I'm able to get far more out of my small cheap netbook using Linux than I can with Windows or a more expensive Mac.
I could do most of my work on a Mac but Linux affords me a deeper level of customization and different set of tools that I need/want to have and that I have found useful. Even when things break in Linux usually it is much more of a learning experience fixing it as compared to OS X and Windows IMHO.
Linux does have the disadvantage of not running popular software that I may like to use like games, image editing software and audio DAWs. But so far I've just been focusing my time on other things so I am not as affected by it as when I had Windows/Mac and Linux boxes.
Ironically if Microsoft and Apple opened up their development toolchain to other OSs, e.g. Linux. I would be more likely to use them more. The more I use Mono in Linux the more I find myself using Windows, if Visual Studio and .NET tools where more open and usable on Linux I can see myself using Windows alot more. The same goes for xcode and OSX/iOS.
I think the point is lower level languages won't save us, as in 'python is too slow let's try C++, C++ is too slow let's try C, C is too slow let's try...' He also does mention C towards the end of the talk.
I had been looking for an ultrabook for linux not long ago.
Here's my experience, I ran Arch on a MacBook Air and it went by okay until the SSD died and I returned it to Apple for a refund (if you buy apple products during the holidays they have a very relaxed return policy). Had a Dell XPS 13 for about 3 days, returned it due some hardware and configuration issues. Borrowed a Toshiba Kirabook for some time, however running Arch on it was, wow, much pain.
I was using a System76 panp5 for sometime before, most System76 laptops are at a great price point for the hardware as compared to many other brands, it got me by but the build quality was poor. Clevo chassis are just generally not good.
I decided to downgrade to a netbook and upgrade my linode plan. Depending on your needs, buying a cheap and upgradable Asus/Acer netbook, maxing the RAM and putting in an SSD in, then using linode or the like for any heavy lifting might be something to consider.
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