Because I'm in Brazil, highly specific brands that do not ship to my country are out of the question, and even the ones that ship usually cost more than I can pay due to currency exchange rate and shipping costs themselves. What are some universal brands and models that I can probably find on my location, that won't give me much trouble running Linux?

I don't require playing games or top performance (4GB 8GB RAM, a nice/vibrant screeen and an i5 processor would be the minimum requirement. SSD would be nice, but for my budget it's a plus. Just something that is durable (with a good guarantee) and works reliably under Linux, especially when it comes to HDMI output, video graphics adapter support, booting from USB, hibernating, sleeping, power management etc.

Thanks!

My laptop is showing sings of death, and I know I will need a new one soon. Also, I am planning to get a tablet and ditch my smartphone, and to stop using the laptop for browsing content: I'll do most of that to the phone/tablet, and use the laptop as an authoring tool: writing and coding.

So I am looking for a laptop that is cheap, light, and can keep running for at least 3-5hrs under mild Debian+Emacs load. Ideally around 11"-13".

I have a gaming laptop that I mostly used as a desktop (bought used, was a good price) with external screen and devices attached. This past Sunday, I was wiping the dust off it and noticed that the trackpad felt oddly curved, then I also noticed that entire device body was slightly bloated as... which led to the discovery that the battery is swollen and that it needs to be replaced.

But I wouldn't have noticed it otherwise if I hadn't been cleaning my desk that day. It's placed on the far side of my desk on a laptop stand (although well ventilated) so I rarely pay attention to it, if at all. It might have gone on for much longer and eventually led to a disaster before I even caught on to the problem.

So, my question is: how does one track these potential hardware problems without having to manually inspect different parts of the device every now and then?

(While my device is a laptop with W10 OS, the question isn't limited to just that. Inputs for Mac and other related products are also welcomed.)

I purchased the Matebook X Pro for 1350 from Microsoft with the student discount.

Build: It is a very sturdy laptop and fits perfectly in a backpack.

Trackpad: It feels just like the MacBook Air.

Keyboard: Great typing. Switches are very similar to the MacBook Air but their noise is lower pitched.

Screen: The screen is great and I love the thin bezels.

Software: No bloat besides the driver manager.

Gaming: People underestimate the mx150. It runs pubg at a playable 40fps at mostly low and a few medium settings and fortnite at 60 FPS

with medium settings. I would never use it a a primary gaming machine, but it would be very useful for lan party’s.

Battery life: average

Dislikes: It can get very loud when gaming.

Overall, It feels like the spiritual successor to my MacBook Air in design and size. It has a fantastic display and build quality and it is priced competitively. If you are willing to pay a premium for build quality and portability then I would definitely get this laptop.

I have never done a Reddit review before so ask any questions that I left out.

Pics:

size comparison to MacBook Air https://i.imgur.com/xzcLiO0.jpg

side by side https://i.imgur.com/B4FiTlD.jpg

front view https://i.imgur.com/yDZCdqm.jpg

top view https://i.imgur.com/2n0JNSs.jpg