I saved a doomed Windows laptop by embracing Linux

But that’s not bully enough. This ThinkPad — similar millions of different PCs successful the aforesaid vessel — is inactive perfectly functional. Its hardware is much than susceptible of mundane tasks. I’ve been utilizing it for web browsing, penning successful Google Docs, talking to my Verge colleagues connected Slack, and adjacent immoderate gaming connected Steam. Not atrocious for a laptop that’s expected to beryllium retired.

All you person to bash is cull Microsoft’s framing. It’s not harmless to permission it connected Windows 10, since Microsoft chose to halt offering information updates, and Windows 11 isn’t supported. But who says this laptop needs to tally Windows astatine all? There’s different operating strategy that runs large connected older hardware, is inactive actively maintained, and tin forestall millions of computers from being scrapped earlier their time.

That’s right: The concealed to redeeming this laptop, and possibly yours too, is Linux.

This communicative was written connected a Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon Gen 5 with 16GB of RAM, 512GB of storage, and a 7th-gen Intel Core i7-7600U processor. It’s a much almighty mentation of a laptop The Verge reviewed erstwhile it came retired successful 2017. At the time, it was considered a high-end, ultra-portable workhorse of a laptop, offering upwards of 8 hours of artillery beingness successful a amazingly lightweight package. It started astatine $1,100 erstwhile it was released, but my configuration would person outgo $2,100. I recovered this 1 utilized connected eBay for conscionable $250.

When it arrived, the ThinkPad was successful astir caller information without immoderate noticeable deterioration and tear. It adjacent came with a caller charger. It booted into the setup process for a cleanable installation of Windows 10 without immoderate issues. After utilizing it connected Windows 10 for a fewer days, I had a hard clip remembering it was a laptop from astir a decennary ago. It surely didn’t consciousness similar a instrumentality that was acceptable for the laptop graveyard.

It seems similar this laptop should beryllium capable to tally Windows 11, but it can’t. Microsoft’s basal requirements for Windows 11 see astatine slightest 4GB of RAM, 64GB of storage, a TPM 2.0 information chip, UEFI Secure Boot, and a 64-bit processor with astatine slightest 2 cores moving astatine 1GHz oregon faster. My ThinkPad has each of that — but its processor is 1 procreation excessively old. Windows 11 requires a processor that’s an Intel 8th procreation oregon AMD Ryzen 2000, oregon newer.

Technically it inactive works, but continuing to usage it connected Windows 10 without information updates could beryllium risky. Even if I decided to opt successful to Microsoft’s Windows 10 Extended Security Updates (ESU) program, that would lone get maine 1 other twelvemonth of updates, which ends connected October 13th, 2026. So, whether present oregon aboriginal this year, this laptop is losing enactment from Microsoft.

Sure, you could usage a instrumentality similar Rufus oregon FlyOOBE to upgrade to Windows 11 anyway, but that’s inactive lone kicking the tin down the road. Bypassing information requirements could origin problems with aboriginal updates. But also, who needs Windows?

I’ve been utilizing Fedora Linux connected my gaming PC for implicit a twelvemonth now, but decided to spell with Linux Mint for the ThinkPad. It’s 1 of the astir beginner-friendly Linux distributions acknowledgment to its stability, casual setup, and default Cinnamon desktop environment, which looks and feels a batch similar Windows 10. It’s based connected Ubuntu — the astir fashionable Linux organisation — which means that conscionable astir immoderate app that works successful Linux volition enactment close disconnected the bat. It besides works good connected older hardware.

The Mint installer was casual to use, with conscionable a fewer steps and wide explanations for each one. After astir 10 minutes, Windows 10 was gone and a Linux instrumentality was born.

Mint greeted maine with a small invited model offering to assistance maine get started by customizing my desktop theme, checking for updates, oregon visiting the bundle manager to hunt for apps. Plenty of basal apps were besides preinstalled, including Firefox and the full LibreOffice suite, which is simply a free, open-source alternate to Microsoft Office.

I took my clip searching for themes and customizing Cinnamon successful betwixt getting Slack and Steam installed. I had to instal Steam done the bid line, a process that volition astir apt look beauteous progressive for anyone utilized to Windows oregon macOS. Linux doesn’t person a cardinal app store similar those operating systems do, though determination are a mates platforms similar Flathub and the Snap Store that mimic app stores. So, astir apps person to beryllium installed utilizing the bid line, often by conscionable copy-pasting a bid from the app’s download page.

Steam is disposable successful Linux Mint’s default repository, truthful I could get it with a speedy “sudo apt-get instal steam” successful the terminal. I didn’t request the bid enactment for Slack, though. I conscionable downloaded the .deb record from Slack’s website past installed it utilizing Mint’s built-in GUI tool.

Getting everything acceptable up the mode I similar lone took astir an hour. After that, I benched my MacBook for the week and turned my attraction to the ThinkPad.

A nine-year-old laptop tin inactive astonishment you.

When I took the ThinkPad retired of the box, I was legitimately shocked by however lightweight it is. According to our archetypal review, the ThinkPad weighs 2.9 pounds, astir the aforesaid arsenic my 13-inch M4 MacBook Air, which weighs 2.7 pounds. The ThinkPad someway feels similar the lighter laptop to me, partially due to the fact that of its integrative chassis. It mightiness not look arsenic premium arsenic the MacBook, but it doesn’t consciousness cheap, either — it’s reinforced with c fiber. I didn’t announcement immoderate flexing oregon bending with the ThinkPad’s chassis during my clip utilizing it.

It besides beats my MacBook connected ports: 2 USB-C ports with Thunderbolt 3, 2 USB-A, 1 HDMI, and a headphone jack. There’s adjacent a operation SIM tray / microSD paper slot hidden successful the backmost borderline of the keyboard deck, beside 1 of the hinges. I was capable to plug successful the USB-A dongle for my favourite wireless Razer rodent directly, alternatively of needing a USB-C hub similar I usage for my MacBook. My favourite Bluetooth headphones worked perfectly with Linux, without immoderate operator oregon companion app issues.

This ThinkPad besides has 1 of the astir satisfying laptop keyboards I’ve ever used, and I’ve tried dozens. You tin truly consciousness the cardinal question erstwhile you’re typing. All of the media keys and adjacent the iconic trackpoint enactment arsenic intended successful Linux arsenic well.

The webcam and mic enactment good successful Mint, though you tin truly archer they’re from 2017. Video is washed-out and grainy, and the mic audio is mediocre and picks up inheritance sound a spot much than I’d like. But the webcam and mic are inactive wide capable to beryllium perfectly functional for thing similar a Google Meet oregon Zoom call. Likewise, the speakers are a acold outcry from my MacBook’s, but they’re large and wide capable to get the occupation done.

Linux Mint itself performed large connected the ThinkPad. It besides has immoderate quality-of-life features preinstalled that marque it perfect for Linux beginners, similar a graphical interface for moving updates, which you different would person to bash done the terminal. The Cinnamon desktop situation isn’t the astir cutting-edge successful presumption of design, but it works smoothly and reliably without draining artillery beingness immoderate faster than Windows 10. And it looks a batch similar Windows, truthful it’s precise approachable for caller users. Customizing Cinnamon is easy, too. Through the strategy settings, you tin adhd and region assorted themes different users person made oregon download them and adhd the taxable files to your “.themes” folder.

This ThinkPad is nary gaming laptop, but I was capable to get a fistful of lightweight games moving connected it done Steam, including Wildfrost, Dead Cells, Hollow Knight, Fields of Mistria, and Rogue Heroes: Ruins of Tasos. They each ran amazingly smoothly, but it helps that nary of them person demanding graphics.

Luckily, crippled compatibility wasn’t an issue. Valve’s Proton compatibility layer, which is baked into the Linux mentation of Steam, allows astir Windows games to tally connected Linux, with the objection of definite games that necessitate kernel-level anti-cheat. The artillery beingness connected the ThinkPad disappeared whenever it was moving Steam oregon a crippled and not plugged into its charger, but gaming volition drain the artillery connected immoderate laptop.

Unfortunately, determination were a fewer drawbacks compared to a modern laptop, particularly erstwhile it comes to artillery life. The ThinkPad typically lasted astir 4 hours per complaint connected some Linux and Windows 10, springiness oregon instrumentality an hour. For comparison, erstwhile The Verge primitively reviewed this laptop, it was getting upwards of 8 hours per charge. So, this is 1 country wherever this laptop’s property — and its 400-plus artillery cycles — truly shows.

While we didn’t swap it out, we were capable to find a replacement artillery for astir $70, truthful it’s bully to spot that this is inactive repairable adjacent aft each these years. The screws connected the bottommost of the ThinkPad are besides easy accessible, which makes replacing the artillery — oregon the SSD, oregon the Wi-Fi paper — that overmuch easier.

A mates of insignificant issues came up, too. Mint didn’t admit the ThinkPad’s fingerprint scholar retired of the box. I was capable to find a usher to hole this, but it required utilizing the terminal to regenerate the fingerprint scholar drivers.

Thanks to its overmuch slower storage, loading times for games and apps are besides noticeably longer than what I acquisition connected my MacBook. The ThinkPad besides slowed down a spot erstwhile I had much than 10 oregon truthful browser tabs unfastened astatine once. Additionally, the bottommost of the keyboard platform got noticeably lukewarm from clip to clip erstwhile the ThinkPad was being pushed to its limits.

Those drawbacks aren’t deal-breakers for me, though, and were a comparatively tiny terms to wage to get the ThinkPad moving connected an operating strategy that inactive supports it.

Microsoft’s determination to extremity enactment for Windows 10 made millions of moving devices conscionable similar this 2017 ThinkPad obsolete. According to Microsoft, users should power to Windows 11 for its superior information features; it includes enactment for virtualization-based information and makes the Trusted Platform Module (TPM) and UEFI Secure Boot mandatory, some of which marque booting up and logging successful much reliable and secure. While those are bully features to have, they don’t needfully warrant buying a caller machine for astir users.

Discontinuing enactment for Windows 10 has near millions of devices less unafraid than they were before, and galore radical whitethorn not adjacent recognize that their perfectly functional Windows 10 laptop is simply a cybersecurity hazard now.

If you person 1 of these devices and can’t oregon don’t privation to regenerate it, Linux could beryllium the solution. Linux has go importantly easier to larn and usage arsenic a regular operator implicit caller years, particularly much beginner-friendly distributions similar Mint. It’s besides much robust than ChromeOS, which is 1 of the astir communal alternatives if you’re looking for a laptop nether $500, though determination are besides galore Windows 11 laptops disposable astatine this price. Plus, Linux is free.

Linux isn’t for everyone, though. It’s inactive much analyzable to usage than Windows oregon macOS, and app compatibility tin beryllium a deal-breaker for immoderate people. I didn’t person immoderate issues moving connected my aging ThinkPad for a week, but I don’t request immoderate apps that aren’t disposable connected Linux, similar Adobe apps, Microsoft Office, accessory companion apps similar Razer Synapse, oregon taxation apps similar H&R Block.

There are ways astir this, similar moving Windows apps done a compatibility programme similar Wine, but show tin alteration from 1 app to another. There are besides alternatives to galore apps that aren’t natively disposable connected Linux. For instance, you could usage the web versions of Microsoft Office apps oregon effort LibreOffice instead. Similarly, GIMP, Darktable, RawTherapee, Kdenlive, Inkscape, and LibreOffice Draw tin each beryllium alternatives to immoderate Adobe apps. They mightiness not beryllium a viable solution for everyone, but they’re worthy considering.

If you don’t person immoderate app barriers that would marque Linux a no-go and you don’t request a peculiarly almighty laptop, an older, erstwhile Windows laptop moving Linux could get the occupation done, prevention a laptop from the landfill, and prevention you wealth astatine the aforesaid time.

I urge looking for a Lenovo laptop, since they person the champion way grounds of moving good connected Linux. Used concern laptops similar this ThinkPad X1 Carbon tin often beryllium a peculiarly bully choice, though a much modern exemplary would astir apt beryllium a bully idea, similar thing from the ThinkPad T14 oregon P14 lineups. Used Dell and HP concern laptops tin besides beryllium bully options.

If you’re caller to Linux, you mightiness find the wide assortment of versions, known arsenic distributions oregon “distros,” a small overwhelming astatine first. For astir caller Linux users, it’s champion to commencement with thing fashionable and casual to acceptable up, similar Mint. Ubuntu, Fedora, Zorin, and Pop tin besides beryllium bully distros for beginners.

But the bully happening astir having truthful galore options is that if you ever privation a antithetic look connected your laptop oregon antithetic features, you tin conscionable instal a caller distribution. You’re not locked into 1 operating strategy controlled by 1 company.

Even if you don’t program connected trying Linux, buying a utilized laptop implicit a caller 1 could inactive beryllium a much cost-effective option, particularly if you’re connected a budget. There are plentifulness of modern Windows 11 laptops and Chromebooks disposable for nether $500. Unfortunately, 1 large drawback with these is that you’re astir apt going to get overmuch little retention and RAM than you mightiness beryllium capable to get with a utilized laptop, particularly with RAM and retention prices connected the rise.

An older laptop similar this ThinkPad X1 Carbon could beryllium a viable enactment if you’re trying to find a laptop connected a sub-$500 budget, but you person to beryllium alert of what you’re signing up for. You tin get plentifulness of RAM and retention astatine a bargain terms connected an older laptop, but you’ll beryllium sacrificing immoderate show since these laptops besides person older processors, though it depends what your alternatives are. The show spread isn’t arsenic important arsenic you mightiness expect compared to likewise priced modern laptops.

I ran Geekbench 6 a fewer times connected the ThinkPad, and its Intel Core i7-7600U processor averaged 1260 connected the single-core trial and 2322 connected the multi-core test. Its single-core show keeps up amazingly good compared to the processors successful modern laptops astir the aforesaid terms point. For instance, the Intel Core i3-N305 successful the Acer Spin 14 has a single-core people of 1142 connected Geekbench 6 and the AMD Ryzen 5 7520U successful the Acer Aspire 3 has a people of 1169, some little than what the Core i7-7600U averaged.

Unfortunately, the Core i7-7600U lags overmuch much connected multi-core performance, since it lone has 2 cores. This is wherever the Geekbench results amusement a overmuch wider gap: 4192 for the eight-core Intel Core i3-N305 and 3679 for the Ryzen 5 7520U, compared to conscionable 2322 for the Core i7-7600U.

So you’re not sacrificing much, if anything, successful presumption of single-core show by going for an older laptop similar the ThinkPad implicit a modern fund laptop. However, you volition beryllium giving up immoderate multi-core performance. If you’re conscionable doing web browsing oregon moving successful Google Docs, that astir apt won’t beryllium an issue.

For galore radical the accrued RAM and retention successful an older laptop is worthy much than a small other earthy performance. Modern fund laptops, similar the Acer models mentioned above, whitethorn person faster CPUs, but they’ll astir ever person fractional arsenic overmuch RAM and retention arsenic thing similar our utilized ThinkPad, which tin person a much nonstop interaction connected mundane usage than processing power.

Before joining The Verge precocious past year, I didn’t person a laptop that could tally Windows 11 oregon macOS. All I had, too my desktop PC, was a 2017 HP laptop moving Windows 10. I’d logged countless hours penning connected that laptop, spent agelong nights playing Minecraft connected it with my friends, brought it on with maine done assemblage and aggregate internships. But it was getting old, and I could archer — the artillery beingness was getting atrocious (two to 3 hours max), it was moving noticeably hot, and it wasn’t going to beryllium eligible for Windows 11.

I couldn’t spend a caller laptop astatine the time, but acknowledgment to Linux, I didn’t request to. I spent an day replacing my laptop’s artillery and installing Fedora connected it. When I booted it backmost up, it was moving overmuch cooler and smoother and getting astir 5 hours of artillery life. Putting Linux connected that laptop gave it a 2nd life, saved maine hundreds of dollars, and allowed maine to support utilizing a laptop that had travel a agelong mode with maine implicit the years. The aforesaid attack besides saved this ThinkPad from unnecessary obsolescence.

Microsoft volition pass you successful your device’s updates paper if you’re not eligible for Windows 11, but what it won’t archer you is that Windows isn’t your lone option. Linux mightiness beryllium a spot much analyzable to larn and use, but it tin besides springiness you the state to determine for yourself erstwhile it’s clip to upgrade your laptop.

My ThinkPad mightiness not beryllium capable to tally Windows 11, but it’s acold from obsolete.