RE: researching before possible laptop purchase
On 20-Jun-2002 Alice M. Pinard wrote:
> I'm considering trolling ebay for a cheap laptop. I'm basically interested
> in setting up a portable c++ compiler/debugger (work on code on the train
> sorta thing).... so I'm mostly thinking of getting something I can slap a
> bare-bones debian system (supporting hds, floppies ferinstance, but probably
> not networking.. no email, or games) onto
>
> so, here for the FM pointer requests
>
> is there anything I should read that might discuss danger hardware to avoid?
> is there anything I should read that might discuss basic laptop hardware
> that's easy for debian to deal with?
> is there anything I should read before attempting to purchase a laptop that
> could help in my decision-making process?
> is there anything I should read before installing if I've only ever
> installed debian on a desktop computer?
find a few in the range you are willing to spend and do a google search.
linux toshiba 12321
for instance for a toshiba 12321 laptop (made up number).
The good news is anything in the 2 - 3 year old range is likely to be fully
supported, except for the modem. But that should not be an issue for you.
Import things to investigate are:
is the video card supported in XFree 4.x? most are but it always pays to check.
does it have enough memory? how about disk space? if you wanted to could you
put a new hard drive in? more memory? compiling c++ apps is a memory hog.
do you prefer touchpad, trackball, or pointing sticks?
how heavy is it? what is the actual "carry" weight with the ac adapter? 7
pounds of laptop is murder on the shoulder after a bit of walking.
if you care about sound is that supported?
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