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Re: [PLUG] Recommend a Laptop
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On Wed, 20 Feb 2002, Paul wrote:
> I checked out emperorlinux.com and qlilinux.com (tuxtops).
> The laptops are a little pricey for me. I was looking to
> stay well under 15 Gs. (I guess it's time to look at used
> stuff.)
I should think a laptop (even a Vaio) would cost less than $15,000! :-)
> Getting an unwanted copy of Windows XP wouldn't be that bad
> if it were on a CD-ROM which I could resell or give away.
> From what I've seen with Toshiba, the only way to install
> Windows is to use a recovery CD, which only works with a
> limited range of laptop models. Another rip off.
I am currently writing this to you from the road (as my sig attests) on a
Toshiba 400CDT, P75 laptop with an 800M disk drive and 24M of RAM. I have a
PCMCIA modem and (for those times when I get lucky) a 3COM PCMCIA 10/100 Base
T Ethernet card. I purchased the computer used last year at a show and got
$20.00 off from not taking the Win95 license that came with it (I actually
formatted the drive via Tom's Root Boot diskette as a sign of good faith right
in front of the guy). It's got a CDROM and externally attachable floppy
drive, sound (out of a piss-poor speaker), microphone, and internal power
supply (i.e. has only a power cord externally, not a power supply).
Now, I use this exclusively when on the road and only for e-mail, browsing,
and the occasional console game. X runs well on it, as does Netscape using
GNUstep as my window manager. I'm running RH 7.2. I have a Linux shell
account with my ISP (Speakeasy) which has lynx, pine, mutt, irc, ftp, etc,
etc.
> Another thing the stinks is the added "feature" of a
> built-in winmodem. Sounds good if you are running Windows
> for which those crappy winmodems are designed to work with.
> Not so good for me.
>
> I give up!
Don't give up! Get yourself a used PII or PIII-- you can get them for a few
hundred bucks (my whole kit and caboodle costs me $150, plus modem and
Ethernet card). If you're fine with console-only (and what self-respecting
geek *isn't* comfortable with a console?), you can probably get away with as
little as I spent. Decide what you want to do.
Wanna play Quake? Pay up. Wanna code, e-mail, browse, play
non-graphically intensive games, etc? Pretty much everything you can do that
doesn't involve intensive multimedia can be done on a really low-end machine.
My next addition to this little beauty here will be a bigger hard drive so I
can compile my own kernels and apps to get them to run faster.
I can tell you the modem I'm using if you like. It wasn't expensive (under
$100 at Microcenter, I think), but I can't give you the exact model number
because I'm using it now. It's worked flawlessly since I got it. I was
almost disappointed at how easy it was. when I plugged it in, not only did RH
detect it, but it created a /dev/modem symlink automagically to the proper
serial port (and deletes it on removal).
Remember also that the best and most Linux-friendly new machines make the best
Linux-friendly used machines (to wit, my Toshiba). Dell, Compaq, and IBM
ThinkPads are also good choices because of Linux-friendliness and good, solid
hardware.
Onward, young sprout! This is the reason we're using Linux-- because we have
more options. With more options comes a bit more work, but there's the
payoff.
<Beldon gets off soapbox>
And, basically, if I managed to do it, I'm sure anyone can.
-Beldon
---
DISCLAIMER - This text was written on the road and may contain errors of fact,
tact, and decency due to the cumulative effects of cabin fever, emotional
displacement, and restaurant food.
______________________________________________________________________
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