[TriLUG] Seeking Free-Software-friendly laptop suggestions

[Jason Tower]

my ibm thinkpad r40 works great under linux, all of the hardware "just
works" with the possible exception of the modem which i've never tried to
use.  ibm tends to use ati video hardware so the native xfree drivers work
well, including accelerated 3d (i think dell tends to use nvidia video
which have no open 3d drivers).  bear in mind that thinkpads with the same
model designation can have vastly different hardware inside, so be sure to
pay attention to the exact model number and/or specs.  also, ibm offers
cisco internal wireless which has linux support as well.

jason

> I'm positive this is an FAQ, of sorts, but with the hardware scene
> changing every day, I figured I'd give it a shot.
>
> I'll soon be leaving behind my Dell Latitude 640C which has been a
> perfect Linux laptop (see non-Linux caveat below). I'm leaving it
> because it was bought on grant money, so doesn't actually belong to me,
> and I'm headed to Real Job at another University. The internal wireless
> and wired networking on the Dell both work as do the 3D video hardware
> and the sound hardware (with some quirks), all with Free drivers, as per
> my preference. However, I do not think that I can still buy the same
> laptop anymore, so I'm looking at other options.
>
> However, I'm out of touch with the newest developments in hardware. I
> can live without 3D video hardware, but networking and sound are
> necessary. Built-in wireless isn't a must as I figure I can always try
> to track down a PCMCIA wireless adaptor. A combo CD-RW/DVD drive would
> be a nice feature to have. And, if possible, I'd like to use this with
> Free Software and avoid binary drivers. (So, for example, I'd use a
> laptop with NVIDIA video hardware as long as the 2D part works well with
> the standard distribution of XFree.)
>
> Of course, if there were an option to buy a "naked" laptop or one with
> Linux pre-installed without any Windows license, that'd be ideal. I'm
> not interested in Apple hardware nor am I interested in MacOS X,
> although I am aware of what is possible with both.
>
> So, does anyone have suggestions?
>
> Caveat about my Dell laptop: One of the memory modules and the hard
> drive have both failed in the 13 months I've owned the laptop. That's
> not Linux-related, but it does make me wary of Dell hardware from here
> on out.
>
> Thanks in advance, y'all.
>
> Regards,
> matt
>
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