[opensuse] Compaq C774TU compatibility with OpenSuse?
After looking around NZ retailers for a simple, no-frills low-cost laptop, my wife has decided to pick up a Compaq C774TU, http://snipurl.com/compaq774-paagal and I'm interested in opinions on how suse-friendly it is likely to be. I was pleasantly surprised when she agreed to my suggestion to wipe its pre-installed Vista Basic and replace it with Linux, but I hope that there are no potential snags that might make her regret her decision. I searched for the model here before posting but came up blank, so any opinions on its suitability will be welcomed. -- noho ora mai What's a pieriansipist? -- To unsubscribe, e-mail: opensuse+unsubscribe@opensuse.org For additional commands, e-mail: opensuse+help@opensuse.org
Stuart Martin wrote:
After looking around NZ retailers for a simple, no-frills low-cost laptop, my wife has decided to pick up a Compaq C774TU, http://snipurl.com/compaq774-paagal and I'm interested in opinions on how suse-friendly it is likely to be. I was pleasantly surprised when she agreed to my suggestion to wipe its pre-installed Vista Basic and replace it with Linux, but I hope that there are no potential snags that might make her regret her decision. I searched for the model here before posting but came up blank, so any opinions on its suitability will be welcomed.
Be aware that if you have any problems at all with the laptop, hp will blow you off without a hearing. For my problems with a Pavilion dv6000, as soon as they heard I had loaded suse onto it, they refused to communicate with me except to repeat over and over that they "could not help until I had restored the computer to its original configuration." And I still had the original Windows xp -- just the presence of suse on a separate partition was enough to give them the excuse to blow me off completely. Needless to say, I won't be an hp customer or positive reference again. John Perry -- To unsubscribe, e-mail: opensuse+unsubscribe@opensuse.org For additional commands, e-mail: opensuse+help@opensuse.org
On Thursday 29 May 2008 04:55:20 pm Stuart Martin wrote:
After looking around NZ retailers for a simple, no-frills low-cost laptop, my wife has decided to pick up a Compaq C774TU, http://snipurl.com/compaq774-paagal and I'm interested in opinions on how suse-friendly it is likely to be. I was pleasantly surprised when she agreed to my suggestion to wipe its pre-installed Vista Basic and replace it with Linux, but I hope that there are no potential snags that might make her regret her decision. I searched for the model here before posting but came up blank, so any opinions on its suitability will be welcomed.
You can try Live CD of coming openSUSE 11.0: ftp://ftp5.gwdg.de/pub/linux/suse/projects/FactoryLiveCDs It works fine for me. It is possible to install using icon on desktop. If you select KDE it will come with new KDE4 that is has some missing pieces, but after installation you can add KDE3, GNOME and anything else you want. There is also one with current openSUSE 10.3: ftp://ftp5.gwdg.de/pub/linux/suse/opensuse/distribution/10.3/iso/cd I recommended to try new one first, because it has newer kernel that supports more new hardware and 11.0 will be out in 20 days anyway. -- Regards, Rajko http://en.opensuse.org/Portal needs helpful hands. -- To unsubscribe, e-mail: opensuse+unsubscribe@opensuse.org For additional commands, e-mail: opensuse+help@opensuse.org
On Thursday 29 May 2008 08:56:46 pm Rajko M. wrote:
You can try Live CD of coming openSUSE 11.0: ftp://ftp5.gwdg.de/pub/linux/suse/projects/FactoryLiveCDs
Correction, the latest is here: ftp://ftp5.gwdg.de/pub/linux/suse/opensuse/distribution/11.0-RC1/iso/cd -- Regards, Rajko http://en.opensuse.org/Portal needs helpful hands. -- To unsubscribe, e-mail: opensuse+unsubscribe@opensuse.org For additional commands, e-mail: opensuse+help@opensuse.org
but I hope that there are no potential snags that might make her regret her decision.
In that case I suggest trying the 10.3 LiveCD first and then installing 10.3 if she likes it. 11.0 is not supported because it is in beta. Mike -- To unsubscribe, e-mail: opensuse+unsubscribe@opensuse.org For additional commands, e-mail: opensuse+help@opensuse.org
On Thu, May 29, 2008 at 5:55 PM, Stuart Martin <stuartmartinnz@gmail.com> wrote:
After looking around NZ retailers for a simple, no-frills low-cost laptop, my wife has decided to pick up a Compaq C774TU, http://snipurl.com/compaq774-paagal and I'm interested in opinions on how suse-friendly it is likely to be. I was pleasantly surprised when she agreed to my suggestion to wipe its pre-installed Vista Basic and replace it with Linux, but I hope that there are no potential snags that might make her regret her decision. I searched for the model here before posting but came up blank, so any opinions on its suitability will be welcomed.
A friend of mine picked up a newer compaq laptop(turion x2 1.8Ghz) and had a tough time getting some of the stuff to work. A lot of the hardware is definately Vista designed. The broadcom wireless has given him fits. As a recommendation, go for a system with a dual core chip. a slower dual core will be faster than a faster single core. multicore makes your system so much more responive. It's worth a little extra to get the dual core IMHO. Good luck. -- To unsubscribe, e-mail: opensuse+unsubscribe@opensuse.org For additional commands, e-mail: opensuse+help@opensuse.org
On Fri, May 30, 2008 at 2:33 PM, Larry Stotler <larrystotler@gmail.com> wrote:
On Thu, May 29, 2008 at 5:55 PM, Stuart Martin <stuartmartinnz@gmail.com> wrote:
After looking around NZ retailers for a simple, no-frills low-cost laptop, my wife has decided to pick up a Compaq C774TU, http://snipurl.com/compaq774-paagal and I'm interested in opinions on how suse-friendly it is likely to be. I was pleasantly surprised when she agreed to my suggestion to wipe its pre-installed Vista Basic and replace it with Linux, but I hope that there are no potential snags that might make her regret her decision. I searched for the model here before posting but came up blank, so any opinions on its suitability will be welcomed.
A friend of mine picked up a newer compaq laptop(turion x2 1.8Ghz) and had a tough time getting some of the stuff to work. A lot of the hardware is definately Vista designed. The broadcom wireless has given him fits.
Ndiswrapper generally solves most of these situations where the chipset is too new to work with the linux broadcom driver.
As a recommendation, go for a system with a dual core chip. a slower dual core will be faster than a faster single core. multicore makes your system so much more responive. It's worth a little extra to get the dual core IMHO. Good luck.
Even more important to responsiveness is more memory. 1 gig is not enough for a good linux experience unless you run XFCE or something. -- ----------JSA--------- -- To unsubscribe, e-mail: opensuse+unsubscribe@opensuse.org For additional commands, e-mail: opensuse+help@opensuse.org
John Andersen wrote:
Even more important to responsiveness is more memory. 1 gig is not enough for a good linux experience unless you run XFCE or something.
I don't have any linux desktops with more than 1GB, and they are all quite snappy - perhaps if you're running multiple resource intensive apps, you'll want more, YMMV. An xcfe system normally ought to be quite responsive even with 256MB - Joe -- To unsubscribe, e-mail: opensuse+unsubscribe@opensuse.org For additional commands, e-mail: opensuse+help@opensuse.org
On Fri, May 30, 2008 at 6:31 PM, Sloan <joe@tmsusa.com> wrote:
I don't have any linux desktops with more than 1GB, and they are all quite snappy - perhaps if you're running multiple resource intensive apps, you'll want more, YMMV.
An xcfe system normally ought to be quite responsive even with 256MB -
My 384MB in my Thinkpad runs well with KDE. Of course, I don't use openoffice or gimp. Just Firefox, KOffice, and lower weight apps. openoffice is too bloated. On a Windows system, WordPad does everything I need for word processing. -- To unsubscribe, e-mail: opensuse+unsubscribe@opensuse.org For additional commands, e-mail: opensuse+help@opensuse.org
On Fri, May 30, 2008 at 6:25 PM, John Andersen <jsamyth@gmail.com> wrote:
Even more important to responsiveness is more memory. 1 gig is not enough for a good linux experience unless you run XFCE or something.
Wow. I gues this Thinkpad with 384MB should be unusable under KDE 3.5.x then? Seriously, where did you get that idea? Vista and Leopard are the ones that run like crap with less than 2GB RAM. I have 2GB RAM in my dual core celeron 1.6(overclocked to 3.2), but that's because it was only a couple of dollars more at that time to get it. I was only going to get 1GB. My Dell Dual Xeon 610 has 512MB RAM. Heck I've even installed Beta3 on a PowerMac 6500 that has a MAX RAM of 128MB. It ran KDE. Slow, but it ran it. 512MB is the sweet spot IMHO. -- To unsubscribe, e-mail: opensuse+unsubscribe@opensuse.org For additional commands, e-mail: opensuse+help@opensuse.org
On Fri, May 30, 2008 at 3:47 PM, Larry Stotler <larrystotler@gmail.com> wrote:
On Fri, May 30, 2008 at 6:25 PM, John Andersen <jsamyth@gmail.com> wrote:
Even more important to responsiveness is more memory. 1 gig is not enough for a good linux experience unless you run XFCE or something.
Wow. I gues this Thinkpad with 384MB should be unusable under KDE 3.5.x then? Seriously, where did you get that idea?
Where? Oh, I don't know, something about running Suse with KDE since the Pleistocene. Do you remember kde 2? I've run it on 256meg and up. I currently use 2 meg in all my machines. I've NEVER had the best experience until I started adding memory above one meg. My machine virtually never swaps. Applications launch before I can get my finger off the mouse button. Seriously, buy some memory. You will be amazed at what a difference it makes to that old thinkpad. -- ----------JSA--------- -- To unsubscribe, e-mail: opensuse+unsubscribe@opensuse.org For additional commands, e-mail: opensuse+help@opensuse.org
On Fri, May 30, 2008 at 4:29 PM, John Andersen <jsamyth@gmail.com> wrote:
I've NEVER had the best experience until I started adding memory above one meg.
I meant 1 gig obviously. -- ----------JSA--------- -- To unsubscribe, e-mail: opensuse+unsubscribe@opensuse.org For additional commands, e-mail: opensuse+help@opensuse.org
On Friday 30 May 2008 04:35:58 pm John Andersen wrote:
On Fri, May 30, 2008 at 4:29 PM, John Andersen <jsamyth@gmail.com> wrote:
I've NEVER had the best experience until I started adding memory above one meg.
I meant 1 gig obviously.
LOL! I was just gonna reply back that I have a few dozen 1mb chips you can have - if they're not too dusty from being in the garage for ten years. -- kai www.filesite.org || www.4thedadz.com || www.perfectreign.com remember - a turn signal is a statement, not a request -- To unsubscribe, e-mail: opensuse+unsubscribe@opensuse.org For additional commands, e-mail: opensuse+help@opensuse.org
On Fri, May 30, 2008 at 7:29 PM, John Andersen <jsamyth@gmail.com> wrote:
Where? Oh, I don't know, something about running Suse with KDE since the Pleistocene. Do you remember kde 2? I've run it on 256meg and up. I currently use 2 meg in all my machines.
I've ran SuSE since 1999 and v5.3. I started with a P100, then a P166, and then faster. I had never had a machine with 512MB until 2003 when I bought me Dell.
I've NEVER had the best experience until I started adding memory above one meg. My machine virtually never swaps. Applications launch before I can get my finger off the mouse button.
See, I don't have a problem with having to wait a second or 2 for something to start. All things considering, my computers are much more responsive now then they have been. But even with 2GB in my Dual Core Celeron 1.6 clocked at 3.2Ghz, things still don't launch automatically. See, I turn off all that eye candy and crap and it's amazing how much of a difference that makes.
Seriously, buy some memory. You will be amazed at what a difference it makes to that old thinkpad.
Max is 512MB on this machine. It even has a Neomagic 256 AGP chip w/ 2.5MB VRAM, but it plays XviD encoded movies at high quality just finewith a 500Mhz P3. If it does what you need it to do, why force an upgrade? I don't install apparmour or any of that other stuff. The extras is what saps the system, not Linux itself. Have you ever used Damm Small? Runs from RAM on this machine just as fast as Fedora 8 on my DC Celeron. -- To unsubscribe, e-mail: opensuse+unsubscribe@opensuse.org For additional commands, e-mail: opensuse+help@opensuse.org
On Fri, May 30, 2008 at 3:47 PM, Larry Stotler <larrystotler@gmail.com> wrote:
It ran KDE. Slow, but it ran it. 512MB is the sweet spot IMHO.
512 is the spot where it becomes usable on a daily basis for light web duty. 1gig and you can actually do a lot of work on multiple desktops, compiling while surfing and playing music etc. 1.5 gig is where sweet kicks in IMHO. Any virtual machines? Better make that 2 gig or watch your swap drive light on all day. A server at init 3: 256 to 512 seems adequate. Seriously guys. Memory is cheap right now. Its NOT 1997 any more. -- ----------JSA--------- -- To unsubscribe, e-mail: opensuse+unsubscribe@opensuse.org For additional commands, e-mail: opensuse+help@opensuse.org
On Fri, May 30, 2008 at 7:35 PM, John Andersen <jsamyth@gmail.com> wrote:
512 is the spot where it becomes usable on a daily basis for light web duty.
What exactly do you do? Graphics design? Video editing. Sure, Flash sucks on this machine, but then again, flash sucks. 90% of it is ads or badly designed web sites.
1gig and you can actually do a lot of work on multiple desktops, compiling while surfing and playing music etc.
I am compiling MPlayer while typing this. I don't use multiple desktops. Never saw a use for it. I don't have 20 apps running at once.
Any virtual machines? Better make that 2 gig or watch your swap drive light on all day.
Sure, they need RAM for there sessions. Makes sense. Never use them myself.
A server at init 3: 256 to 512 seems adequate.
My P3/1Ghz server is running just fine with 128MB RAM. NFS and Samba running. scp's at 10MB/s, the card max. Probably get a gigabit card at some point.
Seriously guys. Memory is cheap right now. Its NOT 1997 any more.
Yes, it is. And I generally advocate more RAM over a faster CPU. But I also recommend multiple cores processors over a faster cpu. A dual proc/dual core can be more responsive than a machine that's 50% faster. My Dual Xeon 500Mhz Dell is almost as responsive as a P3/1Ghz. And it's running a 100Mhz bus vs the 1Ghz's 133. Also consider that SDRAM and DDR is now more expensive than DDR2. I have recommended avoiding P4's since they came out. A 1.4Ghz P4 performed almost as fast a a P4/2Ghz. And for desktop usage, it was more responsive. -- To unsubscribe, e-mail: opensuse+unsubscribe@opensuse.org For additional commands, e-mail: opensuse+help@opensuse.org
participants (8)
-
John Andersen -
John E. Perry -
Kai Ponte -
Larry Stotler -
Michael Mientus -
Rajko M. -
Sloan -
Stuart Martin