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this post was submitted on 18 Sep 2026
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A very brief version: Look for T-series with specs you like. W works too if that branch is still around. Xnnn series is pretty good, X1 not so much. L series is a consumer brand, a bit better today but specially first L-models were just trash.
Thanks for adding the model ranges, @IsoKiero@sopuli.xyz
Why don't you like the X1s?
I've had OpenSUSE Tumbleweed running on a Carbon Gen 11 for a year now with no issues. The fingerprint reader and touchscreen both worked out of the box.
The X1 line is more integrated and they aren’t the line to buy if someone wants to upgrade their laptop. The RAM is soldered on the board to get it as thin as possible, for example.
I have a gen 9 X1, and it runs Linux great! It’s also not getting upgraded aside from the SSD.
Just that they are not built the way "traditional" thinkpads are. I don't have personal experience how durable they are, but in general they aren't as easy to repair as T-series (for example). With T-series it's pretty straightforward to replace nearly every component separately (wifi, ram, keyboard, display...) which is either way more difficult or straight impossible to do with X1. Also spare part availability is generally better with T-series.
But to be honest, newer T14s aren't as service-friendly either as older T-series. But if repairability is a deciding factor then I'd skip X1 and get some T-series instead.
That’s a fair assessment. The build quality is great considering they’re business laptops, but since they are a smaller form factor the repairability isn’t nearly as good as other models.