Re: [ubuntu-uk] Zoostorm laptop at ebuyer.com
On 31 January 2013 20:30, Tyler J. Wagner wrote: > An important thing to remember when buying laptops is that the wireless > chipset is usual a mini/micro/whatever PCI card and can be swapped out for > something with better support. When I run into a weird/Dell/Broadcom wifi > chipset with bad Linux support, I buy the last-generation Intel chipset on > eBay for £10 and toss the old in a pile somewhere. It's cheaper and easier > than you think it is. Certainly easier than compiling a driver every few > weeks. I agree with you here Tyler, an old Intel "Centrino" wireless chipset works very reliably. It's usually trivial to install as well, usually via a removable flap on the back or under the keyboard. -- Kris Douglas MBCS www.krisd.eu -- ubuntu-uk@lists.ubuntu.com https://lists.ubuntu.com/mailman/listinfo/ubuntu-uk https://wiki.ubuntu.com/UKTeam/
Re: [ubuntu-uk] Zoostorm laptop at ebuyer.com
On 2013-01-31 18:46, Paula Graham wrote: > I've got the i3 version of the Zoostorm laptop - 12.04 installed > perfectly except wifi chip is a bit of a pain, needs to be hunted down, > compiled and then recompiled every time the kernel upgrades - native > driver should be in kernel 3.8. The current driver is a tad flaky, drops > connection irritatingly. An important thing to remember when buying laptops is that the wireless chipset is usual a mini/micro/whatever PCI card and can be swapped out for something with better support. When I run into a weird/Dell/Broadcom wifi chipset with bad Linux support, I buy the last-generation Intel chipset on eBay for £10 and toss the old in a pile somewhere. It's cheaper and easier than you think it is. Certainly easier than compiling a driver every few weeks. Tyler -- "Privacy has to be viewed in the context of relative power. For example, the government has a lot more power than the people. So privacy for the government increases their power and increases the power imbalance between government and the people; it decreases liberty. Forced openness in government – open government laws, Freedom of Information Act filings, the recording of police officers and other government officials, WikiLeaks – reduces the power imbalance between government and the people, and increases liberty." -- Bruce Schneier -- ubuntu-uk@lists.ubuntu.com https://lists.ubuntu.com/mailman/listinfo/ubuntu-uk https://wiki.ubuntu.com/UKTeam/
Re: [ubuntu-uk] Zoostorm laptop at ebuyer.com
On Thu, Jan 31, 2013 at 6:46 PM, Paula Graham wrote: > >>> On 18 Jan 2013 07:59, "Mark Fraser" wrote: > Found this zoostorm laptop on ebuyer's website > >>> http://www.ebuyer.com/411061- > >>> > >>> > I've got the i3 version of the Zoostorm laptop - 12.04 installed > perfectly except wifi chip is a bit of a pain, needs to be hunted down, > compiled and then recompiled every time the kernel upgrades - native > driver should be in kernel 3.8. The current driver is a tad flaky, drops > connection irritatingly. Having said that, the chip might vary even in > the same Zoostorm model but I've got 3 different Zoostorm laptops/PCs > and they all installed without fuss except for the occasional wifi hassle. > > Overall, adore the laptop, fabulous spec for the price, keyboard is > comfy, touchpad a bit irritating but perfectly useable, screen crisp, > and whilst it's certainly not an ultrabook it's not unweildy either. > > Paula > > It's always the wireless interface that needs skilled attention, while installing Ubuntu itself needs no skill at all. And as machines get down to notebook size, more and more of them have no network cable interfaces, so it's wireless or nothing (not to mention Bluetooth, which I haven't even grasped the purpose of yet). -- ubuntu-uk@lists.ubuntu.com https://lists.ubuntu.com/mailman/listinfo/ubuntu-uk https://wiki.ubuntu.com/UKTeam/
Re: [ubuntu-uk] Zoostorm laptop at ebuyer.com
On 19/01/13 10:21, Colin Law wrote: > On 19 January 2013 10:16, Mark Fraser wrote: >> On Friday 18 Jan 2013 09:32:35 Simon Greenwood wrote: >>> On 18 Jan 2013 07:59, "Mark Fraser" wrote: Found this zoostorm laptop on ebuyer's website >>> http://www.ebuyer.com/411061- >>> zoostorm-laptop-7873-9042 and was wondering if it would be suitable for installing Ubuntu on. Some of the comments mention lack of Debian drivers for wi-fi, but there are instructions on how to compile drivers although I don't fancy going through that every time the kernel changes. -- ubuntu-uk@lists.ubuntu.com https://lists.ubuntu.com/mailman/listinfo/ubuntu-uk https://wiki.ubuntu.com/UKTeam/ >>> There are plenty of more well known names around that price that have >>> better support for Ubuntu. The Lenovo G700 series immediately come to mind, >>> mostly because I've got one. A Clemo laptop from pcspecialist.co.uk should >>> have a similar spec for that price and they support Ubuntu as they are the >>> same models that System76 sell. >> Thanks for reminding me about PCSPecialist I had visited their site before, >> but had forgotten that they can supply laptops without an OS. Can't seem to >> find the Clemo laptop you mentioned though. > It is Clevo not Clemo, who manufacture the laptops that pcspecialist > sell. I believe that all their laptops are Clevo but don't know that > for certain. Certainly the Genesis IV that I bought recently is a > Clevo. > > Did my earlier email not get through where I said that already? > > Colin > I've got the i3 version of the Zoostorm laptop - 12.04 installed perfectly except wifi chip is a bit of a pain, needs to be hunted down, compiled and then recompiled every time the kernel upgrades - native driver should be in kernel 3.8. The current driver is a tad flaky, drops connection irritatingly. Having said that, the chip might vary even in the same Zoostorm model but I've got 3 different Zoostorm laptops/PCs and they all installed without fuss except for the occasional wifi hassle. Overall, adore the laptop, fabulous spec for the price, keyboard is comfy, touchpad a bit irritating but perfectly useable, screen crisp, and whilst it's certainly not an ultrabook it's not unweildy either. Paula -- ubuntu-uk@lists.ubuntu.com https://lists.ubuntu.com/mailman/listinfo/ubuntu-uk https://wiki.ubuntu.com/UKTeam/
