Re: [linuxiran] laptop

[Aryan Ameri]

On Wednesday 26 November 2003 07:39, ocean wrote:
> I'm wondering if u could help me buy the most
> compatible laptop with linux (RH,Suse,Mandrake)
> preferably raw( I don't really feel like paying
> hundreds of thousands of tomans for windoze!)
>
> Any suggestions most appreciated.


Well, compatibility between laptops and Linux is well documented on the 
web. try a google search, and you'll find lots of documents. 
http://www.linux-laptop.net/ is a good place to start. Also take a look 
at this tldp document here http://www.tldp.org/HOWTO/Laptop-HOWTO.html

My experience is that I have a IBM ThinkPad A31, and it's rock solid. 
Everything works with Linux, except the included winmodem, which wasn't 
a big problem for me cause I bought a PCMCIA modem for a mere $30. But 
ThinkPad A series is a desktop repalcement, which means it's not very 
thin. The R seriers is better for you if you are a frequent traveller. 
All of it's hardware works with Linux, including the power panagement, 
and the Modem. Generaly If you want to buy a laptop, I suggest going 
the IBM route. They are a bit overpriced, but you get what you pay for. 
Also IBM is generaly Linux-Firendly. If you ask their support, Linux 
related questions, they generaly say:Linux is an unsopported OS, but 
then they go on and will give you tons of information and will assist 
you in any possible way. Besides, many IBMers use Linux themselves, so 
they know what they talk about. It's much different from say, Sony. I 
asked the same question (about Linux support) from a sony support guy, 
and he was like "Uh... What is Linux?"


The other choice of course, is going the Mac route. Mac laptops are very 
popular among open source people these days. I was looking at some 
shots from LinuxWord this year, and nearly everybody and their dog had 
a Mac. More on that below.

About getting raw laptop, and not paying for Windows, you won't be that 
succesful with major brands. There are some small sompanies which sell 
Linux loaded laptops, but they are small unknown companies. All major 
brands (Simens, Toshiba, IBM, Dell, etc) pre load their laptop with 
Windows, so it means you pay for your windows license. You have the 
option of sending back your software, and getting a refund for it, but 
my experience, as well as that of Arash Zeini, shows that this never 
works. If you really do not want to pay money to MS, then I suggest 
buying a Mac.

The Mac, is a wonderful choice for a laptop. because of limited variety 
of hardware, mostly linux works on all of the Mac laptops, with no 
problem. If you have a budget of about $1000 to $1500, I strongly 
suggest you consider the new iBook G4. It's such a wonderful laptop, 
for such a low price, that my flat mate here has fallen in love with 
it, and is going to buy one very soon. Usually people think of Mac as 
expensive. I tell you, the new iBook G4, is real cheap, comparing to 
the competition. 256 MB DDR RAM, a 14.1' crisp TFT screen, 5 hours 
battery life, a G4 processor, and a decent ATI graphics card with 40 GB 
of fast HDD, a CD-RW/DVD Combo Drive, all for a mere $1300. It's a 
win-win IMHO. If you are in a Univ, you can buy it from your 
University's Apple reperesetative, and apply for the educational 
discount, which will bring the price down to something like one grand. 

And certainly, we all love the iPod, don't we? :-D

Besides, you actualy get to play with a new OS (if you decide to use Mac 
OS X), a new architecture, and a whole new idea of computing. It's 
certainly worth the money.

Of course, you didn't say where you are, so I assumed that you have the 
option of buying your hardware from a country with real support from 
these companies. If you are in Iran, and don't have the option of 
buying from over seas, then that's a completely different situation.

Still, most Iranians have the option of travelling to Dubai or Turkey 
from time to time, and buying from these places is much better than 
going to Paytakht or Reza and buying from someone who doesn't know the 
difference between a typewriter and a computer. 

just my 2 pence.
-- 
/*  "Every gun that is made, every warship launched,
every rocket fired, signifies in the final sense a
theft from those who hunger and are not fed, those
 who are cold and are not clothed."*/
                --President Eisenhower

Aryan Ameri