it would help with recommendations.
I’m using a Thinkpad X220 with upgraded RAM and SSD and USB 3 ExpressCard as a secondary laptop and it’s still useable for daily tasks, with the odd little slowdown. It’s also got the classic Thinkpad keyboard.
Check out Minifree Ltd. They refurbish old Thinkpads, replace the bootloader with libreboot, and come with encrypted Debian KDE. They offer either the T440p or the X230, and you can choose different SSD and RAM configurations. Prices are as low as £258.00 for the X230 with 16GB of RAM and a 480 GB SSD.
