
Can anyone suggest a nice laptop to run Linux? - AF

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AF
Hey guys...

I own an Apple and have been trying to get Ubuntu running on it. I got it to
work but there's just a lot of small issues and it just doesn't feel solid.

What I'm looking for is a laptop which is somewhat attractive like Apple's
stuff but will run Linux. I think Dell hardware is atrocious (and by this I
mean it looks very ugly) so I'm looking for whatever else is out there. The
Lenovos seem kind of nice. Does anyone have experience with them?

Thanks for any suggestions.

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sprice
While I don't have any personal experience with linux and laptops, I've read
many reviews on the web regarding the ibm/lenovo line of Thinkpads as being
about as rock solid as it gets.

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sethg
The sysadmins where I work (an almost-exclusively-Linux shop) swear by
ThinkPads.

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davidw
Nice question. Since I'm going to be bootstrapping my own firm, I need to
always keep an eye on saving money, and shelling out $$$ for an apple machine
just isn't justifiable for me. And in any case, I've been using Linux for more
than 10 years, so I don't want Mac OS X, and certainly don't want to pay extra
for it.

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cwilbur
I run Fedora Core under Parallels, which is solid enough for a "does this work
under Linux?" kind of test.

That said, if I had to buy a Linux laptop, I'd go for a Lenovo ThinkPad, but
I'd make sure the one I bought had good driver support. Since the ThinkPads
were introduced, I've only ever heard two things about running Linux on them
-- "I can't find the @#$% driver for the @#$% @#$%," and "it runs
beautifully."

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Zak
Ubuntuforums.org might be a better place to ask than news.YC, though I'll say
I'm quite pleased with my Thinkpad Z61m. It's no longer available, but I'm
pretty sure the widestreen T60 has the same hardware in a much thinner,
lighter package for the same price. The Macbook-sized Z61t is also a good bet.
Ubuntu almost works out of the box, though I had to install a video driver
before I could start X on the live CD. Debian works with no more hassle than
usual.

I've never heard Thinkpads called pretty, but they do look like the serious
machines they are. Dells are mostly cheap crap, and they look the part. I
wouldn't worry too much about looks - instead, consider that Thinkpads, like
many Apples have magnesium frames and hard drive shock protection.

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staunch
I like 1920x1200 resolution so Apple won't work for me. Most Dell laptops work
well with Linux. I always get an NVIDIA graphics card and use their driver.

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orlick
Lenovo Thinkpad

