Thank you for all your suggestions. I have traced the problem on my current laptop to a heat problem. If I install both 512MB RAM boards, the laptop dies somewhere from power-on to fully running. I have run the Dell diagnostics on each 512 MB RAM card separately, and they both pass. I also swapped out each card in the lower slot, and the machine runs, albeit slowly. When I put a RAM card in the upper slot, it dies. My conclusion is that the RAM controller on the mother board is overheating or rapidly reaching its EOL, so it is time to get a new machine. If you have other thoughts, please let me know! I am looking at two machines now, but am open to suggestions on other machines - A refurbished Dell latitude D830 or a new Dell Studio 1555. Both are about the same price ~$700. The Studio 1555 Intel® Core™ 2 Duo T6600 (2.2GHz/800Mhz FSB/2MB cache) Genuine Windows® 7 Home Premium, 64bit, English 15.6” High Definition (720p) LED Display with TrueLife™ and Camera 8X Slot Load CD/DVD Burner (Dual Layer DVD+/-R Drive) 4GB2 Shared Dual Channel DDR2 at 800MHz Speed: 500GB3 SATA Hard Drive (7200RPM) with Free Fall Sensor 512MB4 ATI Mobility Radeon HD 4570 McAfee SecurityCenter, 15-Months Intel® WiFi Link 5100 802.11agn Half Mini-Card 56 Whr Lithium Ion Battery (6 cell) The Dell Latitiude 830 Intel® Core™ Duo processor L1 cache 64 KB (internal) L2 cache 2 MB (on die) External bus frequency 800 MHz System chipset Intel® 965GM and 965PM Data bus width 64 bits DRAM bus width 64 bits Processor address bus width 36 bits CardBus controller OZ711 Memory module capacities 2GB (max 4GB) Memory type 533/667 DDRII SDRAM Network adapter 1-GB Ethernet LAN on system board Graphics - nVIDIA Quadro NVS 135M or nVIDIA Quadro NVS 140M, Intel GM965 WXGA, WSXGA+, or WUXGA 6-cell lithium-ion battery 56 WHr I will be running Debian testing, windows XP/7 as a vm. Mostly used for Java, Python , web development, and all the normal work processing, email stuff, and video/audio editing. This is my main workstation, so I need some degree of portability. I am leaning towards the Latititude only because I have read some reviews, and it seems to be a little more sturdy than the Studio. Thanks for y our laptop ideas! Mark On Sat, Nov 7, 2009 at 10:07 PM, Stephen wrote: > I would take a look at makeinh a disk image then restore to vm or if > useing xen you can use thir tools to convert to virtual > > > On 11/7/09, AZ RUNE wrote: > > I have used Dell Studio 17 and it worked great for Ubuntu which is the > only > > somewhat support version of non-server Linux they provide. > > > > Ubuntu being a debian derivative you may have good luck (YMMV). > > > > My current Dell is a M1730 XPS and it has been great for me and I do love > > the blue beast (pet name). > > > > Later, > > Brian > > > > On Sat, Nov 7, 2009 at 9:59 AM, Mark Phillips > > wrote: > > > >> My Dell Latitude just died...a subject for a different post. I just > >> received an advertisement from Dell for a Studio 1555 on sale for $699 > >> (Windows 7). The Dell sales rep said it is also Linux compatible. I want > >> to > >> install Debian testing on it. It has a dual core 64 bit processor. I > have > >> never had a 64 bit processor pc before. > >> > >> Are 32 bit Debian packages/apps compatible with this processor? > >> > >> Are most Debian packages 64 bit today, or just a subset? Large, small > >> subset? Growing? > >> > >> Is there a way to re-install the windows 7 as a virtual os or am I stuck > >> with a dual boot situation? > >> > >> Finally, has anyone every used this beast, or other 15" Dell Studio > >> laptops? Do you like it? Hate it? Why? > >> > >> Thanks! > >> > >> Mark > >> Sent via BlackBerry from T-Mobile > >> --------------------------------------------------- > >> PLUG-discuss mailing list - PLUG-discuss@lists.plug.phoenix.az.us > >> To subscribe, unsubscribe, or to change your mail settings: > >> http://lists.PLUG.phoenix.az.us/mailman/listinfo/plug-discuss > >> > > > > -- > Sent from my mobile device > > A mouse trap, placed on top of your alarm clock, will prevent you from > rolling over and going back to sleep after you hit the snooze button. > > Stephen > --------------------------------------------------- > PLUG-discuss mailing list - PLUG-discuss@lists.plug.phoenix.az.us > To subscribe, unsubscribe, or to change your mail settings: > http://lists.PLUG.phoenix.az.us/mailman/listinfo/plug-discuss >