Check out:
http://www.cs.utexas.edu/users/kharker/linux-laptop/

> Well, I'm about to go on extended leave to finish up a degree.  (Not that my
> employer knows this yet....)
> 
> The idea was to *save* money via Linux.  The target is $1500.
> 
>    Hardware-wise I want 500+ MHz, 128Mbytes, & 10+ Gbytes.
>       As for the screen . . . I haven't played a computer game in months.
> 
> The point is to work on the thesis at home, in the study cubicle, at the
> coffee shop.  Thesis, thesis, thesis.  (The thesis is in WordPerfect.)
> 
> I could do this with a $1000 system, and maybe I should.
> 
>    Unfortunately, I want to use the thing for some hobby projects that
> involve Web and more traditional software development -- maybe computer
> science classes, maybe some Oracle DB development.  I fear a $1000 system
> would have to be retired with the thesis.
> 
> ----
> 
> Now I could, of course, throw Windows _Me_ away and try to configure Linux
> by hand.
>     However, scrubbing a brand-new 'working' system is galling.
> Nevertheless, to be rid of Windows Me I would do it -- but given the
> problems people seem to have installing Linux on laptops and my schedule
> crunch, now is not the time to spend a week tinkering with installing an OS
> and its applications.