[CALUG] Linux Friendly Laptops

[James Ewing Cottrell 3rd]

This is EXACTLY the kind of info that the the Linux Laptop list needs. 
Tell me what I can buy and what will run on it.

Don't give me this rigamarole about which chipset a motherboard or 
network adapter use. While this is primary data for the developer, it is 
secondary for the consumer. In fact, some of this info may even be hard 
to find from the manufacturer or documentation. OK, give it to me, but 
organize the list by Commercial Products.

I have mixed feelings about HP support of Linux. Try getting info from 
them on which printers are supported on Linux and what printing 
protocols are used. By contrast check out 
http://www.brother-usa.com/printer/printer_detail.aspx?AREA=PRINTER_1&PRODUCTID=HL5250DN
and take a look at the technical info provided. When you ask the HP help 
people what printing protocols their printers support they say, "Um, 
TCP/IP?". As far as they know, everything is Windows. If you want good 
info from them, you have to talk to the JetDirect people.

JIM

Assad Khan wrote:

>Just a few days ago I bought an HP Pavilion dv6174cl. It's a very nice 
>Core 2 Duo laptop with an Intel 3945ABG chipset. So far it's worked 
>without problems in Ubuntu Edgy (though you need to install Network 
>Manager to get wireless working, which for some reason was installed by 
>default in Dapper but not in Edgy...). Everything else works great out 
>of the box.
>
>HP is one of the major Linux supporters, and Intel makes some of the 
>best supported hardware on any operating system. I've only had the 
>laptop for a few days, but if you're in the market for a 15.4" laptop, I 
>highly recommend the dv6174cl, and at Costco I was able to get it for $1149.
>
>-Assad
>
>
>James Ewing Cottrell 3rd wrote:
>  
>
>>Anything that says Intel Centrino Mobile has an IPW2200 in it, as does 
>>the IBM ThinkPad T42, which I used at my last job. And altho Broadcom 
>>cards have been tradionally unsupported, people have recently written one.
>>
>>I would burn a copy of Knoppix, and boot that in anything you are 
>>considering buying.
>>
>>As mentioned by others, (K)Ubuntu or SuSE tend to have better wireless 
>>support than most.
>>
>>Several distributions have a "rescue" mode, and some of them will offer 
>>to start the network interfaces. If you can get an address via DHCP then 
>>you can load a working system.
>>
>>Finally, if you want to cheat, you can do what I do with my desktop 
>>systems at home. I buy "gaming routers", which have an ethernet and a 
>>wireless card in them. A bit unwieldy for a laptop, but it gets you 
>>connected.
>>
>>JIM
>>
>>Eric Gosnell wrote:
>>
>>    
>>
>>>I am saving up to buy a laptop.  I want to use Linux as my primary OS.  (I will
>>>dual boot so I can still have Windows based games, Visual Studio, etc.)  Are
>>>some laptop manufacturers better at providing Linux drivers for their hardware?
>>>What do you recommend?  Second, are some distributions better for laptop
>>>support than others?
>>>
>>>(I am only slightly better than a novice at Linux administration.  I am a
>>>developer and I use it frequently at work.  This is my attempt to force myself
>>>to become more adept at it.)
>>>
>>>Thanks,
>>>Eric
>>>      
>>>
>
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