[ltp] Re: Purchasing New Laptop (Linux/Laptop/Thinkpad List)

[Sukhjeet Batth]

Hello Derek,

Thank you for your great advice.  I ended up leaning more towards the
IBM Thinkpad T40p.  However, because I am determined to get an internal
DVD writer, I will have to wait until IBM offers that solution.

In the meantime, I began looking elsewhere.  I have found some very
interesting alternate routes.  I was considering the Toshiba Dynabook C8
available here in the USA through www.dynamism.com.  This is everything
I wanted in a smaller package (it even has the SD card, Firewire, and
Bluetooth that were on my wish list).

I also came across a company by the name of Emperor Linux
(www.emperorlinux.com)  that seems to be very skilled in offering
Linux/Laptop solutions.  They are able to do custom installs and they
might be good to get me started with the Dynabook C8.  I am pretty new
to Linux, but I am learning how to use it pretty quickly (I got
O'Reilly's "Running Linux").  Alternatively, I could buy straight from
Dynamism and then send it to Linux Certified
(http://linuxcertified.com/linux-laptop-services.html).

Since your original advice was very helpful, what do you recommend I do
with this new information in mind?

Thank you,
Sukhjeet Batth

On Thu, 2003-07-03 at 03:01, linux-thinkpad-request@linux-thinkpad.org
wrote:

> Message: 9
> Subject: Re: [ltp] Purchasing New Laptop
> From: "Derek A. Rogillio" <dereklist@rogillio.net>
> To: linux-thinkpad@linux-thinkpad.org
> Date: 02 Jul 2003 15:26:49 -0400
> Reply-To: linux-thinkpad@linux-thinkpad.org
> 
> On Wed, 2003-07-02 at 14:48, Sukhjeet Batth wrote:
> > I am interested in purchasing a new laptop.  I'm considering an IBM
> > Thinkpad T40, Dell Inspiron 8500, and Dell Latitude D800.  Does anybody
> > know if one of the ones I'm considering is significantly better than the
> > others for running Linux?  I plan to throw on Redhat 9 and may try
> > Slackware eventually.  Thanks in advance for the information.
> 
> Well, you're probably going to get a biased answer on this list ...
> 
> I have a personal T40p and a work-issued D800.  Both of them run Linux
> fine once you iron out all of the drivers.  They both have very new
> hardware and will force you to go to the bleeding edge for kernels and
> drivers.
> 
> With that said, I think the T40 is a much nicer laptop.  Overall build
> quality is better and I prefer the size of the IBM.  It's deeper but
> thinner than the Dell.  The keyboard on the IBM also has much better
> tactile response.  There are a lot of little things, but all of them
> added up make me happy that I spent my money on another IBM rather than
> go the Dell route.
> 
> There are only two things I really wish I had in/on my T40: a Windows
> key, and a video card from Nvidia.  The ATI card is good, but I've found
> the drivers to be flaky when really stressing them (read: games).
> 
> -- 
> Derek Rogillio
> dereklist (at) rogillio (dot) net