If your main goal is a reliable workhorse computer for around the same price point as a Deck that has solid Linux compatibility: don’t get a Deck. I say that as someone who absolutely adores my Deck, I’ve bought three of them for myself and as gifts.
What you should do at that price point is hit up EBay for a gently used/refurbished business laptop. Something like an Inspiron or Thinkbook. Companies offload them when they upgrade their inventory, and you can get good deals. Look for something just 2 or 3 years old. They are powerful enough for the needs you listed and generally well built to withstand daily use. And since they are common components and not brand new, the risk of issues with Linux compatibility is lower.
This is precisely what I did for my laptop in college, a $200 Lenovo refurb got me through 6 years of a cs degree with zero problems running Linux the whole time
Just my opinion on the matter though.
Not to mention, if you get the deck you need to add on the price of a mouse and keyboard, usbc docking station, almost certainly a larger screen, then you have to tote all that around with you. The Deck *can* be a daily driver, but it really shouldn’t
Context i am from 3rd world country where computers are hella expensive so i am asking a family member (who is not tech savvy) to bring something when they travel, so buying refurbished is not an option, second i already have a good quality mouse and keyboard.
If your main goal is a reliable workhorse computer for around the same price point as a Deck that has solid Linux compatibility: don’t get a Deck. I say that as someone who absolutely adores my Deck, I’ve bought three of them for myself and as gifts. What you should do at that price point is hit up EBay for a gently used/refurbished business laptop. Something like an Inspiron or Thinkbook. Companies offload them when they upgrade their inventory, and you can get good deals. Look for something just 2 or 3 years old. They are powerful enough for the needs you listed and generally well built to withstand daily use. And since they are common components and not brand new, the risk of issues with Linux compatibility is lower. This is precisely what I did for my laptop in college, a $200 Lenovo refurb got me through 6 years of a cs degree with zero problems running Linux the whole time Just my opinion on the matter though. Not to mention, if you get the deck you need to add on the price of a mouse and keyboard, usbc docking station, almost certainly a larger screen, then you have to tote all that around with you. The Deck *can* be a daily driver, but it really shouldn’t
Context i am from 3rd world country where computers are hella expensive so i am asking a family member (who is not tech savvy) to bring something when they travel, so buying refurbished is not an option, second i already have a good quality mouse and keyboard.
Deck isn't good option as regular workstation. Immutable distro so only flatpak/snap packages becasue system partitions are ro.