Selling my current notebook and buying a Linux compatible one.

D

d-_-b

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So after spending half of the weekend trying to get my notebook to work fully with Xubuntu 8.04, I decided I must sell it and get a notebook that supports Linux fully.

But before I can afford a new notebook I must first sell my current Packard Bell Easy Note SW85-006:

Intel Core 2 Duo Mobile 2.0 GHz Processor
ATI Mobility Radeon X1600 512MB Video Controller
17" Wide Screen LCD Display
120 GB Seagate Hard drive
2 GB Memory
DVD Writer
Intel PRO Wireless and Ethernet Controller
On-board Bluetooth Module
56K Modem
Realtek HD Audio with integrated speakers and microphone
Keyboard with a numpad and Media Control Panel
4 in 1 Card Reader (Memory Stick / MS PRO / SD / XD Card)
FireWire (IEEE1394)
ExpressCard 54 slot, supporting 34mm and 54mm wide devices
Microsoft Windows XP Professional License
Click to expand...

And then I would like to buy myself a new notebook.

What I want to know from you guys is: Any suggestion on what notebook I must buy that supports Linux. I would like one with the same specification but the screen may be smaller if it supports a docking station.

And how much can I try to sell my current notebook for?

Any comments or suggestions would be greatly appreciated.

Regards,
 
Out of interest's sake, what did you not get working in Xubuntu on that laptop? I could imagine the modem, and maybe the graphics card giving hassles. The card readers should work fine, and the wireless as well. Did you try Ubuntu as opposed to Xubuntu, even though in theory, that shouldn't make a difference.
 
graviti said:
Out of interest's sake, what did you not get working in Xubuntu on that laptop? I could imagine the modem, and maybe the graphics card giving hassles. The card readers should work fine, and the wireless as well. Did you try Ubuntu as opposed to Xubuntu, even though in theory, that shouldn't make a difference.
Click to expand...

Its the ACPI implementation of the notebook that is buggy. So I can not hibernate or turn of the machine without powering it down manually. Also the hot keys is not working correctly to turn of the Bluetooth and Wifi.

I tried to decompile the DSDT and there is some hard coding just for Windows. So I commented it out and loaded my custom DSDT. Still no luck, some of the hot keys works now but not to great.

I used Ubuntu before I switched to Xubuntu and it gave the same problems. So I decided instead of trying to fix broken hardware I need to buy myself something that works.

Regards,
 
Dell seems to have a ubuntu plan.. so somthing from them should be compatable
 
greggpb said:
Dell seems to have a ubuntu plan.. so somthing from them should be compatable
Click to expand...

I had a look at the Dells and it seems that the D630 and D830 are supported. I didn't really see any of the new E Series notebooks on the Linux on Laptops Website.

So I would like to buy from a dealer that would give me assurance that Ubuntu will work fully on the notebook. Do anybody want to recommend a dealer?

Regards,
 
d-_-b said:
So after spending half of the weekend trying to get my notebook to work fully with Xubuntu 8.04, I decided I must sell it and get a notebook that supports Linux fully.

But before I can afford a new notebook I must first sell my current Packard Bell Easy Note SW85-006:



And then I would like to buy myself a new notebook.

What I want to know from you guys is: Any suggestion on what notebook I must buy that supports Linux. I would like one with the same specification but the screen may be smaller if it supports a docking station.

And how much can I try to sell my current notebook for?

Any comments or suggestions would be greatly appreciated.

Regards,
Click to expand...


That you have to go and buy a new laptop just for Ubuntu...tsk tsk.
 
Slootvreter said:
That you have to go and buy a new laptop just for Ubuntu...tsk tsk.
Click to expand...

:D Actually it isn't just for Ubuntu. I actually wish Debian completes their Hurd or FreeBSD distribution. But If I want a Unix like environment Ubuntu is currently the most mainstream one.

I'm also personally very interested in OS development and Microsoft Windows doesn't allow me to play with it. Where with Ubuntu I can recompile the kernel and break everything up into bits until I understand how it works on the lowest level.

Lets' also not start about how a Unix environment is more secure then a Windows environment, and that only by design.

Regards,

Ps. For how much should I sell my notebook? :D
 
Well the price you sell for would be determined by how old it is, what MODEL processor it is (there are various types of Core 2 Duos used in notebook computers, and each costs a different amount) and what kind of condition it's in.

Assuming it's very new, with a high-end processor (T7xxx series or higher), I'd say a fair price would be in the R10 000 region.
 
sn3rd said:
Well the price you sell for would be determined by how old it is, what MODEL processor it is (there are various types of Core 2 Duos used in notebook computers, and each costs a different amount) and what kind of condition it's in.

Assuming it's very new, with a high-end processor (T7xxx series or higher), I'd say a fair price would be in the R10 000 region.
Click to expand...

It is a T7200 and it is in a very good condition. The only reason why I'm selling it is because I want(I NEED) better Linux support.

I'm thinking of selling it for round about R 8 000 at the moment(or at least try). But I do think I'm first going to buy myself a new notebook before selling.

hawker said:
You can give it to me, I am goin to varsity next year...and I need a lappie. ;)
Click to expand...

Sorry man I need the money ;)

At the moment I'm thinking of buying the Dell Latitude E6400. Will I really feel a performance difference between a T8xxx and P9xxx cpu, and will that difference justify R 2000?

The notebook also comes out with a Nvidia screen card that sucks because the drivers are not open source. But I do want a dedicated screen card because I'm a wanna be game developer ;)

Any input still appreciated.

Regards,
 
d-_-b said:
It is a T7200 and it is in a very good condition. The only reason why I'm selling it is because I want(I NEED) better Linux support.

I'm thinking of selling it for round about R 8 000 at the moment(or at least try). But I do think I'm first going to buy myself a new notebook before selling.



Sorry man I need the money ;)

At the moment I'm thinking of buying the Dell Latitude E6400. Will I really feel a performance difference between a T8xxx and P9xxx cpu, and will that difference justify R 2000?

The notebook also comes out with a Nvidia screen card that sucks because the drivers are not open source. But I do want a dedicated screen card because I'm a wanna be game developer ;)

Any input still appreciated.

Regards,
Click to expand...

Well if you want Linux compatibility, nVidia is the way to go. There are open-source alternatives, driver-wise.

That notebook looks good!

With regards to noticing the difference between the processors, it depends what you'll be doing. At the end of the day, a notebook will never be a proper gaming rig, though.

I say if the price is right, you can't really go wrong with Dell / HP
 
sn3rd said:
I say if the price is right, you can't really go wrong with Dell / HP
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Well I asked for a quote on the Dell Lattitude E6400 today. I also see there are some Linux related issues with the machine, but nothing that seems like a show stopper:

Gentoo - Dell Latitude E6400 / E6500
Dell Latitude E6400 - Linux Laptop Wiki

I also looked at some of the HPs and I like it that most of their Notebooks is SuSE Linux Enterpise Desktop 10 Certified, but I don't have a contact to get a HP notebook for a good price.

Regards,
 
d-_-b said:
:D
Lets' also not start about how a Unix environment is more secure then a Windows environment, and that only by design.
Click to expand...

At least Windows doesn't break my hardware. ;)

http://mybroadband.co.za/news/Software/5346.html

And is it really more secure ? Remember that Mac OS X is also based on Unix. As is the case in most operating systems it is software that run on top of the OS that mostly causes the problems.

"]07/04/22/safari-browser-exploit-produced-within-9-hours-in-hacking-compet/"]

And how about the local root exploit of vmsplice in specifically Ubuntu and Debian.

http://it.slashdot.org/article.pl?sid=08/02/10/2011257

I actually use linux on my laptop and pc, but don't like the fact that people say it is more secure just because it is *nix. Just remember I don't need root on a linux box to hack a website, I target Apache. And don't tell me "yes but the *nix devs releases patches quicker", earlier this year they fixed a bug in yacc that has been around for 33 years.

So in short stop this my OS is better than your OS and use what you enjoy.
 
You are letting yourself wide open for one vicious attack there Mr. Misinformed!
At least Windows doesn't break my hardware.

http://mybroadband.co.za/news/Software/5346.html
Click to expand...
It was an Intel hardware bug, nothing to do with Linux:
http://blogs.computerworld.com/when_linux_does_well_the_e1000e_ethernet_bug_fixed

MacOS is LOOSELY based on FreeBSD, and they closed the source and therefore is sitting with exploits.

And that 33 year old bug caused what exactly? And they only fixed it after so many years because it did not cause any mayor problems, a simple patch from I think Debian it was solved it (albeit with a workaround).

Linux IS more secure, I have yet to read an article that states how many Linux machines have been compromised by a virus...
 
Logo said:
At least Windows doesn't break my hardware. ;)

http://mybroadband.co.za/news/Software/5346.html
Click to expand...
Oh, so you have access to Windows Kernel Release Candidates? If not you can not compare that Linux related problem(And like MyWorld pointed out it was not a Linux problem) to Windows. Also read the comments about the article you linked to.

Logo said:
And is it really more secure ? Remember that Mac OS X is also based on Unix. As is the case in most operating systems it is software that run on top of the OS that mostly causes the problems.

"]07/04/22/safari-browser-exploit-produced-within-9-hours-in-hacking-compet/"]
Click to expand...

Ah, the PWN TO OWN competition the first machine to fall was the Apple(Closed Source Operating System) like you mentioned and then it was Vista and the only machine that couldn't be hacked was Ubuntu.

Logo said:
And how about the local root exploit of vmsplice in specifically Ubuntu and Debian.

http://it.slashdot.org/article.pl?sid=08/02/10/2011257
Click to expand...

I never said Ubuntu was exploit free, but because it is open source critical bugs can be fixed quicker then on proprietary operating systems. And the only reason why you know about the exploit is because the OS is open source. I think we would be really worried if we saw the real vulnerability count in proprietary software(It includes Mac OS or any other closed Unix system).

Logo said:
but don't like the fact that people say it is more secure just because it is *nix.
Click to expand...

I quickly did a google and randomly selected the following two articles to explain why Unix is more secure: Unix vs. Microsoft Windows and Windows vs. Linux Security.

Logo said:
So in short stop this my OS is better than your OS and use what you enjoy.
Click to expand...

Where did I state that my OS is better then someone elses' OS, without giving a reason for my statement?

To be honest I'm actually a idealist and wished there was a workable Micro Kernel out there for me to use.

Regards,

Ps. How much should I sell my notebook for? And seeing your running Linux do you believe the Dell Lattitude E6400 will run Ubuntu flawlessly.
 
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