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Re: IBM Thinkpad A21p



> I have a IBM Thinkpad A20m and its the perfect notebook for me.  Its
> running Debian 2.2 Potato.  Stay away from the 3com network interface,
> I know my A20m uses an Intel EtherPro 10/100 and it works perfect.  I
> am not sure if Intel EtherPro 10/100 = EtherJet.  If you go to the
> IBM web site they have detail technical specs.  Also a good way to
> guarantee Linux Compatibility is to pick the Thinkpad model with linux
> preinstalled.  The screen is incredible and I have an older model!  Thinkpads
> are expensive but worth the investment.

Buying a mchine with Linux pre-installed gives you two things:
	1) they know you're a linux user... stand up and be counted :>
	2) you get the configs from the setup that they put in there.
	   even if you swap it out later for a different distro.

As for "expensive but worth the investment"... I have a thinkpad which is
okay... and I won't say "nothing to write home about" since its floppy bay
was a lemon.  IBM fixed it 3 times (very friendly staff) and it lasted longer 
each time but ... eventually, I gave up on that floppy bay, got an external
one.  And I know if I ever want to reinstall from scratch I have to just 
disassemble it, this takes less time than mailing the box to IBM.

A brand name is no guarantee of quality.  It may mean they try harder when
they have a rep to defend, but you still have to take your chances on the
parts inside.

I think our friend is very wise to ask which of the ethergadgets he should
trust best before buying one.

* Heather Stern * star@ many places...



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