Ask Lemmy

Lemmy, reddit, find groups (but even those are far from full proof) sadly the internet as a hole is now a corporate marketing suspit. Learn what you can about the core components of computing, look at spec sheets rather than reviews (reviews can be coloured by bias, the publisher may want to stay in the good graces of the manufacture or is just ill informed) although reviews can be helpful and not coloured.

Knowledge is power.

If you go linux, I do not recommend System 76. I've had two of them and both of them were junk. My company issues linux laptops to developers. 9 out of 10 System 76 laptops failed within a year. I'm not a big fan of Dell. If you have the time and money check out Starlabs. Framework has a lot of promise as well.

If you just need a beater running Windows for browsing and writing, surprisingly, I've found HP makes very affordable, reasonably solid machines.

If you want really portable for basic web stuff. I'd suggest an iPad. Lots of VCs and CEO types I know just use iPad.

For CAD you probably want a desktop with a high end mouse and an array of large monitors at an ergonomic desk setup. You'll probably spend more on the chair and desk and workspace than on the computer.

Based on your needs, I think it would be best to avoid Linux as an operating system which people will likely try to steer you towards here. A lot of commercial/CAD software will likely be Windows-only and it's not worth trying to set up a compatibility layer and troubleshooting issues when they pop up.

If you're looking for a reliable laptop, I can say Lenovo and Dell are generally reliable. If you wanted to go the Apple hardware I also don't think you could go wrong with a Macbook if you can afford it, which you could install Windows or any other OS on if you need to.

I have a work-issued Dell laptop which can take a beating and is okay, albeit a bit old at this point and due for a replacement. I have a Macbook Pro that I bought in 2013 and is still going strong, but 11 years later is feeling its age. And I have an MSI gaming laptop which is powerful, but I am not sure is going to survive another couple years.

If you want to go the desktop route, you have a lot more flexibility when it comes to specs and you have the advantage of not having all your components on a single board, so that way down the road if a component fails or you want to add more RAM or add more storage space, you can pretty much swap anything out instead of replacing the entire unit. I don't know if there's a "Build a PC" community here on Lemmy but if you take a look at the requirements for the software you want to use and look around the internet for builds that meet those requirements, it will help give an idea of what components you might want to buy.

Not to mention, of course, that Dell and the like will also sell prebuilt desktops with hardware you're looking for, albeit with a bit of a markup.

Laptops haven't gotten that much better in the past 8 years. The one I'm using right now was made in 2011. Install Debian on your 8yo laptop and you are good to go. Question is though, what do you want to do with it? CAD? You mean like for 3D printing, or something more serious? You don't need a desktop per se, but a big monitor plugged into the laptop can help.