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Jaglover
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PostPosted: Wed Oct 07, 2009 11:46 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

tylerwylie wrote:
If that's what's keeping you from buying it, then good luck on a better laptop at a better price man.

Sadly enough it is keeping me back. I know I could not be happy with a laptop if I had to pay money to a company I despise for something I do not use. :( I just repaired my old T23 one more time. In case it dies I'll get a new one from powernotebooks.com.
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Mimamau
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PostPosted: Wed Oct 21, 2009 10:02 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Jaglover wrote:
tylerwylie wrote:
If that's what's keeping you from buying it, then good luck on a better laptop at a better price man.

Sadly enough it is keeping me back. I know I could not be happy with a laptop if I had to pay money to a company I despise for something I do not use. :( I just repaired my old T23 one more time. In case it dies I'll get a new one from powernotebooks.com.

When I bought my Thinkpad X61s about 2 years ago, I asked Lenovo and they offered to take back my unused Vista and give me about 30$. :)
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ziggysquatch
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PostPosted: Thu Oct 22, 2009 2:02 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

don't laugh but I've always had good luck with Acer laptops and Gentoo. The construction quality isn't the sturdiest though if that's a concern.

Also I can't speak from experience but I have heard from others that the asus laptops are awesome with linux and anything else.
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d2_racing
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PostPosted: Thu Oct 22, 2009 11:40 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

I know that too, they are cheap, but if you are lucky, they are well supported by Linux.
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neepie
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PostPosted: Tue Mar 09, 2010 3:20 pm    Post subject: recommended laptop Reply with quote

Hi,

I am shopping for a new laptop for work. My boss wants to get me a laptop that will last me for a while. He's willing to spend the money to get a good laptop (about $1,500 - $1,700). I was hoping anyone could recommend a good laptop.

I'll be using the laptop to do development (PHP / MySQL), it will run the dev environment on it (apache + mysql). I do all my coding in vi.

I'm planning to make the laptop dual boot (Gentoo + whatever version of Windows it comes with), since my OS of choice is Gentoo, and for the (very) few times that I'll need to use Windows (mostly to give demo's over GoToMeeting).

Besides that what I would like to have is a SSD drive + enough memory (which I don't think should be a problem in the price range I'm looking in).
I'm sure there are many other nice to haves that I'm not thinking of right now. But this is what I've got right now.

Thanks
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Mr. M
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PostPosted: Tue Mar 09, 2010 3:42 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

A lot of people have good experiences Thinkpads; I have a T61 and I'm very happy with it. Have a look at the current T or X series, they are in your price range. An important thing is to do your research to find out if all the hardware is supported in Linux. A save bet is usually Intel for CPU, chipset, GPU and Wifi.

Good luck
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fangorn
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PostPosted: Tue Mar 09, 2010 3:50 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Some years ago the answer would have been easy. For professional use: Thinkpad.

But since Lenovo took over not only the production but also the design, the durability of Thinkpads degraded IMHO.

For your usage profile I'd say you need a decent keyboard :!: and a nonreflective display with a middle resolution (no 12" 800x320 and no 15,4" 1920x1080) :twisted:

Displays without second function as a shaving mirror are nowadays only found in the business lines mostly.

Main problem will be finding a keyboard that fits your needs. I have good experiences with HP Compaq Business Laptops and Lenovo Thinkpads. But that is up to you and your liking, so there is nothing but trying to tell if this is good for you.

Performance, Harddisc, RAM and battery runtime should be only minor problems.

Edit: Golden rule when bying Laptops to run Linux upon: Don't buy just released technology :!: New chipsets always have problems at first. Be it BIOS, driver or ACPI problems. To be on the safe side, buy hardware that is half a year on the market.

I use AMD as private notebooks for years now and did not have any problems. With Intel hardware your chance is bigger to get driver support even at release date of the new chipsets, but these also need time to settle.
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d2_racing
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PostPosted: Tue Mar 09, 2010 5:05 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Me too, Thinkpad are great.
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neepie
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PostPosted: Tue Mar 09, 2010 7:15 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Thank you, this has been very helpful.
I'm looking at the Thinkpad T410 and it looks pretty nice. I think I'll go with that. The only annoying thing is that it ships within 9-18 business days. But I can live with that.
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d2_racing
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PostPosted: Tue Mar 09, 2010 8:15 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Good luck with your new laptop :P

You will love it.
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nixnut
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PostPosted: Wed Mar 10, 2010 6:06 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

merged above six posts here
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PostPosted: Fri Mar 19, 2010 2:02 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

d2_racing wrote:
Me too, Thinkpad are great.


I installed xp 32 bit on a Lenovo t61 and I really like it. I did have trouble with the sata drive.
Will it be a problem installing gentoo using a sata drive?

Now I need to decide which lenovo to purchase.
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d2_racing
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PostPosted: Fri Mar 19, 2010 3:21 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

cwc wrote:
d2_racing wrote:
Me too, Thinkpad are great.


I installed xp 32 bit on a Lenovo t61 and I really like it. I did have trouble with the sata drive.
Will it be a problem installing gentoo using a sata drive?

Now I need to decide which lenovo to purchase.


Nope and for the record, it's because your XP didn't have the proper driver. At work, when I need to install a XP, I use a usb floppy disk that contains the sata driver from the lenovo site.
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d2_racing
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PostPosted: Fri Mar 19, 2010 3:22 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

cwc wrote:
d2_racing wrote:
Me too, Thinkpad are great.


Will it be a problem installing gentoo using a sata drive?



No, because you will need to use the AHCI module and the latest minimal CD or SystemRescueCD can handle that, sata drivers are very common these days :P
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PostPosted: Sat Sep 18, 2010 4:40 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

I am looking at this IBM Thinkpad laptop or very similiar. I have decided to buy an IBM and the thinkpad series are currently my preference.

Code:
 Intel Core i7-620M Processor (2.66GHz, 4MB L3, 1066MHz)
   15.6" HD+ (1600 x 900) 16:9 aspect Anti-Glare display with LED backlight and WWAN antenna
   NVIDIA NVS3100M graphics with 512MB DDR3 Memory
   2 GB PC3-8500 DDR3 SDRAM 1067MHz SODIMM Memory (1 DIMM)
   500GB Hard Disk Drive, 7200rpm4
   DVD Recordable, Ultrabay Enhanced
   9 cell 2.8Ah Li-Ion Battery - Dual Mode
   Intel WiFi Link 1000 (or another)
   Integrated Mobile Broadband - Upgradable
   Processor       Intel Core i7-620M Processor (2.66GHz, 4MB L3, 1066MHz)
   Operating system       (will be linux of course)
   Display type       15.6" HD+ (1600 x 900) 16:9 aspect Anti-Glare display with LED backlight and WWAN antenna
   System graphics       NVIDIA NVS3100M graphics with 512MB DDR3 Memory
   Total memory       2 GB PC3-8500 DDR3 SDRAM 1067MHz SODIMM Memory (1 DIMM)
   Keyboard       US English Keyboard
   Pointing device       UltraNav (TrackPoint and TouchPad) with Fingerprint Reader
   Camera                     2.0M Pixel Camera
   Hard drive 4       500GB Hard Disk Drive, 7200rpm
   Optical device       DVD Recordable, Ultrabay Enhanced
   System expansion slots    Express Card Slot & 5 in 1 Card Slot
   Battery                     9 cell 2.8Ah Li-Ion Battery - Dual Mode
   Power cord       90W AC Adapter; NA, LA, (2pin)
   Bluetooth       Integrated Bluetooth PAN 2
   WiFi wireless LAN adapters    Intel WiFi Link 1000 (or better)


This is my main option at the moment; however i have some questions regarding the hardware support for a few things like the wireless card:

The wireless options that i have for this and other models are :

- Intel WiFi Link 1000
- Intel Centrino Advanced-N 6200 AGN
- Intel Centrino Ultimate-N 6300 AGN


What is your experience or knowledge regarding these chips linux support and performance.
There are also other concerns about blue-tooth and web cam support . Does anyone knows their linux compatibility ?

And finally one last question is regarding the UltraNav (TrackPoint and TouchPad) with Fingerprint Reader. Linux supported ?
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PostPosted: Sat Sep 18, 2010 4:58 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

HeXiLeD wrote:
I am looking at this IBM Thinkpad laptop or very similiar. I have decided to buy an IBM and the thinkpad series are currently my preference.

Code:
 Intel Core i7-620M Processor (2.66GHz, 4MB L3, 1066MHz)
   15.6" HD+ (1600 x 900) 16:9 aspect Anti-Glare display with LED backlight and WWAN antenna
   NVIDIA NVS3100M graphics with 512MB DDR3 Memory
   2 GB PC3-8500 DDR3 SDRAM 1067MHz SODIMM Memory (1 DIMM)
   500GB Hard Disk Drive, 7200rpm4
   DVD Recordable, Ultrabay Enhanced
   9 cell 2.8Ah Li-Ion Battery - Dual Mode
   Intel WiFi Link 1000 (or another)
   Integrated Mobile Broadband - Upgradable
   Processor       Intel Core i7-620M Processor (2.66GHz, 4MB L3, 1066MHz)
   Operating system       (will be linux of course)
   Display type       15.6" HD+ (1600 x 900) 16:9 aspect Anti-Glare display with LED backlight and WWAN antenna
   System graphics       NVIDIA NVS3100M graphics with 512MB DDR3 Memory
   Total memory       2 GB PC3-8500 DDR3 SDRAM 1067MHz SODIMM Memory (1 DIMM)
   Keyboard       US English Keyboard
   Pointing device       UltraNav (TrackPoint and TouchPad) with Fingerprint Reader
   Camera                     2.0M Pixel Camera
   Hard drive 4       500GB Hard Disk Drive, 7200rpm
   Optical device       DVD Recordable, Ultrabay Enhanced
   System expansion slots    Express Card Slot & 5 in 1 Card Slot
   Battery                     9 cell 2.8Ah Li-Ion Battery - Dual Mode
   Power cord       90W AC Adapter; NA, LA, (2pin)
   Bluetooth       Integrated Bluetooth PAN 2
   WiFi wireless LAN adapters    Intel WiFi Link 1000 (or better)


This is my main option at the moment; however i have some questions regarding the hardware support for a few things like the wireless card:

The wireless options that i have for this and other models are :

- Intel WiFi Link 1000
- Intel Centrino Advanced-N 6200 AGN
- Intel Centrino Ultimate-N 6300 AGN


What is your experience or knowledge regarding these chips linux support and performance.
There are also other concerns about blue-tooth and web cam support . Does anyone knows their linux compatibility ?

And finally one last question is regarding the UltraNav (TrackPoint and TouchPad) with Fingerprint Reader. Linux supported ?


Hi HeXiLeD, I've recently bought a Lenovo T510 and I'm really happy with it. Everything works flawlessly, only thing that still have to test are several output plugs and Fn key combinations (e.g. I cannot get Fn+F7 binded via xbindkeys, and I'm not going to try the finger reader).
The one I've got has bluetooth, N 6200 intel wifi, camera, multi card reader, nvidia GT218 (3100M) gfx card and everything of this hardware works really well "straight out of the box" with gentoo (atm I'm using tuxonice sources).
I won't change it for anything else, well built (at least compared to my previous Vaio) and really good specs compared to price.
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HeXiLeD
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PostPosted: Sat Sep 18, 2010 5:20 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

What drivers are you using for the wireless, blue tooth and video camera?

Could you also post your lspci -vv ?
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PostPosted: Sun Sep 19, 2010 11:08 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

here you can see the output of lspci -vvk
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PostPosted: Tue Feb 01, 2011 11:05 pm    Post subject: FOSS perspective: Lenovo/Apple? Reply with quote

Work is going to get me a new laptop.
My choices are a Lenovo Thinkpad 410s or a MacBook Pro.

Would either be a better purchase?
The two main issues:
Hardware support: Will Linux work better or worse on either of them?
FOSS Friendlyness: To me, the thinkpad is an obvious choice because Apple isn't very open source friendly.
However, after some consideration, it strikes me that Apple (or Jobs?) is largely in favor of HTML5 rather than Flash, and have actually given the world OpenCL.
I'm not quite sure where Lenovo stands on the whole "Openness/Freedom" front.

Opinions or suggestions please :)


Last edited by Letharion on Wed Feb 02, 2011 10:14 am; edited 1 time in total
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PostPosted: Tue Feb 01, 2011 11:11 pm    Post subject: Re: FOSS perspective: IBM(Lenovo)/Apple? Reply with quote

Letharion wrote:
Work is going to get me a new laptop.
My choices are a Lenovo(IBM) Thinkpad 410s or a MacBook Pro.

Would either be a better purchase?
The two main issues:
Hardware support: Will Linux work better or worse on either of them?
FOSS Friendlyness: To me, the thinkpad is an obvious choice because Apple isn't very open source friendly.
However, after some consideration, it strikes me that Apple (or Jobs?) is largely in favor of HTML5 rather than Flash, and have actually given the world OpenCL.
I'm not quite sure where IBM stands on the whole "Openness/Freedom" front.

Opinions or suggestions please :)


What has IBM to do with Lenovo ? Thinkpad line was sold to Lenovo, which is quite an independent company.
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PostPosted: Wed Feb 02, 2011 10:15 am    Post subject: Re: FOSS perspective: IBM(Lenovo)/Apple? Reply with quote

dmpogo wrote:
What has IBM to do with Lenovo ? Thinkpad line was sold to Lenovo, which is quite an independent company.

Oh, so that's where I got confused. I wasn't aware, and still thought of ThinkPad as IBM's. Changed my original post to reflect this.
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PostPosted: Wed Feb 02, 2011 10:20 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

AFAIK those laptops that were sold as IBM and now are sold as Lenovo are made by Quanta. BTW, here in the US Lenovo refused to sell me a Thinkpad without Windows.
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PostPosted: Wed Feb 02, 2011 11:25 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

Jaglover wrote:
AFAIK those laptops that were sold as IBM and now are sold as Lenovo are made by Quanta. BTW, here in the US Lenovo refused to sell me a Thinkpad without Windows.


Ask Apple if OS X is an optional purchase. If you buy complete PCs (which laptops usually are), then you'll have a hard time finding something without an OS.
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Jaglover
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PostPosted: Wed Feb 02, 2011 11:42 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

One site is here http://www.pcsforeveryone.com/Computer_Systems/Notebooks/Jetbooks

There's more. What's your point? Are you saying complete PC bundled with software one might not use (and want) is a good thing?
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PostPosted: Wed Feb 02, 2011 7:48 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

My T410 works like a charm so far with Gentoo, highly recommended.
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