
'Ubuntu Friendly' Hardware Certification Program Maturing - darkduck
http://www.thevarguy.com/2011/09/23/ubuntu-friendly-hardware-certification-program-maturing/
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fader
_manufacturers these days will change the underlying chip sets and
configuration of "models" without changing the model # or appearance. The
manufacturer has some incentive to keep their official compatibility with
Microsoft but you may find that Linux compatibility changes._

This is definitely the case. I work at Canonical and previously worked on the
Hardware Certification team (who produces the list of hardware on
<http://www.ubuntu.com/certification/> and is working with the community on
the Ubuntu Friendly program). The number one issue we saw was exactly this.
We'd get a system, test it and enable or certify it, and then the components
would change during production. Suddenly people were getting systems that
didn't work properly.

It's not always the OEM's fault -- sometimes the ODM would change parts
without properly notification. (After all, if they can save a half a cent per
device and it still works just fine under Windows, that's just money in their
pockets.)

We're working on it. It's gotten better in the past year or two with the major
OEMs and we're continuing to improve our relationships with them and the ODMs
that build the hardware for them. It's a process of education, driver
improvement, and QA that goes on largely out of sight of anyone not actively
involved in the process, but it is happening. The good news is that this helps
everyone, as the OEMs and ODMs are starting to think about this sort of issue
throughout the design and production process rather than as just an
afterthought.

Edit: Whoops, meant this to be a reply to joe_the_user

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madmaze
Has anyone actually managed to the alpha page it seems to be down.
<https://wiki.ubuntu.com/UbuntuFriendly> (see under Alpha page)

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schwuk
It's here: <http://linkpot.net/friendly/>

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joe_the_user
This sounds good.

However, what I have read is that to leverage chip prices and availability,
manufacturers these days will change the underlying chip sets and
configuration of "models" without changing the model # or appearance. The
manufacturer has some incentive to keep their official compatibility with
Microsoft but you may find that Linux compatibility changes. Those with more
hardware knowledge can correct me if I'm wrong.

Off-topic, the problem I've had with laptops lately isn't lack of Linux
compatibility but simply that the hardware is total crap on quality and
ergonomic side.

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jessedhillon
Have you seen this list? <http://www.ubuntu.com/certification/>

I checked it before I bought a Lenovo and discovered that the ThinkPad X220
(the one I really wanted) was on that list. It works like a dream with Ubuntu.
I wanted Gnome 3 as a first class experience and went with Fedora, and it
works great.

~~~
zmanian
Lenovo does a great job with ensuring reasonable level of linux compatibility
in their hardware.

I've been fairly loyal customer for years for that reason and basically
everyone I know who doesn't use a mac is on thinkpad running linux.

I think it may actually be meaningful customer segment for them.

