Re: [PLUG] Laptop recommendations

[Steve Litt <slitt@troubleshooters.com>]

On Wed, 1 Mar 2017 12:42:15 -0500
"K.S. Bhaskar" <ksbhaskar@gmail.com> wrote:

> I don't see the point of paying money (a) for something I won't use,
> and worse 

You'll pay a hell of a lot more for no-os software on new equipment,
especially laptops. With no guarantee it will work with Linux, unless
it comes from pricy system76, Penguin Computing and the like: Typically
50% to 100% premium over same hardware as a commodity sporting Windows.


> (b) which will go towards attacking free / open source
> software. The days of calling Linux a cancer or a communist plot may
> be gone, but today's attacks are more insidious. 

That's certainly valid, but just understand the true cost of your
principles.

By the way, just today I went to Refresh Computers
(https://refreshcomputers.net/site/). They said I could come in with a
Linux DVD and fire it up on their equipment to see if the video and
networking work. Prices for used equipment are about 70% of the prices
of modern equipment that's probably 50% better performance, but there's
no "Microsoft tax", you just don't buy a $20 Win10 license, and when you
get home you wipe the existing win10 right off the box. I doubt
Microsoft makes any money off a used computer without your purchasing
the license.

For laptops I typically go to Costco, with their 90 day "anything goes"
warranty, bring it home, squeeze the hard disk, install Linux on the
remainder, and bang, I'm good to go. Or else I return it and say "it
didn't work out. The reason I keep the windows is you can't get
warranty service without the windows-centric diagnostic tests they put
you through. The second the warranty period is over, you can just use
the entire disk for Linux.

But given your reason B, you're probably better off with a used
computer than a Costco computer or one of those double-priced System76
computers.

SteveT

Steve Litt 
February 2017 featured book: Thriving in Tough Times
http://www.troubleshooters.com/thrive
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