Re: laptop budget, need advice
Heather wrote:
>
>
> > Hello again,
> >
> > I've got a budget of =< $2000 (US) for a laptop through a new employer.
> > Due to job requirements, I need to run RedHat and windoze (preferably NT) in
> > addition to Debian. I also need to do some presentation work on the laptop.
> >
> > Any suggestions for the closest to 100% compatible laptops?
>
> Well, NT has fairly stringent hardware requirements, so chances are pretty
> darn good that if NT can take it, so can we. The main issue will be the
> video chipset, since evry manufacturer looking to rake in a buck seems to
> be willing to cough up an MSwin driver.
Watch out about this. I have a Toshiba Tecra 780, with very good
support from Toshiba for Windows 95, 98, and NT 4.0, but very little
support for Linux. It runs Linux just fine, but there is a proprietary
built-in DSP modem (Lucent "mars") and a proprietary video camera.
Lucent has released a driver, but it's a pre-compiled binary which
complains about my kernel. I may get it running some day.
Support for the camera is in the works (according to Toshiba), but when?
and maybe it has the same "pre-compiled" problems when it arrives.
Alas, NT support is not sufficient as a requirement.
I have read messages here from people using the Lucent driver with their
Toshiba's, so don't count them out -- my previous (obsolete but still
running well) Toshiba Tecra 500CDT ran everything great with Linux (it
came with a real modem built in). Just pin down support before
deciding.
IBM claims to be getting into Linux in a big way, but I don't know what
that translates into in the real world...
regards,
Bret
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