Rather than spend money on a new laptop that I wasn't sure I even wanted, I tried out a Pinebook. For $99 I got a fairly usable Linux machine, albeit with its own quirks. 11.6" IPS, 64 bit ARM CPU, 10,000 mAH battery, 2GB RAM.
Overall, I chuckled at what I got (keyboard remapping helped since it's based on an Android layout), but some weeks afterwards I marveled at the minimalist utility and how well it held charge.
Evaluating it was an interesting exercise. Google docs aren't fast enough on the machine for comfort (try writing a novel) so a comparable Chromebook is a superior choice. But, KDE Kate is great. Terminal, of course, flies as fast as anywhere.
If you haven't seen it, I'd recommend to look at it as a point of minimalist reference if nothing else.
Overall, I chuckled at what I got (keyboard remapping helped since it's based on an Android layout), but some weeks afterwards I marveled at the minimalist utility and how well it held charge.
Evaluating it was an interesting exercise. Google docs aren't fast enough on the machine for comfort (try writing a novel) so a comparable Chromebook is a superior choice. But, KDE Kate is great. Terminal, of course, flies as fast as anywhere.
If you haven't seen it, I'd recommend to look at it as a point of minimalist reference if nothing else.