Re: [SLUG] linux laptop shopping
There's an interesting article in Linux Magazine May 2004 on the other Linux (powerPC), with a couple of references including: http://www.yellowdoglinux.com and http://www.maconlinux.org also http://fink.sourceforge.net is worth a look Cheers Shane On 19 Jun 2004, at 11:19 PM, Dean Hamstead wrote: -BEGIN PGP SIGNED MESSAGE- Hash: SHA1 i can vouch for an ibook. they are great. dont look past powerpc's. linux runs perfectly personally im running debian, but you can compile stuff if you like (which i sometimes do) works just like linux anywhere else. Dean Chris Deigan wrote: | quote(Simon Males); | |Other things I feel I must have included: Firewire, which it seems that |many toshiba models lack. Audio must work, so should I pay attention to |the chipset. Possibly 64MB video (Nvidia I've had experience with |although I believe ATI has the portable market). Do not want anything |bigger than 15. | | | The new iBooks (or Powerbooks) are nice, and a good steal if you | can get the edu discount. | | Integrated wireless antenna and customizable, and as demonstrated at last | meeting -- not bad for wardriving. ;-) | | |If someone could rant on warranty and who has received there MS tax |refund :) | | | What is this MS you talk about. ;-) | | - Chris -BEGIN PGP SIGNATURE- Version: GnuPG v1.2.4 (GNU/Linux) Comment: Using GnuPG with Thunderbird - http://enigmail.mozdev.org iD8DBQFA1D1ZI1HDX08lY+ARAnyqAKDB22dHFHl3w2Ukqw+QjbLvPTrwigCfU0xY g7fR6kG/P/inxc3SGS0Jq1A= =z/p8 -END PGP SIGNATURE- -- SLUG - Sydney Linux User's Group Mailing List - http://slug.org.au/ Subscription info and FAQs: http://slug.org.au/faq/mailinglists.html -- SLUG - Sydney Linux User's Group Mailing List - http://slug.org.au/ Subscription info and FAQs: http://slug.org.au/faq/mailinglists.html
Re: [SLUG] linux laptop shopping
On Sat, 2004-06-19 at 20:09, Simon Males wrote: Within the next four weeks, I wish to be the proud owner of a laptop. Currently my target price is currently $2500. I do not want centrino wireless tech because I plan to do some war driving and already have PCMCIA card with the appropriate pigtails etc, further there is limited linux support (centrino models seem to have lower spec CPU compared to non-centrino models). Hi Simon, The Pentium M CPU has a lower clock rate, but does more work per clock. It's a nice CPU for laptops as the lower clock rate leads to less power usage. This is helped by a few new power management features. Linux support for the Intel 802.11b Mini-PCI wireless card is basic, but better than the complete lack of support for the competing Broadcom card. I wouldn't rule out getting a inbuilt wireless card and keeping the PC Card kit for foxhunting/wardriving. You don't want to be dragging pigtails, etc to conferences just to use the wireless LAN. First intentions were Dell because I liked the idea of building my machine. Reading various linux laptop threads brought light that dell change system internals but keep the same product name- something I don't like the sound of for the sake of parts and repairing. I've used a lot of Dell. The full product name (including all the squiggly letters at the end) totally identifies the shipped components. Dell do use the Broadcom GbE chipset. This can be problem if you need full-rate GbE as the driver sucks (for the usual reason of Broadcom's pitiful Linux support). The real sticking points of buying a laptop at the moment are: - support for the inbuilt modem (you may need to send Linuxant some cash). - support for the smartcard reader (if you care for this, I do as it gives a simple way to run an encrypted home directory to guard data in case of theft). - support for the video chip. I can't stress enough the importance of a substantial warranty. Unlike a desktop system if a laptop busts you've got Buckley's of fixing it yourself. So cost into the price at least 3 years of warranty. I like IBM as it seems there is a possibility of customising the laptop you order (online). Acer, Dell, etc also offer this. Firewire, which it seems that many toshiba models lack. A lot of Dell models too. Audio must work, so should I pay attention to the chipset. You'll be lucky to get good audio. Consider using USB-connected off-board audio instead. Possibly 64MB video (Nvidia I've had experience with although I believe ATI has the portable market). Do not want anything bigger than 15. Go with big memory on the video, if the firewire support is a hint that you'll be doing video editing. If someone could rant on warranty and who has received there MS tax refund :) You won't get this. Manufacturers attach a shrinkwrapped license giving you the choice of: - not claiming the refund - if you wish to claim the refund, returning the computer unopened and purchasing from someone else. If you want to ignore that, still claim the refund, and fight the good legal fight then go for it. I'd be looking for legal advice first though so that the necessary I's are dotted (eg, demonstrating that you never started Windows, etc). Some companies allow you to order machines with FreeDOS (since MS encourage them not to ship machines without an OS). I'm not sure if that's an option available in the consumer market. Now seems a good time to buy a laptop. If you were looking for a desktop machine I'd be trying to make the existing box last another 6-12 months (until PCI Express and SATA-2 are consumer items and LCDs are standard). -- Glen Turner Tel: (08) 8303 3936 or +61 8 8303 3936 Network Engineer Email: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Australian Academic Research Network www.aarnet.edu.au -- SLUG - Sydney Linux User's Group Mailing List - http://slug.org.au/ Subscription info and FAQs: http://slug.org.au/faq/mailinglists.html
Re: [SLUG] linux laptop shopping
I like IBM as it seems there is a possibility of customising the laptop you order (online). Acer, Dell, etc also offer this. Hrm Acer, already tried. www.acer.com.au BuildYourOwn Requires IE ? -- Simon Males [EMAIL PROTECTED] No More AOL CDs Australia - www.anticd.org -- SLUG - Sydney Linux User's Group Mailing List - http://slug.org.au/ Subscription info and FAQs: http://slug.org.au/faq/mailinglists.html
[SLUG] linux laptop shopping
Within the next four weeks, I wish to be the proud owner of a laptop. Currently my target price is currently $2500. I do not want centrino wireless tech because I plan to do some war driving and already have PCMCIA card with the appropriate pigtails etc, further there is limited linux support (centrino models seem to have lower spec CPU compared to non-centrino models). First intentions were Dell because I liked the idea of building my machine. Reading various linux laptop threads brought light that dell change system internals but keep the same product name- something I don't like the sound of for the sake of parts and repairing. The same thread advises that a lot of OpenBSD hackers cannot go without there Toshiba Satellites. Further users saying that there IBM thinkpad has been there best buy. I like IBM as it seems there is a possibility of customising the laptop you order (online). Other things I feel I must have included: Firewire, which it seems that many toshiba models lack. Audio must work, so should I pay attention to the chipset. Possibly 64MB video (Nvidia I've had experience with although I believe ATI has the portable market). Do not want anything bigger than 15. If someone could rant on warranty and who has received there MS tax refund :) -- Simon Males [EMAIL PROTECTED] No More AOL CDs Australia - www.anticd.org -- SLUG - Sydney Linux User's Group Mailing List - http://slug.org.au/ Subscription info and FAQs: http://slug.org.au/faq/mailinglists.html
Re: [SLUG] linux laptop shopping
quote who=Simon Males Within the next four weeks, I wish to be the proud owner of a laptop. Currently my target price is currently $2500. I do not want centrino wireless tech because I plan to do some war driving and already have PCMCIA card with the appropriate pigtails etc, further there is limited linux support (centrino models seem to have lower spec CPU compared to non-centrino models). I bought a CL50 from www.digitalstar.com.au in October last year, and it got stolen. I liked it enough that I replaced it with the same model :) A note on Centrino - the clock rate is lower, but you get higher instructions-per-cycle... so a Centrino 1.6G benchmarks somewhere between P4 2.2G and P4 2.4G. Points in favour of the CL50 for me: * Centrino means better battery life * Good Linux support for most of the hardware - the only things which don't really work are 'suspend/resume (crappy on most new hardware) and the integrated SD reader. * digitalstar will sell it for $150 cheaper without OS. * It has firewire. * Radeon 9000M video chipset means there are good open source drivers available (unlike NVidia). * Has a 15.1 1400x1050 screen * $2500 Cheers, Jan. -- Jan Schmidt [EMAIL PROTECTED] It is hard to believe that a man is telling the truth when you know that you would lie if you were in his place. - H.L. Mencken -- SLUG - Sydney Linux User's Group Mailing List - http://slug.org.au/ Subscription info and FAQs: http://slug.org.au/faq/mailinglists.html
Re: [SLUG] linux laptop shopping
quote(Simon Males); Other things I feel I must have included: Firewire, which it seems that many toshiba models lack. Audio must work, so should I pay attention to the chipset. Possibly 64MB video (Nvidia I've had experience with although I believe ATI has the portable market). Do not want anything bigger than 15. The new iBooks (or Powerbooks) are nice, and a good steal if you can get the edu discount. Integrated wireless antenna and customizable, and as demonstrated at last meeting -- not bad for wardriving. ;-) If someone could rant on warranty and who has received there MS tax refund :) What is this MS you talk about. ;-) - Chris -- SLUG - Sydney Linux User's Group Mailing List - http://slug.org.au/ Subscription info and FAQs: http://slug.org.au/faq/mailinglists.html
Re: [SLUG] linux laptop shopping
-BEGIN PGP SIGNED MESSAGE- Hash: SHA1 i can vouch for an ibook. they are great. dont look past powerpc's. linux runs perfectly personally im running debian, but you can compile stuff if you like (which i sometimes do) works just like linux anywhere else. Dean Chris Deigan wrote: | quote(Simon Males); | |Other things I feel I must have included: Firewire, which it seems that |many toshiba models lack. Audio must work, so should I pay attention to |the chipset. Possibly 64MB video (Nvidia I've had experience with |although I believe ATI has the portable market). Do not want anything |bigger than 15. | | | The new iBooks (or Powerbooks) are nice, and a good steal if you | can get the edu discount. | | Integrated wireless antenna and customizable, and as demonstrated at last | meeting -- not bad for wardriving. ;-) | | |If someone could rant on warranty and who has received there MS tax |refund :) | | | What is this MS you talk about. ;-) | | - Chris -BEGIN PGP SIGNATURE- Version: GnuPG v1.2.4 (GNU/Linux) Comment: Using GnuPG with Thunderbird - http://enigmail.mozdev.org iD8DBQFA1D1ZI1HDX08lY+ARAnyqAKDB22dHFHl3w2Ukqw+QjbLvPTrwigCfU0xY g7fR6kG/P/inxc3SGS0Jq1A= =z/p8 -END PGP SIGNATURE- -- SLUG - Sydney Linux User's Group Mailing List - http://slug.org.au/ Subscription info and FAQs: http://slug.org.au/faq/mailinglists.html
