What laptop to get to replace my 15" macbook?

[Austin Godber]

Have you considered installing Linux on your MacBook?  It seems that 
both the latest Fedora and Ubuntu work with little fuss on the MacBooks.

Austin


Josef Lowder wrote:
> Based on the very positive and enthusiastic comments from so many
> people (including several of my good plug friends), I recently
> purchased a 15" Macbook, thinking that it might be "the way to go."
>
> While the Mac is a very appealing product in many ways with many
> outstanding features, I have finally come to the conclusion that the
> disadvantages (to me) far outweigh the positives.  So I am now
> thinking of selling it and looking for something more sensible in the
> real world.  Therefore, once again, I am seeking input from the
> collective wisdom of this esteemed group.
>
> The simple, but (to me) major drawbacks of the Mac (not to mention
> their proprietary impositions that seem to be even worse than M$), are
> as follows:
>
> 1. The keyboard layout that forces that screwy Mac/Apple X key on
> users in lieu of simply using the CTRL key ... and then positioning
> that weird mac key in such a terribly awkward place.
>
> 2. Putting the "FN" key where the "CTRL" key should be (and is on
> every other computer keyboard) is really stupid.  Bottom-farthest left
> is the *only* place (from an anatomically logical standpoint) where
> the CTRL key should be (imho).
>
> 3. Failure to totally eliminate the "caps-lock" key (of course I guess
> all keyboard mfrs still remain guilty of this ridiculous failing, at
> this point).  However, I seem to accidentally hit it more on the mac
> than on my other keyboards ... I guess because on the mac it seems to
> be slightly oversized.  Why?  Duh!
>
> 4. The absolutely ridiculous limitation of being forced to the bottom
> right corner of every window as the *only* way to resize windows.
> That might be the most stupid of all Mac contrary-to-all-common-sense
> "features."  And apparently no way that I can find to "maximize" a
> window.
>
> 5. The needlessly glitzy but cumbersome "dock."
>
> 6. The lack of a simple text editor ... one that doesn't force the use
> of html or rtf.
>
> 7. Most of the *nix command-line commands and utilities that I am used
> to using do not seem to work on Mac OS-X
>
> 8. While I like the slot drive rather than a DVD drive that slides
> open, I do (not) like having it on the front. Has that changed on
> newer models?
>
> 9. And as for being "intuitive" ... I've tried for a week to get the
> hang of using a Mac and almost everything that I am used to doing on
> my "normal" computers, I find almost impossible to figure out on a
> mac.  The 529-page "How to do everything Mac" doesn't ... and if mac
> is so "intuitive" why should it need a 529-page book to explain how to
> use it?
>
> In any case, I am now looking for a new (or used) laptop to replace
> this mac and get back to the real world.
>
> One that intrigues me is a new, single-core, lower-powered Asus that
> claims to have 8+ hours of battery life.  It is also the only one I
> have seen so far that has lighted keys (the letters light up on the
> keys like the mac -- one of mac's truly great features).  That seems
> to me to be a very desirable feature.  Only problem is that that
> feature seems to be available only in a larger format Asus unit with a
> number keypad (that I do not want).
>
> So what do y'all recommend?
>
> I like the slot drive (on the right side), built-in camera, lighted
> keys, lightest and thinnest possible, a "normal" keyboard (no 10-
> pad), at least a 15" screen, preferrably matte not glossy, and long
> battery life. I want to install Linux as the base OS and use whatever
> virtual ware will allow me to install win98 (I do *not* want the
> all-intrusive, pop-up crazy winXP).
>
> PS: Anyone interested in trading for or buying a 15" macbook with 4-gig of ram?
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