I just bought a Tuxedo Infinity Book Pro. Impressively inexpensive, but can't comment on what it's like it yet.
Other suggestion is System76, that is if you were to opt for a Linux system.
Discussion
Windows wise I would look at the Thinkpad range, that tends to be closer to $2k.
For me a cheap Chromebook does the job.
"The job" being communication, record-keeping, and entertainment.
In terms of hardware I also have a software-defined radio for communication and a direct input box for music recording.
Between Android, Chrome extensions and web services I don't need any generic Linux programs but if I did I could install them (and have in the past).
If I needed to do video editing, statistical analysis, or gaming I would need a different device. I think for the vast majority of people something like what I have will serve them perfectly fine.
I've disabled all the Google telemetry in Chrome & ChromeOS but of course I don't really know for sure that I'm getting a private experience.
I sort of tried this, but I do need a bit more out of a computer for some graphics and video work.
I do agree, a chromebook or similar is probably enough for most, although the privacy aspect is an issue unless you take a lot of extra steps.