I got an Asus UX305FA 2 years ago. It was great until some of the keys on the keyboard started to fail just outside of it's 1 year warranty. Despite having tried to reset the ribbon connector on the mobo I can't get it to work. The procedure for replacement isn't fun either.

Will probably get an Thinkpad X240/X250 off work next. They can often be purchased second-hand on ebay with a few years of on-site warranty left. Upgradeable, excellent keyboards, Linux friendly, and built like tanks.

A word of warning: The 'clickpad' on the X240 is the most unpleasant piece of computing hardware I have ever had the displeasure to use.

The clickpad has a ton of travel, and all of that travel is mushy. It sometimes doesn't even register clicks, and right-clicking is an exercise in frustration.

It was so bad I thought there was something defective about the version I had, so I had it replaced, and it was the same horrible experience.

Any better on X250?

Yes, lenovo brought back old trackpad after feedback from users. In x240 trackpad buttons are part of trackpad and that was the issue.X250 onward buttons are separate from trackpad similar to models before x240.

When I were looking for a new laptop, I got a new ASUS TP301UA first. But was very unhappy with the keyboard. It was bending in the middle when typing, and had overall uncomfortable floppy feeling. The camera was a joke too. The general impression was that on paper the specs looked great, but it was underwhelming in practice.

I returned it and got a used (like new) Thinkpad X250 for under $450 and cannot be happier. Computer feels rock solid, great components. Installed Linux, all works smooth, my best laptop so far. (It's a small-screen portable laptop, try to check it out, and if you like bigger screens, you may consider other series of Thinkpad, maybe).

(Also, for me, getting used to the mouse buttons positioned above the touchpad took about one week or so.)

I have a UX305FA and I wouldn’t recommend it.

I love the form factor and overall feel. I really like the keyboard, though I don’t care for the trackpad.

My real issue with this laptop is the screen. It’s hard on my eyes to the point that I don’t use it. I’ve had the laptop for around a year now and have had at least 5 different Linux distros on it, I’ve calibrated the display, and nothing has helped.

I wish I had bought a Thinkpad.

But most Thinkpads build terrible screens as well. Low resolutions (until very recently), bad colors, PWM issues, black bleeding, screen lottery...

Seconded. I have the Asus UX305C, with Debian Stable, and I love it. It's the one with the 3200x1800 display. Yes, the CPU is a little underpowered, but you trade that off against the fan noise. It also has 8GB RAM, so it's not really lacking in that department.

Basically, if you want a powerhouse laptop, this isn't it. But it does absolutely everything else wonderfully.