

Which inexpensive laptop works best in Linux - insulation

I'm looking to buy a laptop specifically for use with Linux.  I don't want a super-expensive thing stolen or broken so nothing over $1000 please.  I'm wondering which will be the best deal, given that I need performance and RAM up to a (low) point (high if I intend to run VMs), and beyond that I just want to minimize "WTF time".
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insulation
Previous experiences include some in 2008-2009:

<http://www.subspacefield.org/~travis/hp_2133_links.html>

And in late 2010-2011:

<http://www.subspacefield.org/~travis/asus_eee_pc_1215n.html>

Right now I'm struggling with it on a Macbook Pro 2.1... and it won't boot off
HDD (I have to boot to CD then HDD), and some package I'm installing is
messing up fonts/icons, so I have to troubleshoot that.

Primary distro is Ubuntu but I'd consider Mint if the advantages were truly
compelling enough for me to retest/rewrite my kickstart scripts.

Every time I mention laptop flakiness under Linux, I get called stupid or lazy
by some Linux advocate who denies any such problems exist. After I point them
at those pages, they generally disappear quietly, without an apology. These
same people see to be unable to fix any of these problem I've extensively
documented, so I've grown less convinced of my own laziness and stupidity.

Maybe I'm just picky, since I want my hardware to work the way I naively
expect; I don't want to have to "work around" bugs. That's why I got into
writing software, and why I prefer Linux _in the first place_.

I'd check the Ubuntu fora but the laptop reports are not done by many people;
it's a bit sparse. In fact, so is the Linux Hardware Compatibility List. Which
is a shame.

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insulation
I am considering System76, ZaReason.

Here's a System76 review: <http://ubuntuforums.org/showthread.php?t=343798>

A friend says: Heard great things about system76 and I like the fact they
offer matte screen options over the usual shiny pieces. I am not a fan of core
and intel gma in general. Upper echelon corei7 do very well though because of
all the cache they pack in there. Have you considered something like Lenovo
x120? Though not a big performer, would likely get you buy and supports 1080p
resolution (even on 12" models). I really dont like the resolutions on
system76 systems I see (768 vertical really does affect your view space). I am
currently looking at e450 models from Lenovo (130e), Asus, Dell (the only one
that bundles w/ Ubuntu out of the factory), or Acer (preferred).

Again, after my experiences with Asus, I'm hesitating to buy from anyone who
will ignore any problems on Linux using the excuse that it is Linux. It needs
to have all driver software in the Linux tree or it didn't happen. :-)

~~~
japhyr
I had a great experience with system76. I got a 15" pangolin with a 1600x?
screen, it was a special offer for a while. My only complaint, and the only
consistent complaint I saw on the system76 forums, was really poor battery
life.

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eric_bullington
I've used multiple laptops with Linux and they've invariably run much better
than on Windows. If you've not used Linux before, you'll be surprised how much
faster your laptop will run on any flavor of Linux. If you want to really fly,
try any distro that runs on xfce or lxde, like certain versions of Linux Mint,
or Peppermint Linux.

I'm running a sub-200 USD Acer Aspire One laptop right now on the latest
version of Ubuntu. This laptop has a single-core Atom 450 -- not a fast
processor. In spite of this, it runs Ubuntu very fast. I did put in an extra
GB of RAM (it came with 1 GB), but I think that it would have even run well
with 1 GB of RAM. The only time I even notice the operating a delay is when I
load up a bloated web site, like AT&T. This computer runs faster on Linux than
my other computer, a multicore machine with much faster processors and 8 GB of
RAM, runs on Windows 7 (I have to dual-boot that one for work-related
reasons).

Honestly, you can't go wrong. Even the cheapest modern laptops run well on
Linux. But I've been very happy with my Acer Aspire One. If you're OK with
netbooks, you can get the Acer Aspire One with the dual-core Atom n550, or
else the new AMD C-50 with a nice on-die GPU, for around $300 direct from
Acer, I think. A comparable Asus would be another good choice. Otherwise, Dell
makes some "full-size" Inspiron laptops that run well on Linux in the $400-500
range.

~~~
phaus
Most laptops run Linux fine, but I still think the OP raised a good question
because there are some that don't. I have an Alienware m17x r3 and there are a
lot of compatibility issues due to the audio chipset and the hybrid graphics.
While most laptops might not have any problems, it really sucks when you find
one that does.

~~~
digitalboss
I agree with you - how many times in the past has software that is not main
stream just croaks out because of hardware and CMOS complications, especially
from a licensing perspective. Going to be interesting to see how Unified
Extensible Firmware Interface (UEFI) for Windows changes some of the market

Reminds me of Richard Stallman talking about a 100% Open Source laptop
(hardware and Bios) that he says he uses (used).

[http://liliputing.com/2010/01/open-source-champion-
richard-s...](http://liliputing.com/2010/01/open-source-champion-richard-
stallmans-netbook.html)

product page:
[http://www.lemote.com/en/products/Notebook/2010/0310/112.htm...](http://www.lemote.com/en/products/Notebook/2010/0310/112.html)

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khyryk
Coming into the thread, I had the idea of an inexpensive laptop being
something like my old Dell D420 running Ubuntu, but the $1000 mark is what I
would personally call expensive -- talk about having the completely wrong
idea!

Anyway, which type of laptop are you looking for? 17" gaming monster? 12"
ultraportable? The Lenovo ThinkPad X220 handles Linux just fine, but I'm not
sure whether that's what you're looking for.

~~~
cylinder714
I'm writing this on a Lenovo ThinkPad X220i (i3 processor, no camera,
Bluetooth or fingerprint reader) and Lubuntu runs very well on it. Wi-fi and
wired networks just work, and the stock Intel onboard graphics perform normal
tasks flawlessly, though I can't speak to gaming performance.

I bought mine via outlet.lenovo.com, and if you have a Visa card, Lenovo has a
deal with them at www.lenovo.com/visa whereby one can save a couple hundred
dollars off the usual price.

As to which models to look at, the T- and X-series ThinkPads seem to be the
ones to get.

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LarryMade
One boost is using an SSD on whatever laptop you choose, Linux is very file
intensive and the improvement of seek performance on a SSD will make Linux
that much more faster.

