My RPi4 refused to start with a 2x2.5" hard drive, so I did some workarounds. I connected the USB 3.0 +5V pin to the GPIO and powered the RPi using a PD trigger with MINI 560 (5A DC-DC converter). In my case, a random 18W QC brick was enough.
Maybe try Alpine?
It’s true. But why would anyone buy an illegal key if they can activate Windows for free?
Look at the answer on Microsoft forum. What does “legitimate” mean to you? The fact that the system will work with this key does not mean that you have the right to use Windows legally.
It’s not a legal license anyway.
Perhaps it depends on the country. In any case, I recommend buying the laptop that suits you best in terms of price and not paying attention to the operating system. I just set a filter in the online store for “Ryzen 5” and I don’t see any difference in price between laptops with Windows and laptops without the operating system. It’s better to find out how well the laptop supports Linux.
In Europe, laptops without an operating system (often referred to as DOS installed) are available. Prices start from 300 EUR.
Some time ago, I tried Ubuntu for the first time. I was shocked that the preinstalled Firefox (snap package) took 10 seconds to launch, compared to 1-2 seconds on Windows.