Workstation laptop suggestions
Hello everyone, I'm planning for my possibly first laptop to replace my PC/workstation which currently run dualboot Suse Linux 9.3 Pro/Windows 2k. My two questions first before the somewhat long background below: 1) Suggestions to "state of the art" powerful, multimedia laptop models or mobile, graphical workstations suited for Suse Linux 9.3 Pro? 2) For me it looks like Linux currently more shortcomings on laptops than on desktops. I would therefore like to hear experiences +/- and suggestions with regards to Suse Linux 9.x support on laptops? Background: The time comes closer when I need to replace both my office workstation and my home PC. While waiting for the right technology (Xen 3.0) to run both Linux & Winapps, I've just started investigating if one single multimedia laptop or portable workstation can fill both my mentioned needs, plus additional mobility on the road. Actually I have no experience with laptops, because this previous has'n been actual topic for me. The unit has to be powerful enough to run medium Cad graphic and engineering applications beside usual office tasks, and include mobilphone web access. In practice I suppose to move the unit daily between my office and home, plug the unit to a stationary larger screen, separate keyboard and mouse on each location in addition to network, local scanner and camera. Maybe this can be achieved easy with a stationry docking station or stand on each location. However, currently there looks to be quite few vendors that (venture to) offer laptop support or sertification for Linux. Often the most powerful and interesting hardware (price/performance) from known and large vendors instead promotes the web logo "We recommend Windows XP" (only). References: A cross-section of my current collected urls that looks interesting: http://www1.us.dell.com/content/products/productdetails.aspx/precn_m70?c=us&cs=04&l=en&s=bsd&~tab=viewstab#tabtop http://www.fujitsu-siemens.com/sme/products/mobile/notebooks/celsius_h.html http://www.linuxcertified.com/linux_laptops.html http://theendlessnow.com/M70/m70-suse.html http://www.mandriva.com/company/press/pr?n=/pr/corporate/2564 http://www.buzzard.me.uk/toshiba/download.html http://www.linux-laptop.net/ http://www.tldp.org/LDP/Mobile-Guide/html/ Rgds Terje J. Hanssen
Terje J. Hanssen a écrit :
Hello everyone,
I'm planning for my possibly first laptop to replace my PC/workstation which currently run dualboot Suse Linux 9.3 Pro/Windows 2k.
My two questions first before the somewhat long background below:
1) Suggestions to "state of the art" powerful, multimedia laptop models or mobile, graphical workstations suited for Suse Linux 9.3 Pro?
2) For me it looks like Linux currently more shortcomings on laptops than on desktops. I would therefore like to hear experiences +/- and suggestions with regards to Suse Linux 9.x support on laptops?
Background:
The time comes closer when I need to replace both my office workstation and my home PC. While waiting for the right technology (Xen 3.0) to run both Linux & Winapps, I've just started investigating if one single multimedia laptop or portable workstation can fill both my mentioned needs, plus additional mobility on the road. Actually I have no experience with laptops, because this previous has'n been actual topic for me.
The unit has to be powerful enough to run medium Cad graphic and engineering applications beside usual office tasks, and include mobilphone web access. In practice I suppose to move the unit daily between my office and home, plug the unit to a stationary larger screen, separate keyboard and mouse on each location in addition to network, local scanner and camera. Maybe this can be achieved easy with a stationry docking station or stand on each location.
However, currently there looks to be quite few vendors that (venture to) offer laptop support or sertification for Linux. Often the most powerful and interesting hardware (price/performance) from known and large vendors instead promotes the web logo "We recommend Windows XP" (only).
References:
A cross-section of my current collected urls that looks interesting: http://www1.us.dell.com/content/products/productdetails.aspx/precn_m70?c=us&cs=04&l=en&s=bsd&~tab=viewstab#tabtop
http://www.fujitsu-siemens.com/sme/products/mobile/notebooks/celsius_h.html
http://www.linuxcertified.com/linux_laptops.html http://theendlessnow.com/M70/m70-suse.html http://www.mandriva.com/company/press/pr?n=/pr/corporate/2564 http://www.buzzard.me.uk/toshiba/download.html http://www.linux-laptop.net/ http://www.tldp.org/LDP/Mobile-Guide/html/
Rgds Terje J. Hanssen
Hello, I've a HP ZD8000 laptop working very well and fast with 9.3. I would suggest that you choose a laptop with a Nvidia card and not with an ATI card. Nvidia supports very well Linux with 3D and TV out. With ATI, I'm unable to get my 1440x900 resolution with their driver. Michel.
Terje J. Hanssen a écrit :
1) Suggestions to "state of the art" powerful, multimedia laptop models or mobile, graphical workstations suited for Suse Linux 9.3 Pro?
now, think SUSE 10.0 and go to opensuse.org, there is a list of conpatible HW jdd -- pour m'écrire, aller sur: http://www.dodin.net http://valerie.dodin.net http://arvamip.free.fr
Terje J. Hanssen wrote:
Hello everyone,
I'm planning for my possibly first laptop to replace my PC/workstation which currently run dualboot Suse Linux 9.3 Pro/Windows 2k.
My two questions first before the somewhat long background below:
1) Suggestions to "state of the art" powerful, multimedia laptop models or mobile, graphical workstations suited for Suse Linux 9.3 Pro?
2) For me it looks like Linux currently more shortcomings on laptops than on desktops. I would therefore like to hear experiences +/- and suggestions with regards to Suse Linux 9.x support on laptops?
ThinkPads tend to be good. I have an R31 that works well. Also, I recently read that HP is selling some Linux loaded notebooks in Africa, so they're likely OK with Linux too.
On 18/09/05, James Knott <james.knott@rogers.com> wrote:
ThinkPads tend to be good. I have an R31 that works well. Also, I recently read that HP is selling some Linux loaded notebooks in Africa, so they're likely OK with Linux too.
I'll second that from James. HP are running a range of laptops preconfigured with Linux (not SuSE though, Ubuntu) in the UK market so they are probably worldwide. -- ============================================== I am only human, please forgive me if I make a mistake it is not deliberate. ============================================== Take care. Kevan Farmer 34 Hill Street Cheslyn Hay Staffordshire WS6 7HR
On Sun, 2005-09-18 at 14:23 +0100, Kevanf1 wrote:
On 18/09/05, James Knott <james.knott@rogers.com> wrote:
ThinkPads tend to be good. I have an R31 that works well. Also, I recently read that HP is selling some Linux loaded notebooks in Africa, so they're likely OK with Linux too.
I'll second that from James. HP are running a range of laptops preconfigured with Linux (not SuSE though, Ubuntu) in the UK market so they are probably worldwide.
I read an article in one recent mag that HP actually did all of their testing for one new system using Ubuntu. Imagine what that sticker would look like-- Designed for Ubuntu. :)
Alle 13:21, domenica 18 settembre 2005, James Knott ha scritto:
ThinkPads tend to be good. I have an R31 that works well. Also, I recently read that HP is selling some Linux loaded notebooks in Africa, so they're likely OK with Linux too.
I'm happy user of thinkpad above 1995, very good machines. Actually I use thinkpad G40, with suse 9.3, and run good. I plan to buy another thinkpad, because I find very usefull the ibm trackpoint vs the touchpad. -- Calogero Bonasia http://www.linuxteam.it Linux registered user #301822
On Sunday 18 September 2005 07:21, James Knott wrote:
ThinkPads tend to be good. I have an R31 that works well. Also, I recently read that HP is selling some Linux loaded notebooks in Africa, so they're likely OK with Linux too.
I would be cautious with HP when it comes to laptops and Linux, regardless of their marketing ploys. Due to contract issues, I was recently forced to go to HP when I replaced my laptop. I tried to get the nx5000, which came preloaded with SUSE 9.1. Unfortunately, after I sent my PO to HP they sent a letter back saying they no longer made the nx5000 and suggested the nw8000 as a Linux replacement. I went through the specs for the nw8000 piece by piece with our salesman. I even spoke with an engineer to make sure I was getting parts that were Linux compatible. Hell, I've even purchased SUSE software from HP as part of my contract. None-the-less, I now have the nw8000 -- a laptop that HP marketed as a workstation replacement -- and I cannot get the wireless to function _properly_. That is to say, the wireless nic functions okay, but the two antenna that are built into the laptop's monitor are controlled by a Windows-only driver, for powersave reasons. While the drivers for the wireless nic are OSS and readily available (Ethernet controller: Atheros Communications, Inc. AR5212 802.11abg NIC (rev 01)), the drivers for the antenna are not. So, I can use the wireless nic, but without the antenna. Pathetic! Last Friday evening I spent over two hours on the telephone with support -- after all, I have 4-hour on-site support for this laptop (and a multitude of other hardware). Because the wireless nic functions properly under Windows, and because HP doesn't _officially_ support Linux, they were _not_ able to help me. Now I know that HP has a Linux support team. I've spoken to them in the past about other issues. Unfortunately, those issues were server related and this was not. I could not get HP to transfer me to the Linux support team. Before you buy a laptop I would suggest you go to your local computer stores with a SUSE LiveCD (or a Knoppix CD) and test as many machines as possible. Find a machine that WORKS! Don't settle for junk that must have Windows to work! My .02 cents. -- Christopher Shanahan
On Sun, 2005-09-18 at 11:56 +0200, Terje J. Hanssen wrote:
1) Suggestions to "state of the art" powerful, multimedia laptop models or mobile, graphical workstations suited for Suse Linux 9.3 Pro? I would certainly have a look at what Eurocom (www.eurocom.com) has to offer. They had an Athlon64 based book (I think it was the DK470 or something like that) which was fully linux complient. Awesome machines.
The Dell notebooks seems to be very good under linux too. You can mostly choose between the "Dell Wireless controller" and the "Intel 2200 Pro" which I believee is fully supported. I think when you buy a notebook there's a always a chance that something isn't going to work properly, and I see that as a compromise one has to take. I'm not fussed about having to buy, say, a PCMCIA modem if the built in one doesn't work. I have a PCMCIA 108mbit wireless card (Netgear WG511T - awesome card, based on Atheros), so that wouln't bother me too much either - it's reception is a lot better than any built-in wireless I've ever seen anyways. I would be careful of HP, like other posters also said. A lot of their linux support is no more than lip service. And on all their notebooks, I was disappointed with their performance, considering the hardware. Different strokes, I guess
participants (9)
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Catimimi -
Christopher Shanahan -
Hans du Plooy -
James Knott -
jdd sur free -
Kalos Bonasia -
Kevanf1 -
Mike McMullin -
Terje J. Hanssen