OT: notebook shopping

[fouldragon at aol.com]

I sort of wish they'd get out of the software business-- you wouldn't 
buy a Windows laptop or a Linux laotop, but rather a machine that 
boots, and runs the vendor's self-test, then waits for a boot disc.

If the people who wanted Vista on their laptop had to install it just 
as much as the people who wanted Slackware do, then all of a sudden:

1.  Their support costs drop 90%-- the only things they really have to 
handle are DOA hardware.

2.  The Windows tax becomes obvious.

3.  Preinstalled-software inertia becomes less of an issue.  
(OpenOffice would get installed more if MS Office, or worse yet, its 
free trial versiopn, wasn't preinstalled)

4.  No more crapware.

-----Original Message-----
From: der.hans <PLUGd at LuftHans.com>
To: Main PLUG discussion list <plug-discuss at lists.plug.phoenix.az.us>
Sent: Sun, 20 Apr 2008 8:42 pm
Subject: Re: OT: notebook shopping









Am 20. Apr, 2008 schwätzte Cat Chapman so:


> I'm using a system76 laptop to post this. They make Linux lappies, 
and

> so far I've had nothing but great things with this machine.

> Check them out at http://system76.com


By going with sytem76 or something else purchased with GNU/Linux we can

get support for GNU/Linux.


At this point I do not intend to buy any computers that don't come with

GNU/Linux pre-installed and supported.


I almost had to seriously consider getting a new laptop a couple of 
weeks

ago, so this is a current topic for me. I still needed the new 
workstation

and didn't consider anything that didn't come with GNU/Linux

pre-installed.


I  will play with Foresight when my KPC comes in,

http://us.shuttle.com/Home.aspx, but I will shrink it down as a reserve

with Ubuntu as my primary OS :). Shuttle is advertising compiz with the

intel graphics chip. I expect good support. Maybe I'll run Foresight in 
a

VM.


I want the computer manufacturers to push the hardware industry for

specs and Free Software drivers. That isn't going to happen if we

don't intentionally and specifically purchase something with GNU/Linux

pre-installed.


I would expect good support for suspend and all of the hardware for a

laptop with GNU/Linux pre-installed. I likely wouldn't care about the

modem, so I won't guarantee that I'd test every single component :).


The $700 system76 system comes with an intel graphics chip, so it 
should

have good X support since intel has been providing us with specs for a

while.


It's also got a dual-core CPU, so virtual machines should have lots of

resources available.


4 GB of RAM should be plenty. Well, for now anyway :). It's double what 
I

could get on the desktop.


ciao,


der.hans

--
#  https://www.LuftHans.com/        https://LOPSA.org/

#  "I guess I should've agreed with my boss more often. Today I was 
replaced

#  by a bobblehead doll!" -- Randy Glasbergen, 13Mar2006









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