NationStates Jolt Archive

Ok, so Posi is hoping to have some money left over at the end of summer to buy a laptop for 'school'.

Thing is, Posi don't know shit about laptops. (He is also gonna stop talking about himself in the third person).

So I need your advice on my picks. Feel free to recommend laptop X by company Y (preferable in Canadian dollars) if the following conditions are met:

They ship to Canada
It is not made by HP
It does not have an ATi graphics card in it. (They have shitty Linux drivers, but I am willing to make exceptions on this, as you will see).


If, the company will ship the thing without Windows, or pretty much an GNU/Linux distro, that would be a huge bonus. I am also buying a mouse, so the quality of the touch pad is basically irrelevant.

So here are my candidates so far:

Apple Mac Book Pro
the cheap one (http://store.apple.com/1-800-MY-APPLE/WebObjects/canadastore.woa/wa/RSLID?mco=2BF7FB2D&nclm=MacBookPro)
Pros:
Do not have to buy Vista.
Mac OS X could be funny to tinker with until Linux takes over the thing.
Linux kernel supports Mac Airport Wireless

Cons:
Being Apple, it is prolly overpriced.
Comes with an ATi graphics card.


Dell Inspiron 9400
The Core 2 DuO one. Would opt for the nVIDIA Go 7900 (http://www1.ca.dell.com/content/products/features.aspx/nb_9400?c=ca&cs=CADHS1&l=en&s=dhs)
Pros:
The Dell outlet or whatever. Can get a good deal on one that got a scratch during shipping.
From what I have heard, Dell has good customer service, in the unlikely event I need it.
Dell says they are gonna start shipping Linux. Smunkee says this is true as she bought one.
Biggest screen.

Cons:
Have to buy Vista.
Prolly need to upgrade the battery.
No idea which chipset the wireless card uses. might have to opt for the more expensive Intel wireless card in order to get something I know will work.
Dell makes you buy accessories you don't want. MS Works, MS Vista, etc

IBM ThinkPad T Series
linky (http://caipsgws001.can.ibm.com/store/addoptions?sku=2623P2U&tool=search&aud=LENOVO)
Pros:
Possibly the most durable of the bunch.
IBM is hawt.
Used to have great Linux support. Probably gone down the gutter since Lenovo took over, but should be quite good in terms of everything being in the kernel.

Cons:
Lenovo is nawt.
Wireless internet is not standard.
There site is shit on Firefox.
Have to buy Vista.
Fucking tiny screen.

See, I told you I don't know shit, I only came up with three choices. Anyways, What should Posi buy(TM)?

Dell power adapters are terrible so you'll probably have to consider budgeting in a replacement (they're not too expensive).

Other than that, though, they're pretty damn good. I've got an MPS X140 that works great.

Have to buy Vista.
No, you don't.

Prolly need to upgrade the battery.
To what? Batteries nowadays will last 3 hours with light use.

No idea which chipset the wireless card uses. might have to opt for the more expensive Intel wireless card in order to get something I know will work.
Intel wireless should be the default card.

Dell makes you buy accessories you don't want. MS Works, MS Vista, etc
No, it doesn't. Maybe if you are too incompetent to use the Dell buying system, you should just go to Best Buy and pick one off the shelf. And Vista is a free upgrade, not a forced buy.

No, you don't.


To what? Batteries nowadays will last 3 hours with light use.


Intel wireless should be the default card.


No, it doesn't. Maybe if you are too incompetent to use the Dell buying system, you should just go to Best Buy and pick one off the shelf. And Vista is a free upgrade, not a forced buy.

QFT. I got my new shiny dell preloaded with Linux...it was sweet.

QFT. I got my new shiny dell preloaded with Linux...it was sweet.
Which I was going to mention - DELL is now letting people choose to put Linux on their home machines, or should be soon if not yet.

No, you don't.
http://img175.imageshack.us/img175/6199/dellossz6.png
Which box do I tick to not have Vista? or Windows at all?

To what? Batteries nowadays will last 3 hours with light use.
How about 4-6 hours with a word processor?

Intel wireless should be the default card.
Nah, a Dell Wireless 1390 802.11g Mini Card (54Mbps) was the default. The Intel is a $10 upgrade.

No, it doesn't. Maybe if you are too incompetent to use the Dell buying system, you should just go to Best Buy and pick one off the shelf. And Vista is a free upgrade, not a forced buy.
http://img95.imageshack.us/img95/5874/dellproductivitysoftwarwk1.png
Again, how do you select no productivity software? What if I do not want to be productive?

Or for Desktops, what if you do not want a keyboard, mouse, or speakers? How do you unselect those?
http://img175.imageshack.us/img175/5623/dellmouseuv6.png
http://img95.imageshack.us/img95/6442/dellkeyboardpk3.png
http://img175.imageshack.us/img175/6972/dellspeakersls6.png

QFT. I got my new shiny dell preloaded with Linux...it was sweet.
A) They are actually doing it. (Where is that emoticon I had of a smilie on Fire
?)
B)They have already started? I mean just yesterday I filled out a survey yesterday about which distro, which models and junk they should ship.
Edit: A link for which models have it as an option?

A) They are actually doing it. (Where is that emoticon I had of a smilie on Fire
?)
B)They have already started? I mean just yesterday I filled out a survey yesterday about which distro, which models and junk they should ship.
Edit: A link for which models have it as an option?

:( sorry, I forgot that I order direct from the company, not on the website, so I talk to a real person and twist until they do what I tell them to.....I don't deal well with clicking radio buttons.

How about 4-6 hours with a word processor?
A better question is if 3 hours isn't good enough, why don't you plug it the fuck in?

Nah, a Dell Wireless 1390 802.11g Mini Card (54Mbps) was the default. The Intel is a $10 upgrade.
You want me to mail you a 10? Maybe just my PNY rebate?

Or for Desktops, what if you do not want a keyboard, mouse, or speakers?
What you should be asking yourself at that point is why the fuck you are buying a full system from a manufacturer that sells systems?

:( sorry, I forgot that I order direct from the company, not on the website, so I talk to a real person and twist until they do what I tell them to.....I don't deal well with clicking radio buttons.
Oi Vey. Taking to sale reps over the phone pisses me off. O well. I did not see any non desktop with Linux. On three models of one line had it, and they offered Red Hat EL 4, which a) is in decline b) isn't even the newest version.

What did ya get?

Oi Vey. Taking to sale reps over the phone pisses me off. O well. I did not see any non desktop with Linux. On three models of one line had it, and they offered Red Hat EL 4, which a) is in decline b) isn't even the newest version.

What did ya get?

I had them load edubuntu on it. I ordered a desktop a few months back from them without anything loaded on it, it was a refurb though.

A better question is if 3 hours isn't good enough, why don't you plug it the fuck in?
In classes with about 70 students, it is hard to guarantee yourself a seat by one of the three or four outlets.

You want me to mail you a 10? Maybe just my PNY rebate?
No, I've become somewhat (ie very) cheap during uni. Likes to make me illogically cheap in well stupid situations like this one.

What you should be asking yourself at that point is why the fuck you are buying a full system from a manufacturer that sells systems?
Just because you need a system, doesn't mean you need the accessories too. A decent fucking monitor will last for two systems, and keyboards can go even fucking longer. Why replace what works? I mean not everybody can build a fucking PC themselves. Its not that hard, but allot of people cannot do it.

In classes with about 70 students, it is hard to guarantee yourself a seat by one of the three or four outlets.
If you have classes for more than 3 hours at a time, you have more problems than finding an outlet.


Why replace what works?
Why not get one tailored for the system whose cost is already factored in?

If you have classes for more than 3 hours at a time, you have more problems than finding an outlet.
Most classes are an hour and a half, but the ten minutes in between will not be long enough to charge it. After about 4 and 1/2 hours (depending no my schedule) I will have a break long enough to charge it. Then two more classes after that.
Why not get one tailored for the system whose cost is already factored in?
Cuz I build my systems. Usually.

Dewd, ur getin a Dell!

Ahahahaahahahahahahahahahha!!!! Am i write?! Am i write?! :sniper: :headbang: :gundge: :gundge: :upyours:

Dewd, ur getin a Dell!

Ahahahaahahahahahahahahahha!!!! Am i write?! Am i write?! :sniper: :headbang: :gundge: :gundge: :upyours:
maibee u r, maibee u rnt
Thanks for completely killing your last argument for me.
Your welcome.:)

Cuz I build my systems. Usually.
Thanks for completely killing your last argument for me.

Could it be worth it to look at an Alienware? From their target audience, I'd think their laptops would be a little hard on ye olde battery life.

A better question is if 3 hours isn't good enough, why don't you plug it the fuck in?


You want me to mail you a 10? Maybe just my PNY rebate?


What you should be asking yourself at that point is why the fuck you are buying a full system from a manufacturer that sells systems?

I easily go more then 4 hours out of reach of a plug regularly at conferences doing actually medium to heavy work (lightest is word processing but regular virtual machining)

Which is why I sprung for the 12 cell batt with my compaq v2000 (I spent a lot of money on my desktop over the years I did not need a desktop replacement just something small and mobile and cheep) been a great laptop BTW posi but major driver issues for the broadcom wireless with linux though ...

Could it be worth it to look at an Alienware? From their target audience, I'd think their laptops would be a little hard on ye olde battery life.

Dealt with a few tend to be ... large ... and hot as well

And heavy

If you are really using it on the go the size and weight are more of an issue after the novelty wears off then you think ...