On Wed, May 2, 2018 at 3:56 PM c <cbpurc...@gmail.com> wrote: > If it would only take you a few minutes to see if the external monitors > worked on the 7450 with a mint usb stick, I would definitely appreciate it. > > I thought Dell wasn't making anything but the usb-c and thunderbolt docks > now and I read some pretty bad reviews that led me to believe I needed to > give up on using a dock and just get something with 2 decent video outs on > it. > > Purcell > > OK I put the 7450 on a dock with 2 monitors connected by DVI, and booted a live Linux Mint USB. All 3 screens (including the built in) work normally, with extended display so I could put program windows on all 3. So basically, Linux report on 7450, it works like a champ :)
You are correct, Dell does not *currently* make any more e-docks or computers that support them. Thus my caveat if you were OK to get something "pre-owned". The 7450 is not a current model but is still new-ish, it has available i5 5300 CPU, I think maxes out at 16GB DDR3 RAM, SSD capable, and lots of ports including ethernet. Plus it has the important e-dock connector as mentioned. They can be had on eBay or other second hand sources. Since this is a Latitude it is the "business" line instead of the "home user" line so is built to last a bit better IMHO. Also as a point of reference, the new models like 7480, which use USB-C dock, work well enough. With our Windows users, yeah there are issues here and there. But then the older style docks weren't 100% perfect either. But like many others I do personally prefer the real dock with the PCI-connected e-port, instead of the USB-C port replicator. I have tested a 7480 with Linux (worked fine) but not with the dock yet. If I were in the market for a good reliable laptop, a slightly older Latitude like a 7450 would be my choice, since it can still use the e-port dock, has many built in ports, etc. YMMV, my $0.02 etc. Matt M. LinuxKnight > On Wed, May 2, 2018 at 2:31 PM, Matt McKenzie <lnxkni...@gmail.com> wrote: > > > On Wed, May 2, 2018 at 12:19 PM c <cbpurc...@gmail.com> wrote: > > > > > I'm starting to research laptop options for my new work machine. I like > > to > > > run ubuntu and I really want to get a laptop that I can connect to my 2 > > > desktop monitors for most of my use. (yes I basically want something > that > > > functions like a docked machine/desktop, except for the ability to take > > it > > > to meetups, travelling, etc.) > > > > > > > > For this kind of use case, I would suggest look into a laptop that can > use > > a dock. > > You mention Dell Precision, that is one way to go. > > > > I would also suggest looking into Dell Latitude, if you are not opposed > to > > used models. > > The current Latitudes no longer have the Dell e-port that supports the > > hardware dock (that connects directly to the motherboard PCI bus, not > USB). > > The last e-port capable Latitudes I think are 7470 or somewhere around > > there. > > Our current issue laptops at $work are 7480s and have USB-C for docking, > no > > more e-port dock. > > > > But if you go with say a 7470, or 7450, and an e-dock, you can connect > dual > > monitors with DisplayPort or DVI, and its connected directly to PCI bus > and > > not USB. > > > > I have a 7450 here with dock and monitors, I can throw a live Fedora or > > Mint USB stick on it and test if you would like the results. > > > > > > > > > I think that as long as I get something with a discrete video card, I > > > should be fine with connecting 2 external monitors with one rotated 90 > > > degrees. I tried with a laptop with onboard graphics and rotated > monitors > > > would never work. From some research it looks like. Other people have > had > > > luck with multiple external monitors and rotation on linux as long as > > they > > > were using nvidia cards. > > > > > > Anyone on the LUG running a Dell precision laptop with multiple > external > > > monitors? Just curious if anyone had found they had an easy or a > > miserable > > > time with them. > > > > > > Thanks, > > > Purcell > > > _______________________________________________ > > > > > > > > > Matt M. > > LinuxKnight > > _______________________________________________ > > PLUG mailing list > > PLUG@pdxlinux.org > > http://lists.pdxlinux.org/mailman/listinfo/plug > > > > > > -- > Darkness spoons with you. > _______________________________________________ > PLUG mailing list > PLUG@pdxlinux.org > http://lists.pdxlinux.org/mailman/listinfo/plug > _______________________________________________ PLUG mailing list PLUG@pdxlinux.org http://lists.pdxlinux.org/mailman/listinfo/plug
