Bristol and Bath Linux: September 2014

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Today's Topics:

1. Advice on new laptop (john ffitch)
2. Re: Advice on new laptop (Nigel Sollars)
3. Re: Advice on new laptop (Max B)
4. Re: Advice on new laptop (Mark Einon)
5. Re: Advice on new laptop (James Womack)

----------------------------------------------------------------------

Message: 1
Date: Tue, 9 Sep 2014 14:42:14 +0100
From: john ffitch <jpff@codemist.co.uk>
To: bristol@mailman.lug.org.uk
Subject: [bristol] Advice on new laptop
Message-ID: <2493-Tue09Sep2014144214+0100-jpff@codemist.co.uk>

I have had four laptops, three IBM Thinkpads and one Lenovo Thinkpad
(this machine). The first and third machines still run and are solid
(but who wants a IBM 560 with Windows95, no USB, no network, no
optical drive?; the X42 runs, slowly with occasional disk glitches and
an odd-format disk; other one belonged to the University and was
stolen). However this 5yr old X200s is breaking up -- keyboard is
suspect with sdyl keys at least (*), and middle button is broken. I was
thinking it might be time to replace.

However the reliability of Lenovo is dubious in my experience, and
looking at their latest models they have messed up the mouse buttons and
the keyboard.

So... I have been looking elsewhere. My requirements are
light
reasonable disk/mass device (~~250Gb) -- SSD would be nice for battery
battery life
Must run Linux, preferably 64bit processor.
Nibble mouse (I just cannot use the glide pad thing)

I use it mainly for software development and documentation, but not
really interested in graphics, or desktop stuff; and a little
composing.

The main contender would seem to be Toshiba Tecra Z40-A series; but
will it run Linux? Debian or Opensuse preferred to match the rest of
the network.

Every one seems to charge the Windows tax.

Or is there a better option? Most laptops seem to be missing the nipple-mouse

==John ffitch
(*) I lost count of the times I have had to repeat a key to get a
character in this message

------------------------------

Message: 2
Date: Tue, 9 Sep 2014 09:56:14 -0400
From: Nigel Sollars <nsollars@gmail.com>
To: Bristol and Bath Linux User Group <bristol@mailman.lug.org.uk>
Subject: Re: [bristol] Advice on new laptop
Message-ID:
<CAG6aBkXHEerc-6OU91n0j_ps_1+osnUhoe29dx3COXUc_QfH=Q@mail.gmail.com>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="utf-8"

Hi,

I dont see anything in the specs of the Tecra you gave that would not work
well with Linux, I currently use a Dell Lattitude E5530 ( I7 ), It has
both the glide and joystick / nipple mouse you asked about.

Using the Intel Graphics stack to drive the Intel HD works well.

The one thing I complain about is dell's love of broadcom wifi, ive found
this particualr chipset to be pedantic about which AP's it will talk nice
too.

Hope this helps.

Regards

On Tue, Sep 9, 2014 at 9:42 AM, john ffitch <jpff@codemist.co.uk> wrote:

> I have had four laptops, three IBM Thinkpads and one Lenovo Thinkpad
> (this machine). The first and third machines still run and are solid
> (but who wants a IBM 560 with Windows95, no USB, no network, no
> optical drive?; the X42 runs, slowly with occasional disk glitches and
> an odd-format disk; other one belonged to the University and was
> stolen). However this 5yr old X200s is breaking up -- keyboard is
> suspect with sdyl keys at least (*), and middle button is broken. I was
> thinking it might be time to replace.
>
> However the reliability of Lenovo is dubious in my experience, and
> looking at their latest models they have messed up the mouse buttons and
> the keyboard.
>
> So... I have been looking elsewhere. My requirements are
> light
> reasonable disk/mass device (~~250Gb) -- SSD would be nice for battery
> battery life
> Must run Linux, preferably 64bit processor.
> Nibble mouse (I just cannot use the glide pad thing)
>
> I use it mainly for software development and documentation, but not
> really interested in graphics, or desktop stuff; and a little
> composing.
>
> The main contender would seem to be Toshiba Tecra Z40-A series; but
> will it run Linux? Debian or Opensuse preferred to match the rest of
> the network.
>
> Every one seems to charge the Windows tax.
>
> Or is there a better option? Most laptops seem to be missing the
> nipple-mouse
>
> ==John ffitch
> (*) I lost count of the times I have had to repeat a key to get a
> character in this message
>
> _______________________________________________
> Bristol mailing list
> Bristol@mailman.lug.org.uk
> https://mailman.lug.org.uk/mailman/listinfo/bristol
>

--
?Science is a differential equation. Religion is a boundary condition.?

Alan Turing
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Message: 3
Date: Tue, 9 Sep 2014 16:42:49 +0200
From: Max B <psykx.out@gmail.com>
To: Bristol and Bath Linux User Group <bristol@mailman.lug.org.uk>
Subject: Re: [bristol] Advice on new laptop
Message-ID:
<CALe8LgGTsDfwkJnJnr11LZc7S7HxMF5QTEFxu6L4KKgLyRdc1w@mail.gmail.com>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="utf-8"

You can buy a laptop with linux installed on it from several places on the
internet, even dell does a developer specific laptop with ubuntu installed.
Your also then supporting linux rather than windows.

(I'm now a mac user, at least it has a Bash CLI)

HTH Max B

On 9 September 2014 15:56, Nigel Sollars <nsollars@gmail.com> wrote:

> Hi,
>
> I dont see anything in the specs of the Tecra you gave that would not work
> well with Linux, I currently use a Dell Lattitude E5530 ( I7 ), It has
> both the glide and joystick / nipple mouse you asked about.
>
> Using the Intel Graphics stack to drive the Intel HD works well.
>
> The one thing I complain about is dell's love of broadcom wifi, ive found
> this particualr chipset to be pedantic about which AP's it will talk nice
> too.
>
> Hope this helps.
>
> Regards
>
> On Tue, Sep 9, 2014 at 9:42 AM, john ffitch <jpff@codemist.co.uk> wrote:
>
>> I have had four laptops, three IBM Thinkpads and one Lenovo Thinkpad
>> (this machine). The first and third machines still run and are solid
>> (but who wants a IBM 560 with Windows95, no USB, no network, no
>> optical drive?; the X42 runs, slowly with occasional disk glitches and
>> an odd-format disk; other one belonged to the University and was
>> stolen). However this 5yr old X200s is breaking up -- keyboard is
>> suspect with sdyl keys at least (*), and middle button is broken. I was
>> thinking it might be time to replace.
>>
>> However the reliability of Lenovo is dubious in my experience, and
>> looking at their latest models they have messed up the mouse buttons and
>> the keyboard.
>>
>> So... I have been looking elsewhere. My requirements are
>> light
>> reasonable disk/mass device (~~250Gb) -- SSD would be nice for battery
>> battery life
>> Must run Linux, preferably 64bit processor.
>> Nibble mouse (I just cannot use the glide pad thing)
>>
>> I use it mainly for software development and documentation, but not
>> really interested in graphics, or desktop stuff; and a little
>> composing.
>>
>> The main contender would seem to be Toshiba Tecra Z40-A series; but
>> will it run Linux? Debian or Opensuse preferred to match the rest of
>> the network.
>>
>> Every one seems to charge the Windows tax.
>>
>> Or is there a better option? Most laptops seem to be missing the
>> nipple-mouse
>>
>> ==John ffitch
>> (*) I lost count of the times I have had to repeat a key to get a
>> character in this message
>>
>> _______________________________________________
>> Bristol mailing list
>> Bristol@mailman.lug.org.uk
>> https://mailman.lug.org.uk/mailman/listinfo/bristol
>>
>
>
>
> --
> ?Science is a differential equation. Religion is a boundary condition.?
>
> Alan Turing
>
> _______________________________________________
> Bristol mailing list
> Bristol@mailman.lug.org.uk
> https://mailman.lug.org.uk/mailman/listinfo/bristol
>
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Message: 4
Date: Tue, 9 Sep 2014 15:47:28 +0100
From: Mark Einon <mark.einon@linux.com>
To: Bristol and Bath Linux User Group <bristol@mailman.lug.org.uk>
Subject: Re: [bristol] Advice on new laptop
Message-ID: <20140909144728.GC18024@leicester.auvation.com>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii

On Tue, Sep 09, 2014 at 02:42:14PM +0100, john ffitch wrote:
> I have had four laptops, three IBM Thinkpads and one Lenovo Thinkpad
> (this machine). The first and third machines still run and are solid
> (but who wants a IBM 560 with Windows95, no USB, no network, no
> optical drive?; the X42 runs, slowly with occasional disk glitches and
> an odd-format disk; other one belonged to the University and was
> stolen). However this 5yr old X200s is breaking up -- keyboard is
> suspect with sdyl keys at least (*), and middle button is broken. I was
> thinking it might be time to replace.
>
> However the reliability of Lenovo is dubious in my experience, and
> looking at their latest models they have messed up the mouse buttons and
> the keyboard.
>
> So... I have been looking elsewhere. My requirements are
> light
> reasonable disk/mass device (~~250Gb) -- SSD would be nice for battery
> battery life
> Must run Linux, preferably 64bit processor.
> Nibble mouse (I just cannot use the glide pad thing)
>
> I use it mainly for software development and documentation, but not
> really interested in graphics, or desktop stuff; and a little
> composing.
>
> The main contender would seem to be Toshiba Tecra Z40-A series; but
> will it run Linux? Debian or Opensuse preferred to match the rest of
> the network.
>
> Every one seems to charge the Windows tax.
>
> Or is there a better option? Most laptops seem to be missing the nipple-mouse

I've been happy with laptops from novatech (http://www.novatech.co.uk/),
who sell all their laptops / desktops with a no-OS version. The only
gripe I would have is that some of the cases frre cheap and plasticky.
The UEFI on them also comes in an unlocked state, I seem to remember.

There's also h-node (http://h-node.org/) who try and list hardware and
their free-software compatible state.

Cheers,

Mark

------------------------------

Message: 5
Date: Tue, 09 Sep 2014 16:25:31 +0100
From: James Womack <james.c.womack@gmail.com>
To: Bristol and Bath Linux User Group <bristol@mailman.lug.org.uk>
Subject: Re: [bristol] Advice on new laptop
Message-ID: <540F1BEB.8030500@gmail.com>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset=windows-1252

-----BEGIN PGP SIGNED MESSAGE-----
Hash: SHA512

I second Novatech. When I bought my last laptop (2 years ago), the
business machines tended to have nicer, less cheap-feeling, cases.

My strategy for decreasing the likelihood of compatibility issues was
to buy a less expensive laptop using commodity hardware that was a
little old and Intel integrated graphics (as opposed to an expensive
laptop with very recent/specialist hardware, which might not yet be
supported by the Linux kernel distributed with stable versions of
various distros).

That said, you might have trouble finding anything with more than a
touchpad for mouse control.

James

On 09/09/14 15:47, Mark Einon wrote:
> On Tue, Sep 09, 2014 at 02:42:14PM +0100, john ffitch wrote:
>> I have had four laptops, three IBM Thinkpads and one Lenovo
>> Thinkpad (this machine). The first and third machines still run
>> and are solid (but who wants a IBM 560 with Windows95, no USB, no
>> network, no optical drive?; the X42 runs, slowly with occasional
>> disk glitches and an odd-format disk; other one belonged to the
>> University and was stolen). However this 5yr old X200s is
>> breaking up -- keyboard is suspect with sdyl keys at least (*),
>> and middle button is broken. I was thinking it might be time to
>> replace.
>>
>> However the reliability of Lenovo is dubious in my experience,
>> and looking at their latest models they have messed up the mouse
>> buttons and the keyboard.
>>
>> So... I have been looking elsewhere. My requirements are light
>> reasonable disk/mass device (~~250Gb) -- SSD would be nice for
>> battery battery life Must run Linux, preferably 64bit processor.
>> Nibble mouse (I just cannot use the glide pad thing)
>>
>> I use it mainly for software development and documentation, but
>> not really interested in graphics, or desktop stuff; and a
>> little composing.
>>
>> The main contender would seem to be Toshiba Tecra Z40-A series;
>> but will it run Linux? Debian or Opensuse preferred to match the
>> rest of the network.
>>
>> Every one seems to charge the Windows tax.
>>
>> Or is there a better option? Most laptops seem to be missing the
>> nipple-mouse
>
> I've been happy with laptops from novatech
> (http://www.novatech.co.uk/), who sell all their laptops / desktops
> with a no-OS version. The only gripe I would have is that some of
> the cases frre cheap and plasticky. The UEFI on them also comes in
> an unlocked state, I seem to remember.
>
> There's also h-node (http://h-node.org/) who try and list hardware
> and their free-software compatible state.
>
> Cheers,
>
> Mark
>
> _______________________________________________ Bristol mailing
> list Bristol@mailman.lug.org.uk
> https://mailman.lug.org.uk/mailman/listinfo/bristol
>

- --
James Womack
james.c.womack@gmail.com
http://jcwomack.uk
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End of Bristol Digest, Vol 567, Issue 1
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