Edit: You make a good point. I gave consideration to that before spending two fifty on a T-480. plus One fifty on 64 GB RAM.
Intel Management Engine is part of the boot process. It must be there to boot computer.
There is an explanation of turning off the part of the Intel Management Engine that is much talked about. being negative. Even so, I doubt the powerful groups like the NSA are going to use this technology just for me.
There is somewhere on github how to flash for 'Anti-Evil Maid" on a T-480. Which does the other big thing one wants from security. Keep in mind, if I did the flash, I could probably replace the internal wireless chip, Intel Management Engine, the bad part, so I read, I am not an expert, has only a few WiFi cards that it has drivers for.
Lots of other security considerations more likely to occur at me.
and if I had $2500.00 to use one something I do not actually have to have. I would buy a Qubes Certified computer.
Most of my other laptops have something odd happening with the hardware. I also wanted a laptop whose hardware seemed to be completely working. My actual thought is, that there are folks, I think business, finance people who might adopt Qubes, if they had a chance to learn it, without spending a lot of money. If this group wants to learn, they will not be concerned with flashing Core Boot, or Anti-Evil Maid (Trench Boot). Once they have determined they need Qubes. They will get, something that is very close to a Qubes Certified Computer. This list I want to create should be easy to access, not page for through the HCL for a long time, and never cost much money that can not be recooped by having a laptop that could be used as a gift for some family member. In that vein, the T480S with an IPS screen seems like a better candidate.
Solene offered the simple solution. “Nearly any of the Lenovo X or T series laptops.”
Also, I was partially replying to: Hardware suggestions for Qubes OS Experimenters - #7 by Raphael_Balthazar
oxpoz, I hope you keep posting. You bring up good points.