I know this question gets asked a lot, but the answers I read are either not current or not helpful, so let me ask it again.
I love opensuse. I have it installed on a compaq presario laptop. Everything works great–well, except for the wireless and the external display. Anyway, when I buy a new laptop (within the next year) I’d like to put opensuse 11.3 on it, but I want to know a brand/model that might have a fighting chance at having wireless and display support (and I hear some people have sound card issues–though mine is just fine) without too much of a headache. I realize many models will work with opensuse. I wonder if you have thoughts about which one is the very best.
I think it would be great for opensuse to release a list of currently available machines that are ideal for the current release. Perhaps there are issues with such a publication, but if not, it sure would be helpful.
Indeed, but that begs the question, … just who is openSUSE ? …
My view is openSUSE is community of users, packagers, and developers that support the openSUSE distribution. Hence for any such list to succeed requires users like you and like me to provide the information (because the laptop manufacturers in 99% of the cases will not).
When I look at purchasing a new laptop, I first search the web to read of other’s experience with the specific model laptops that I am considering. Typically that reduces the list of laptops that I am considering signifcantly. Sometimes it reduces the list to zero.
When the list is zero (ie no one has reported on using the laptop I am considering with Linux) - then I search component by component (ie graphics, sound, wireless, webcam, etc … ) to investigate Linux compatibility.
There are organizations which will provide a laptop with Linux pre-installed, but typically one pays a signficantly premium price much greater than the nominal laptop price, for such a laptop already setup with Linux.
A lot depends on what you want to do with it; I have a bottom end laptop - integrated graphics - and everything worked out of the box. The problems appear to arise if you want a higher spec. laptop for which there may not be up-to-date open source drivers.
On 02/12/2011 12:36 PM, phiga wrote:
> See my specs below (based on Clevo w870cu) I bought it as linux
> certified.
+1, the best laptop for linux is a laptop certified to work with
linux…anything else and you are guessing, and probably in for some
frustration…
–
DenverD
CAVEAT: http://is.gd/bpoMD
[NNTP posted w/openSUSE 11.3, KDE4.5.5, Thunderbird3.0.11, nVidia
173.14.28 3D, Athlon 64 3000+]
“It is far easier to read, understand and follow the instructions than
to undo the problems caused by not.” DD 23 Jan 11
On 02/12/2011 02:00 PM, DenverD wrote:
> On 02/12/2011 12:36 PM, phiga wrote:
>> See my specs below (based on Clevo w870cu) I bought it as linux
>> certified.
>
> +1, the best laptop for linux is a laptop certified to work with
> linux…anything else and you are guessing, and probably in for some
> frustration…
On the other hand, I have run SuSE or openSUSE on every laptop I have ever owned
starting with a Gateway with 8.5" screen and a Pentium 90 MHz in 1996 to my
present HP dv2815nr with a dual core AMD CPU at 2.0 GHz. The problem areas have
been Broadcom wireless (before b43) and graphics drivers.
If it is certified, it will work for THAT Linux, and may for other distros.
If you want to save money and buy used, look no further than a two year old Dell Latitude E6400 like the one I use for work. Of course I live in the Dell capital of the world, but there are several used computer shops here you can buy used Dell for a great savings. This laptop has worked great with an openSUSE 11.2 installation including sound, video, wired network and wireless if you load the Broadcom wireless driver. I also tried openSUSE 11.3 which did work, but I did have one issue with dual monitors not working and thus dropped back to 11.2 for that one function. It is just a thought about looking at used Laptops and looking at Dell laptops.
lots to choose from, but you will be disappointed if you fix in your
mind the low price a mass produced and world wide shipped windows
machine purpose made to be very inexpensive…
–
DenverD
CAVEAT: http://is.gd/bpoMD
[NNTP posted w/openSUSE 11.3, KDE4.5.5, Thunderbird3.0.11, nVidia
173.14.28 3D, Athlon 64 3000+]
“It is far easier to read, understand and follow the instructions than
to undo the problems caused by not.” DD 23 Jan 11