Inspiron 15n

[davidY]

I just got my dell :D

However, does anybody notice that there is a strong non-linear volume control? Actually more like the volume control are exponential, so only the top volume controls are loud, while all others volume settings are so silent.

Also, does anybody else see xorg using 20-50% cpu power all the time?

[delogren]

I just got my dell :D

However, does anybody notice that there is a strong non-linear volume control? Actually more like the volume control are exponential, so only the top volume controls are loud, while all others volume settings are so silent.

Also, does anybody else see xorg using 20-50% cpu power all the time?

You got actual volume out of the 15n speakers? All I get is nothing, or a feeble sound.

I had to hook up an external amp/speaker gizmo to be able to hear it above ambient outdoor noise.

--del

[delogren]

Yeah, I turned off "vertical scrolling" in the touch pad settings. Hope that fixes it. I also read that if you maximize your application windows that also helps.

So you came from a Mac also, huh? I've got an iMac and MacBook Pro that I use for work but couldn't afford another Mac notebook. For about half the price of a used G4 MacBook, I got my wife a new Dell running Ubuntu, can't beat that! ;) So far the 15n seems to work fine (with the already noted minor exceptions).


THANKS, all!

Just turned off "vertical scrolling" in System->Preferences->Mouse->Touchpad.
No more accidental jumping around between desktops.

--del

[Knowle]

erm..paranoid newb question, should I only be getting 3hrs out of the 6 cell battery?

random question, anyone else automatically have the "Mozilla-laajennus Voikon kayttoon"(finnish language extension) in Firefox? O_o

[davidY]

You got actual volume out of the 15n speakers? All I get is nothing, or a feeble sound.

I had to hook up an external amp/speaker gizmo to be able to hear it above ambient outdoor noise.

--del

Well I installed a windows dual boot, and discovered that windows was much much louder. I'm not very concerned about the speakers, but just raw output.

On my headphones, the max volume is quite low on ubuntu, but the windows max volume is unbearable. I keep it at 10% volume on windows.

Does anybody know what the driver name is for the ubuntu sound card? Does ALSA/pulse/OSS do the deep driver stuff or is there a sound driver that has some issues?

Also for xorg, I clean installed to 9.04 and used the performance recommendations and discovered that youtube now plays smoothly on HD. Memory leaks etc don't worry me much since I reboot often.

Overall feelings of the laptop:

Pros:
* (was) cheap
* good stats

Cons:
* has keyboard form factor where the Home/PageUp/PageDown etc are on one row - nightmare if you are used to a 2x3 grid of buttons
* shiny/sticky (one wonders why the lid has such a nice matte finish, but the hand rest doesn't)
* function keys over ride the F1-F12. That in itself is acceptable (and customizable), but the fact that alt+F4 maps to brightness down is annoying.
* ports on the side makes it hard to set up a table nicely.

Knowle: no I think I had a clean firefox, before I repartitioned.

[KewlEugene]

Good call on the Small Business division website at Dell.

While I would have agreed with you re: HP quality during and immediately after the Carly Fiorina years of HP, once the damage of the Fiorina years was fixed, which took a few years after she left, things have GREATLY improved at HP/Compaq. While perhaps not back to their pre-Fiorina standards, I think everyone agrees their product quality has improved.

Again, the Compaq CQ60Z's Nvidia 8200MG GPU is well worth the difference in price, if any (depending on final configuration).I've lived in Silicon Valley for 30 years. HP quality has always been the best in the world and it didn't change at all when Carly was in charge. PC's are consumer / commodity items. It doesn't matter which brand you buy, they all have the same parts inside and are assembled in screwdriver plants all over the world. The main thing you are buying is support, that's what you are paying for, so I always buy from the huge $B companies.

[OooBuntuRox]

erm..paranoid newb question, should I only be getting 3hrs out of the 6 cell battery?

random question, anyone else automatically have the "Mozilla-laajennus Voikon kayttoon"(finnish language extension) in Firefox? O_o

Hello Knowle,
Remember, It is an estimated time. While I never timed it for accuracy, mine starts with an estimate of about 2hr and 45 minutes. It might be a little higher (like 2:50). I pay closer attention to what percentage of battery life I have left rather than the remaining time estimated. Because, even though it begins with about 3 hrs, that 3 hrs seems to pass quickly. Also, the more horsepower you have, the faster it will die and hotter it will most likely run. Heat also tends to drain power.

OooBuntuRox :guitar:

[OooBuntuRox]

Cons:

* shiny/sticky (one wonders why the lid has such a nice matte finish, but the hand rest doesn't)




That glossy finnish is a Security Feature! If your Laptop gets stolen, your prints will be all over it as will be the crooks finger prints. Your prints will be used to identify ownership and the other prints will be used to nail the thief. :rolleyes:

OoobuntuRox :guitar:

[OooBuntuRox]

FYI to all: HP C4680 USB All-In-One photo printer seems to work just fine with 8.04 ...Have only done a light preliminary test page and email print. But I am confident that it will also scan just fine using Xsane.

Note: Ubuntu installed the C4400 driver.

[delogren]

Well I installed a windows dual boot, and discovered that windows was much much louder. I'm not very concerned about the speakers, but just raw output.

On my headphones, the max volume is quite low on ubuntu, but the windows max volume is unbearable. I keep it at 10% volume on windows.

Does anybody know what the driver name is for the ubuntu sound card? Does ALSA/pulse/OSS do the deep driver stuff or is there a sound driver that has some issues?

<snip>

Was the speaker audio louder in windoze? I don't care much about raw output. I just don't want to have to haul around an amp/speaker system..

--del

[davidY]

Was the speaker audio louder in windoze? I don't care much about raw output. I just don't want to have to haul around an amp/speaker system..

--del

Yeah the speakers do go much louder. You can probably damage the speakers if you set the volume to max in windows.

Although the quality is not the best since it sounds thin/lacking bass.

Ok. So i figured out that if you use paman -> Devices -> Sinks -> Alsa Output -> #n for the nth playback stream. You can double-click that stream and increase the volume in software up to 460% louder.

[davidY]

Does anybody notice video tearing? There is a very obvious seam in the middle of the screen for me. I did turn off unredirect full screen apps in compiz. The graphics card should be able to handle it right?

Solved: you can use the bleeding edge xorg ppa, which also has latest kernel. Make sure to update all and also install new kernel.

Warning: this breaks suspend (resume is instant due to kernel modesetting, but keyboard and mouse not activated).

Warning 2: this breaks the wireless since the broadcom driver is in linux-restricted-modules-2.6.28 and when you upgrade to .30 you don't get that package. Fix this by using ndiswrapper. Blacklist b43 and ssb. Install ndiswrapper and the gui tool. Then use the driver found in dell 1545 website.

[delogren]

Yeah the speakers do go much louder. You can probably damage the speakers if you set the volume to max in windows.

Although the quality is not the best since it sounds thin/lacking bass.

Ok. So i figured out that if you use paman -> Devices -> Sinks -> Alsa Output -> #n for the nth playback stream. You can double-click that stream and increase the volume in software up to 460% louder.


Can you be more specific about the menu path to cranking up the volume in Ubuntu on the 15n? I looked around and didn't find the menu path you described.

tnx

--del

[RedRat]

Can you be more specific about the menu path to cranking up the volume in Ubuntu on the 15n? I looked around and didn't find the menu path you described.

tnx

--del

Just go to the terminal and type in: paman

this will bring up the pulse audio manager. then follow the tabs.

[delogren]

Just go to the terminal and type in: paman

this will bring up the pulse audio manager. then follow the tabs.


Thanks RedRad and DavidY,

That helped, sorta..

paman wasn't installed on this 15n. But installing it was easy.

I listened to an audio web site via Firefox, and messed around with the volume. Above about 120% it turned to noise, but at least it's a bit louder now..

--del

[Halberd]

I'm having trouble with flash player on my Inspiron 15n when playing games (but not when playing video). There is a lot of flickering, so that objects on lower layers show through. And directional keys "repeat" making it difficult to control the game. Anybody else having this problem?

[Halberd]

Update: the flickering flash problem happens in firefox 3.5. It doesn't happen in Opera.

[sebastianrimbaud]

I just got my Dell Inspiron 15n.

I was actually on the board here prior to buying mine and seeing if a few things checked out. When I ordered it, on July 8 the website said my order was expected to arrive on July 30. Imagine my surprise when earlier this week I found out it had shipped and would arrive on the 18th! Then I got home today this afternoon (the 17th) and found it waiting for me.

I took it right out of the box and it actually TURNED ON right out of the box. No charging needed! I had a 9.04 cd and installed it right away with no problems and was up and running with my favorite apps and aesthetics in no time.

It's ridiculous and I'm surprised. I'm also surprised about the price increase. I feel really, really lucky right now. I just checked the price and it's 514.

I was equally surprised when I got a (free) upgrade on my screen? When I choose the option, it was no added extra cost.

Mine is pretty basic for the most part. I was going to get the dual core, but I'm on a budget. Still, I wanted to be a bit frivolous. I wasn't going to use it for heavy duty stuff.

160gb, 2gb ram, celeron processor, and webcam.

One of the things I really wanted to was use skype. So far the webcam works great, and I'm surprised the cam worked.

I'm disappointed in the microphone though. I tested it with one of my friends who uses skype on a mac and after several tries she could hear me.

I tried it with my gf however, she does dual-boot with windows and ubuntu on a dell machine. The mic doesn't work on her ubuntu partition, so she uses windows and she couldn't hear me at all no matter what I tried. Anyone else having these problems?

So far that's the only CON for me.

[bigkahuna]

I haven't tested the mic on mine.

If anyone at Dell is reading this I just wanted to say that purchasing and using the Dell 15n has been one of the best new computer purchase experiences I've ever had. This is the first time I ever ordered a computer with Linux pre-installed so I half expected to spend a day getting all the devices working properly. To my surprise everything worked right out of the box. The only thing I did was to turn off "vertical scrolling" in the mouse settings to prevent that desktop flipping issue (I would recommend you leave it off as a default setting). My wife, who's only used Ubuntu briefly several years ago, just plugged in the printer and it worked, I didn't have to do a thing! It is also such a pleasure to buy a computer and all the basic software you might need (Open Office, Gimp, FireFox, and Evolution) are pre-installed and without all those darn crapola "test drive" apps that are often a pain to remove. So far I am a very happy customer, thanks!

[OooBuntuRox]

Has anyone successfully done a full windows install on a fresh drive Using a generic winblows disk? Now before you start throwing rotten eggs... it's to set up a dual boot system.

IE: brand new drive, Initialized, & partitioned. Drive was tested with Ubuntu 9.04. It took the install without a single problem. XP installs to the point of reboot (where the system hardware setup begins) and the system hangs with a warning. The win disk is a generic (non-dell disk).

Also I had to manually load the win cab files onto the extended hd partition and install from there. Was able to boot from the dvd drive with a bootable dvd, but after boot, the drive cannot be accessed. So there is a big driver issue I'd say. Yeah I download the 16 xp drivers but if win won't boot, how do you get them installed? I doubt they're legacy drivers.

Thanks, OooBuntu Rox :guitar:

[rgb1701]

Just a heads-up for those wishing they got in on the $299 Ubuntu pre-loaded deal- here is a $249 Ubuntu pre-load

http://www.geeks.com/details.asp?invtid=GBOOK2-VA1501V-LNX-R&cm_mmc=geekmail-_-daily_html-_-21jul09_Gbook2-_-Gbook2Main

Full size and full featured, opinions on the VIA CPU and GPU notwithstanding ;)

Features/Specifications:
Everex gBook2 VA1501V VIA C7-M 1.5 GHz 15.4-inch Notebook


General Features:
Ubuntu Linux 8.04 (hardy heron) pre-installed
VIA C7-M 1.5 GHz processor
400 MHz Front Side Bus
512 MB DDR2 SDRAM (2 GB max. supported)
120 GB hard drive
CDRW/DVD-ROM drive
Integrated VIA Chrome9 HC graphics processor
Integrated AC'97 audio with built-in stereo speakers
VIA VT6102 10/100 Ethernet LAN
Integrated Atheros 802.11b/g Wireless LAN
15.4-inch widescreen active-matrix display
1280 x 800 max resolution


I/O ports:
RJ-45 Ethernet port
VGA port
RJ-11 Modem port
Three (3) USB ports
Headphone, mic jacks


Regulatory Approvals:
FCC
cULus

Package Includes:
Everex gBook2 VA1501V VIA C7-M 1.5 GHz 15.4-inch Notebook
Ubuntu Linux 8.04 hardy heron pre-installed
Power Adapter (100 - 240V 50/60 Hz 1.5A, Output: 20V 3.25)
Power cord
Li-ion rechargable battery

Additional Information:


Notes:
Model: gbook2 VA1501V
UPC: 8 53031 00188 7

[jimhenry]

I ordered this from Dell (by phone, as I couldn't figure out how to get the website purchase form to accept the detailed shipping instructions I needed to give) on 7/7; the original estimated shipping date was 7/28, but it actually shipped on 7/16 and arrived on 7/18. Everything works pretty well so far, except the touchpad seems to be a little oversensitive relative to some other laptops I've used in the past, such as the old Dell Inspiron 3700 I was using before. I haven't tested the battery life yet.

It's had everything I needed already installed except for Emacs, which was trivially easy to install with the Add/Remove... GUI, and CVS, which was also fairly easy to install via command-line apt-get although it wasn't listed in the Add/Remove as being in the repository (nor was any other version control software, as far as I could tell).

I'm still getting used to the X/GNOME/Ubuntu GUI -- not sure what aspects of it to attribute to which subsystem, as I've never used any of them before. I've used Slackware and Red Hat in pure command-line mode some years ago, on old PCs whose graphics cards weren't supported by X, or remotely via ssh, and more recently a variety of Unix tools on Windows via Cygnus, but never Ubuntu or any version of Unix with a GUI. I've had a few problems with it switching to the other workspace with no apparent provocation; I figured out how to switch workspaces with ctrl-alt- left/right keys, but haven't figured out what mouse gestures I'm making that cause it to switch workspaces when I don't intend it to; nor have I figured out how to configure the desktop settings so there's only one workspace, or so there's more than four. I just downloaded the Ubuntu Pocket Guide and am planning on reading it before asking any more questions.

[jimhenry]

I bought the Inspiron 15n with the basic 160GB hard drive, and 4GB memory. System Monitor shows 3.4GB of memory. Not sure why the discrepancy.

System Monitor also shows that the main /dev/sda3 filesystem is only 138.5GB. I poked around in /dev and created mount points for /sda1 and /sda2. It turns out that /sda1 is apparently a 39.1GB DOS or Windows partition:


jim@dell-desktop:/mnt$ sudo mkdir s1
jim@dell-desktop:/mnt$ sudo mount /dev/sda1 s1
jim@dell-desktop:/mnt$ ls s1
autoexec.bat config.bts dell diags ramdrive.sys
autoexec.up config.sys dellbio.bin dir.lst seal.exe
btoa_rel.txt config.up delldiag.ini himem.sys seal.ini
command.com copyup.bat dellrmk.bin mfgmedia
/sda2 is a 5.0 vfat partition, with Linux boot files:


jim@dell-desktop:/mnt$ sudo mkdir s2
jim@dell-desktop:/mnt$ sudo mount /dev/sda2 s2
jim@dell-desktop:/mnt$ ls s2
boot debs efi isolinux pool scripts
casper dists grub misc preseed ubuntu
When and if I ever run out of room on the sda3 partition, I reckon I'd want to clean up the sda1 partition and use it for storage, maybe reformatting it as ext2... I'm not absolutely sure it's not being used in some unobvious way, though.

[superm1]

I bought the Inspiron 15n with the basic 160GB hard drive, and 4GB memory. System Monitor shows 3.4GB of memory. Not sure why the discrepancy.

System Monitor also shows that the main /dev/sda3 filesystem is only 138.5GB. I poked around in /dev and created mount points for /sda1 and /sda2. It turns out that /sda1 is apparently a 39.1GB DOS or Windows partition:


jim@dell-desktop:/mnt$ sudo mkdir s1
jim@dell-desktop:/mnt$ sudo mount /dev/sda1 s1
jim@dell-desktop:/mnt$ ls s1
autoexec.bat config.bts dell diags ramdrive.sys
autoexec.up config.sys dellbio.bin dir.lst seal.exe
btoa_rel.txt config.up delldiag.ini himem.sys seal.ini
command.com copyup.bat dellrmk.bin mfgmedia
/sda2 is a 5.0 vfat partition, with Linux boot files:


jim@dell-desktop:/mnt$ sudo mkdir s2
jim@dell-desktop:/mnt$ sudo mount /dev/sda2 s2
jim@dell-desktop:/mnt$ ls s2
boot debs efi isolinux pool scripts
casper dists grub misc preseed ubuntu
When and if I ever run out of room on the sda3 partition, I reckon I'd want to clean up the sda1 partition and use it for storage, maybe reformatting it as ext2... I'm not absolutely sure it's not being used in some unobvious way, though.
sda1 shouldn't be 39 gigs. Are you *sure* it's that big? It should be more on the order of 39megs.

It's for tools to do hardware diagnostics in the event you need warranty service.

The second partition is a recovery partition to restore it to factory settings.

[tecky]

... and 4GB memory. System Monitor shows 3.4GB of memory. Not sure why the discrepancy.

The reason for the 3.4gb limit is that its a hardcoded liimit for 32bit OS's. to utilize the full 4gb you would need to switch to a ubuntu 64 release or other linux distro that's 64bit.

http://www.codinghorror.com/blog/archives/000811.html has a great write up about the 32bit 3.4gb limit, if you care to read some technical garble : )

[superm1]

The reason for the 3.4gb limit is that its a hardcoded liimit for 32bit OS's. to utilize the full 4gb you would need to switch to a ubuntu 64 release or other linux distro that's 64bit.
When ubuntu 9.10 comes out, you can also use the PAE kernel to address the rest of the memory.

[tecky]

When ubuntu 9.10 comes out, you can also use the PAE kernel to address the rest of the memory.


Should I hold my breath?

[superm1]

Should I hold my breath?
Sure, but last I heard you need to breath to live :P

[Knowle]

I've had a few problems with it switching to the other workspace with no apparent provocation; I figured out how to switch workspaces with ctrl-alt- left/right keys, but haven't figured out what mouse gestures I'm making that cause it to switch workspaces when I don't intend it to; nor have I figured out how to configure the desktop settings so there's only one workspace, or so there's more than four. I just downloaded the Ubuntu Pocket Guide and am planning on reading it before asking any more questions.

I think a few of us talked about that a few pages back but I believe it was caused from vertical scrolling being enabled on the touchpad. You can turn that off from System>Preferences>Mouse. If you'd like to decrease/increase workspaces(what I originally did as it drove me made xD)
just right click over the workspace icon and go into preferences and set the number of workspaces to 1.

[rgb1701]

Two more budget notebook dealz-

$299 Aspire AS5516-5474

http://www.microcenter.com/single_product_results.phtml?product_id=0312136

Operating System Microsoft Windows Vista Home Basic
Processor AMD Athlon(tm) 64 TF-20 Single-Core Processor
Processor Speed 1.60GHz
Level 2 Cache 512KB Level 2 Cache
Data Bus Speed 667MHz Frontside Bus
RAM Installed / Max RAM Supported 2GB DDR2-667 RAM (Expandable to 4GB)
Memory Configuration (1) 2GB SO-DIMM Memory Module
Memory Slots Available (0) Available 200-pin SO-DIMM Slots
Hard Drive 160GB Serial ATA Hard Drive
Multimedia Drive 8x SuperMulti Double Layer DVD±RW Drive
Display Type 15.6" HD Widescreen WXGA High-Brightness Display
Video Card ATI Radeon Xpress 1200
Video Card Memory Up to 1919MB of HyperMemory(tm) supporting Shader Model 2.0, Microsoft® DirectX® 9.0
Internal Max Resolution 1366 x 768
Sound Card High Definition Audio Chipset
Network Features 10/100 Fast Ethernet Network
Wireless Network Features Acer InviLink 802.11b/g Wi-Fi CERTIFIED Wireless Network
Ports and Connectors (1) VGA 15-pin Port; (2) USB 2.0 Ports; (1) RJ-45 Network Port; (1) Headphone/Speaker/Line-out Jack; (1) Microphone-in Jack; (1) AC Adapter Connector
Memory Card Reader Multi-in-1 Digital Media Card Reader
Supported Flash Media Secure Digital(tm) (SD), MultiMediaCard (MMC), Memory Stick(tm) (MS), Memory Stick PRO(tm) (MS PRO), xD-Picture Card(tm) (xD)
Built-In Devices Stereo Speakers
Input Device Keyboard, Touchpad
Notebook Security Kensington Lock Slot
Included Battery 6-Cell Rechargeable Lithium-Ion Battery
Average Run Time Up to 2 Hours, 30 Minutes
Included Software Microsoft Works with Office Home and Student 2007 Trial, McAfee® Internet Security Suite 60-Day Trial
Dimensions (WxDxH) 14.4" x 10.8" x 1.1"-1.5"
Weight Starting at 6.0 lbs

$289 eMachines® eMD620-5133

http://www.microcenter.com/single_product_results.phtml?product_id=0307967

Operating System Microsoft Windows Vista Home Basic
Processor AMD Athlon(tm) 2650e
Processor Speed 1.60GHz
Level 2 Cache 512KB Level 2 Cache
Data Bus Speed 800MHz Frontside Bus
RAM Installed / Max RAM Supported 2GB DDR2 RAM
Memory Configuration (1) 2GB SO-DIMM Memory Module
Hard Drive 160GB Serial ATA II Hard Drive
Multimedia Drive SuperMulti 8x Double-Layer Drive
Display Type 14.1" Widescreen XGA High Brightness Display
Video Card ATI Radeon X1200
Video Card Memory Up to 1919MB of HyperMemory(tm) Supporting Shader Model 2.0
Internal Max Resolution 1280 x 800
Sound Card High Definition Audio Chipset
Network Features 10/100 Fast Ethernet Network
Wireless Network Features 802.11b/g Wi-Fi CERTIFIED®
Ports and Connectors (1) VGA 15-pin Port; (2) USB 2.0 Ports; (1) RJ-45 Port; (1) Headphone/Speaker/Line-Out Jack; (1) Microphone-in Jack; (1) DC-in Jack for AC Adapter
Built-In Devices Stereo Speakers
Included Battery 6 Cell Rechargeable Lithium-Ion Battery
Average Run Time Up to 2 Hours
Included Software Microsoft® Works 8.5 with Office Home and Student 2007 60-Day Trial Version, Norton Internet Security 60-Day Trial Version, NTI CD&DVD-Maker(tm)
Dimensions (WxDxH) 13.03" x 9.76" x 1.61"
Weight 5.29 lbs

I don't know about wireless compatibility with Linux on these notebooks, but the ATI X1200 GPU should be a step up from the Intel GMA GPU, assuming you install the latest ATI Linux driver.

[jimhenry]

sda1 shouldn't be 39 gigs. Are you *sure* it's that big? It should be more on the order of 39megs.

You're right, I misread it. It's 39.1 MB. That raises the question of where the other 16.5 GB are, if the physical hard disk is 160GB. Further poking around suggests most of it is in /dev/sda5, which mount says "looks like swapspace," but I'm not sure how to confirm that guess. Or it could be partly a difference between Dell calculating gigabytes as 1000 MB or 10^6 KB while the System Monitor is using GB =1024 MB, or something.

Further stats on this Inspiron 15n, while it's still in approximately the same state I got it (modulo copying over data from a Windows box and installing Emacs and CVS): its battery, after being plugged in to AC power for a couple of days after I received it, lasted about 2 hours 35 minutes. After plugging it in again, it booted up to the login prompt in about 50 seconds, and then from password entry to usable desktop in another 32 seconds.

As I think I mentioned in my previous message, it has the default configuration except for 4GB memory and dual-core Pentium.

---
Jim Henry
http://www.pobox.com/~jimhenry (http://www.pobox.com/%7Ejimhenry)

[superm1]

You're right, I misread it. It's 39.1 MB. That raises the question of where the other 16.5 GB are, if the physical hard disk is 160GB. Further poking around suggests most of it is in /dev/sda5, which mount says "looks like swapspace," but I'm not sure how to confirm that guess. Or it could be partly a difference between Dell calculating gigabytes as 1000 MB or 10^6 KB while the System Monitor is using GB =1024 MB, or something.


So here's your real hard drive size (160GB is really 160000000000bytes, see http://answers.yahoo.com/question/index?qid=20070820084622AAUmaaW for more info):
160 000 000 000 bytes = 149.011612 gigabytes

take 138 GB for the OS partition
take 5 GB for the recovery partition
take ~4GB for the swap

and you are at just about the right size.

[jimhenry]

I think a few of us talked about that a few pages back but I believe it was caused from vertical scrolling being enabled on the touchpad. You can turn that off from System>Preferences>Mouse.

Thanks. I did that and then increased the workspaces to 2x2 (I had decreased them to 1 after reading the relevant section of the Ubuntu Pocket Guide), and I haven't had any problems with spontaneously switching workspaces. It also seems to have fixed a problem I'd had in Firefox with pages scrolling up or down for no apparent reason.

If you'd like to decrease/increase workspaces(what I originally did as it drove me made xD)
just right click over the workspace icon and go into preferences and set the number of workspaces to 1.Thanks. I found out how to do that in the Pocket Guide, as I mentioned, and reduced it to 1, but now that I've got the switching under control I'm experimenting with four workspaces for now. I'm not sure yet that this has any definite advantages over just using alt-tab and alt-shift-tab to switch windows within a single workspace, but it does look amazingly cool. I'll try it for a while.

[rgb1701]

Price drop on the Compaq CQ60Z today

Compaq Presario CQ60Z customizable Notebook PC
http://www.shopping.hp.com/webapp/shopping/series_can.do;HHOJSID=zK5JKyrCJmtDrk0yN13q8d3vnzfb xGls5cTpqqn8pnszYpnpLNXh!1156049109?storeName=comp uter_store&landing=notebooks&a1=Category&v1=Everyday%20computing

Genuine Windows Vista Home Basic with Service Pack 1 (32-bit)
AMD Sempron(TM) Processor for Notebook PCs SI-42 (2.1GHz, 512KB L2 Cache)
FREE Upgrade to 2GB DDR2 System Memory (2 Dimm) from 1GB DDR2 System Memory (2 Dimm)
160GB 5400RPM SATA Hard Drive
NVIDIA GeForce 8200M G
15.6" diagonal High Definition HP Brightview Display 1366x768
LightScribe SuperMulti 8X DVD+/-RW with Double Layer Support
Microphone + Webcam
Wireless-G Card
HP Color Matching Keyboard
6 Cell Lithium Ion Battery
65W Adapter
Microsoft(R) Works 9.0
HP Home & Home Office Store in-box envelope
Estimated build date: July 31, 2009

Price: $474.99
Discount: -$28.50
EPP Price: $446.49
Notebook instant rebate: –$100.00
Price after rebate: $346.49

$322.99 without webcam.

Remember, with the 8200M + VDPAU, you don't need a dual core CPU :D

Shipping/tax extra, but those could be covered with the Vista refund ;)

[davidY]

Has anybody noticed that the volume has been fixed for 9.04? Linux is now quite loud!

[rgb1701]

More good news re: Windows preload refunds-

http://tech.slashdot.org/article.pl?sid=09/07/23/1855211


http://www.theopensourcerer.com/2009/07/21/getting-your-microsoft-tax-refunded-1010-for-amazon-uk/
Good info for those wanting a low cost notebook and can only find Windows on them.

http://ubuntuforums.org/showthread.php?t=486932&highlight=dell+windows+refund

[Knowle]

Has anybody noticed that the volume has been fixed for 9.04? Linux is now quite loud!I upgraded to 9.04 the day I got it, volume is as low as ever. :/ Glad it works well for you though. I installed Karmic alpha 3 this morning and the battery reports an additional 10 - 20 - 45mins+(and its blue! xD). I kinda hate empathy as a default IM client though.. maybe it will grow on me.

[delogren]

Microphone in?

Today I got a microphone and plugged it into the 15n. Nothing... I couldn't get the audio in any of the included audio programs.

My wife tested the mic on her Windoze box. It worked. So the mic is not defective.

What am I missing here?

--del

[superm1]

Microphone in?

Today I got a microphone and plugged it into the 15n. Nothing... I couldn't get the audio in any of the included audio programs.

My wife tested the mic on her Windoze box. It worked. So the mic is not defective.

What am I missing here?

--del
By default the machine is configured to use the webcam audio for input. You'll need to mess with the mixer settings to set the appropriate inputs. A lot of them are hidden in the GUI mixer.

[delogren]

By default the machine is configured to use the webcam audio for input. You'll need to mess with the mixer settings to set the appropriate inputs. A lot of them are hidden in the GUI mixer.

I tried looking, but couldn't find the hidden settings in any mixer I could find.

A bit more direction on the path to the right switch to throw would be appreciated.

--del

[davidY]

go to the mixer and under the HDA Intel mixer, select preferences and tick all the boxes. Now you can see all the controls, in the "options" tab there is a choice. I think "mixer" is the right choice. I have a front mic in mine, even without a webcam, so the input source should be "front mic" for both sources. I don't exactly know why there are so many controls.

[delogren]

go to the mixer and under the HDA Intel mixer, select preferences and tick all the boxes. Now you can see all the controls, in the "options" tab there is a choice. I think "mixer" is the right choice. I have a front mic in mine, even without a webcam, so the input source should be "front mic" for both sources. I don't exactly know why there are so many controls.


Sorry, David, no joy...

I've looked all over and can't find myself in the place you're describing.

How do I get to "the mixer"?

--del

[sebastianrimbaud]

$289 eMachines® eMD620-5133

http://www.microcenter.com/single_product_results.phtml?product_id=0307967

Operating System Microsoft Windows Vista Home Basic
Processor AMD Athlon(tm) 2650e
Processor Speed 1.60GHz
Level 2 Cache 512KB Level 2 Cache
Data Bus Speed 800MHz Frontside Bus
RAM Installed / Max RAM Supported 2GB DDR2 RAM

Memory Configuration (1) 2GB SO-DIMM Memory Module
Hard Drive 160GB Serial ATA II Hard Drive
Multimedia Drive SuperMulti 8x Double-Layer Drive
Display Type 14.1" Widescreen XGA High Brightness Display
Video Card ATI Radeon X1200
Video Card Memory Up to 1919MB of HyperMemory(tm) Supporting Shader Model 2.0
Internal Max Resolution 1280 x 800
Sound Card High Definition Audio Chipset
Network Features 10/100 Fast Ethernet Network
Wireless Network Features 802.11b/g Wi-Fi CERTIFIED®
Ports and Connectors (1) VGA 15-pin Port; (2) USB 2.0 Ports; (1) RJ-45 Port; (1) Headphone/Speaker/Line-Out Jack; (1) Microphone-in Jack; (1) DC-in Jack for AC Adapter
Built-In Devices Stereo Speakers
Included Battery 6 Cell Rechargeable Lithium-Ion Battery
Average Run Time Up to 2 Hours
Included Software Microsoft® Works 8.5 with Office Home and Student 2007 60-Day Trial Version, Norton Internet Security 60-Day Trial Version, NTI CD&DVD-Maker(tm)
Dimensions (WxDxH) 13.03" x 9.76" x 1.61"
Weight 5.29 lbs

I don't know about wireless compatibility with Linux on these notebooks, but the ATI X1200 GPU should be a step up from the Intel GMA GPU, assuming you install the latest ATI Linux driver.

This was actually my first linux box. Yep, barely a year as an ubuntu user.

I never liked it. plus, I never liked the computer. The sound didn't work out of the box and I had to install the drivers and mess with the sound settings.

The graphics card doesn't work as good as this new Inspiron I'm writing from and the sound and boot time are way better as well.

Plus, the casing just started falling apart. The screws got loose and it started to crack. I'm glad I switched.

Dell fortunately has a trade-in program. http://dell.eztradein.com/dell/
Their quote is comparable to what I would get from ebay on it.

[davidY]

Right click on the volume icon, the one next to the date. It should have something like "open volume control". The preferences button is on the bottom of the volume control app. I'm using 9.04 btw, so they might be using a different volume control applet.

[rgb1701]

Probably my last post on the Compaq CQ60, as this is the 15n thread...

Great deal on the Walmart version of the CQ60 this morning-

http://www.walmart.com/catalog/product.do?product_id=11050018#ProductDetail

Only $298, no shipping! It includes 3GB of RAM, and all the other great CQ60 features- 15" 1366x768 screen, DVD-RW burner, Nvidia VDPAU capable 8200M GPU, etc.

Picked one up this morning. I will followup with reports at

http://ubuntuforums.org/showthread.php?t=1221876

[tecky]

The issue I have with all this splooge about Windows boxes, or buy this or buy that, on a 15n forum thats a "linux by default" machine is that, I personally dont want to pay a MS tax, nor do I wish to hear about other systems that have the ability to run Linux. As most of you know the price went up for the 15n, and thats a unfortunate thing. I was a fortunate one to purchase my 15n before the price increase and am very greatful for that purchase at this point. I however look at the system as a microsoft tax free system, and purchase current systems and configurations based on that. I dont really care what this machine has or hasn't or how its better graphics wise, or how big the harddrive is.... what I do care about is supporting the cause and the use of Open Source hardware. I think alot of you have forgotten that and truly look at whats the best deal -- which is fine by all means, but some of us truly care to support and help projects along by purchasing systems that dont come preinstalled with windows (having a microsoft oem sticker on it), or donating to open source projects, or ordering products preinstalled with your specific flavor (system76, dell N-series, Emporer linux... etc..)

Sorry for the rant, but as a forum user I am honestly sick and tired of seeing buy this / buy that its better for this or for that... this is a thread about the 15n.

/rant

[tecky]

As per the audio issue on the 15n, I've noticed that if you run ' alsamixer ' and then tune the volume on each, and then you run ' alsactl store ' it's fixed most of my issues with sound in 9.04 from 8.10. ... It seems as thought something was chaged for pulseaudio for the ICH9 chipset in 9.04 and the sound output is dramtically decreasd in default 9.04. Please let me know if there's any specific issues your encountering with the soundsubsystem, and I'll try to recreate them here on my #! (crunchbang) box.

[OooBuntuRox]

I noticed the same issue with lower sound in 9.04.

I've been banging my head against the wall trying to set up a dual boot win/ Ubuntu 15n.

I am using a fresh 320G hd. Of course Ubuntu went in without a problem. I've tried win2k and winxp. both blue screen upon the hardware setup reboot. error code: 0x0000007B (inaccessible_boot_device)

I already tried toggling the SATA AHCI and ATA options in the bios. It seemed to work once with XP but then failed upon the next boot.

I am also having a difficult time downloading anything from dell support if I am not on a dell machine. Is that coincidence or an intentional Dell headache?

Any help would be appreciated. Thanks

[RedRat]

I noticed the same issue with lower sound in 9.04.

I've been banging my head against the wall trying to set up a dual boot win/ Ubuntu 15n.

I am using a fresh 320G hd. Of course Ubuntu went in without a problem. I've tried win2k and winxp. both blue screen upon the hardware setup reboot. error code: 0x0000007B (inaccessible_boot_device)

I already tried toggling the SATA AHCI and ATA options in the bios. It seemed to work once with XP but then failed upon the next boot.

I am also having a difficult time downloading anything from dell support if I am not on a dell machine. Is that coincidence or an intentional Dell headache?

Any help would be appreciated. Thanks
I think that you should install Windows first and then install Linux. The Windows install buggers up the MBR.

[delogren]

Right click on the volume icon, the one next to the date. It should have something like "open volume control". The preferences button is on the bottom of the volume control app. I'm using 9.04 btw, so they might be using a different volume control applet.


Thanks, David, but again, no joy...

I can't seem to get to the screen shot you provided. I'm running 9.04 too. But I can't find what you're describing. How about taking me down the path from a blank screen? Like

System->where ever.....

Who knows, I might have messed up a bunch of stuff looking for some way to get the mic to work.....

--del

[jjacobs2]

Applications, sound and video, volume control.

You can also do it through the terminal typing alsamixer, adjusting the levels with the keyboard, escape to exit, then run alsactl store.

[KewlEugene]

to get skype to work on the 15n, in the skype configuration thingy use pulseaudio. i do that on my Fujitsu P8010 as well.

New 15n for $400 --> http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&ssPageName=STRK:MESELX:IT&item=260452883788

[mrwiggum]

Does the 15n support multitouch gestures?

[sebastianrimbaud]

I've been reading up on the forum and noticed that using terminal and installing 'paman' does in fact fix the microphone volume and even boosted volume up a bit.

Skype now works more consistently! So awesome kudos.

[OooBuntuRox]

I think that you should install Windows first and then install Linux. The Windows install buggers up the MBR.


Hello RedRat,

Yeah, I agree with you on windows buggering up the MBR. Regardless of windows first or second, I get the blue screen and error code. That also holds true for both W2K and WXP.

I guess I'll have to look deeper into drivers, etc. Win2k Driveres may not even be available. I doubt winXP drivers would be backward compatable.

I just thought (was hoping) somebody might have already gone this route and known the direct path to the solution.

Any other suggestions (anyone) would be appreciated.

Thanks, OooBuntuRox :guitar:

[tecky]

I've noticed that my 15n does not support multi touch gestures *i.e. using 2 fingers instead of 1 etc..etc..*

[davidY]

I believe that windows xp has lack of a correct hard-drive driver. That makes the install not load, unless the driver is slipstreamed into the install cd.

[jimhenry]

I've had a problem with sound not playing twice now. The first time was after Rhythmbox hung and I had to kill it -- I think it got confused because I had moved some files and directories that it was looking for (I didn't like the default directory structure it created when ripping CDs). After that, Rhythmbox would hang whenever I tried to play anything, and mplayer would give errors about a server being busy (see below). That problem went away after shutting down overnight and restarting next day; but the same or a simiilar problem has recurred. I haven't used Rhythmbox since then, only mplayer. mplayer is giving these errors:


AO: [pulse] Failed to connect to server: Connection refused
[AO_ALSA] alsa-lib: pcm_hw.c:1321:(snd_pcm_hw_open) open /dev/snd/pcmC0D0p failed: Device or resource busy
[AO_ALSA] alsa-lib: pcm_dmix.c:1008:(snd_pcm_dmix_open) unable to open slave
[AO_ALSA] Playback open error: Device or resource busy
[AO OSS] audio_setup: Can't open audio device /dev/dsp: Device or resource busy
[AO_ALSA] alsa-lib: pcm_hw.c:1321:(snd_pcm_hw_open) open /dev/snd/pcmC0D0p failed: Device or resource busy
[AO_ALSA] alsa-lib: pcm_dmix.c:1008:(snd_pcm_dmix_open) unable to open slave
[AO_ALSA] Playback open error: Device or resource busy
[AO ARTS] loading the aRts backend "/usr/lib/libartscbackend.la" failed
[AO ESD] esd_open_sound failed: Connection timed out
AO: [pulse] Failed to connect to server: Connection refused
[JACK] cannot open server
ao_nas: init(): Can't open nas audio server -> nosound
[AO SDL] Samplerate: 44100Hz Channels: Stereo Format s16le
[AO_ALSA] alsa-lib: pcm_hw.c:1321:(snd_pcm_hw_open) open /dev/snd/pcmC0D0p failed: Device or resource busy
[AO_ALSA] alsa-lib: pcm_dmix.c:1008:(snd_pcm_dmix_open) unable to open slave
[AO SDL] Unable to open audio: No available audio device
[AO_ALSA] alsa-lib: pcm_hw.c:1321:(snd_pcm_hw_open) open /dev/snd/pcmC0D0p failed: Device or resource busy
[AO_ALSA] alsa-lib: pcm_dmix.c:1008:(snd_pcm_dmix_open) unable to open slave
[AO_ALSA] alsa-lib: pcm_hw.c:1321:(snd_pcm_hw_open) open /dev/snd/pcmC0D0p failed: Device or resource busy
[AO_ALSA] alsa-lib: pcm_dmix.c:1008:(snd_pcm_dmix_open) unable to open slave
AL lib: alsa.c:344: Could not open playback device 'default': Device or resource busy
AL lib: oss.c:179: Could not open /dev/dsp: Device or resource busy
[OpenAL] could not open device
Opening /dev/dvb/adapter0/audio0
DVB AUDIO DEVICE: No such file or directory
AO: [null] 44100Hz 2ch s16le (2 bytes per sample)
I searched and found a thread here where someone counseled doing sudo /etc/init.d/alsa-utils restart to fix a similar sound problem; I tried that, and it hasn't helped. I also tried right-clicking the volume control and going through the options there, verifying that sound wasn't muted and so forth.

[OooBuntuRox]

I believe that windows xp has lack of a correct hard-drive driver. That makes the install not load, unless the driver is slipstreamed into the install cd.


Hello David,

I was wondering if that or similar are true. That would make it a Dell Proprietary driver... is that correct? Is it available for download from dell support and what is the name of the driver? Or where is it available from?


To All, Does ANYONE on this forum have an Inspiron 15 with ANY version of Windows XP or Windows 2000 that was dell installed? If yes, which operating system is it AND... this is very important... WHAT is the model number of your machine? For instance, the Inspiron 15 that ships with Ubuntu is a model 1545 on the invoice. Are systems that are factory loaded with XP another model number? ... such as a model 1525, etc?
This info is very important because the system may be set up (coded) differently.

ANY help on this topic would be appreciated !!!

Thanks, OooBuntuRox :guitar:

[HoTMetaL]

I ordered a 15N for a friend, and after wiping the drive clean of all partitions created by Dell, I decided to install FreeDOS on a small partition to do future firmware & BIOS updates a little easier. The install would hang and blue-screen. So, I then tried:

* MS-DOS 6.22: BSOD
* Windows 2000: Hang, BSOD
* BartPE w/XP Gold: Hang, BSOD
* Windows XP SP2: BSOD

So, basically, there's something else required in order to get a non-Linux or a non-Vista operating system to install on this machine! For my part, I gave up and setup the repo method for future Dell firmware updates. For what it's worth, this Ubuntu 9.04 Dell was delivered to said friend and I haven't heard a peep from him since. No support calls, no questions. Everything - as he says - "just works". He's never used Linux before, nor does he know (or even care) what it is.

[OooBuntuRox]

I ordered a 15N for a friend, and after wiping the drive clean of all partitions created by Dell, I decided to install FreeDOS on a small partition to do future firmware & BIOS updates a little easier. The install would hang and blue-screen. So, I then tried:

* MS-DOS 6.22: BSOD
* Windows 2000: Hang, BSOD
* BartPE w/XP Gold: Hang, BSOD
* Windows XP SP2: BSOD

So, basically, there's something else required in order to get a non-Linux or a non-Vista operating system to install on this machine! For my part, I gave up and setup the repo method for future Dell firmware updates. For what it's worth, this Ubuntu 9.04 Dell was delivered to said friend and I haven't heard a peep from him since. No support calls, no questions. Everything - as he says - "just works". He's never used Linux before, nor does he know (or even care) what it is.


Hello HotMetal,

You are absolutely correct. something IS missing. Thanks to DavidY (THANKS DAVID!) I am checking into a method known as "injecting drivers". There are 2 methods I have stumbled upon. One method involves setting up an unattended install. (No Thanks). The second method uses the <F6> key during Windows install. I just found a few Intel links. They mention "Intell Matrix Storage drivers" for many versions of windows (including XP and Win2000). I don't know what hardware they apply to yet. Also you may need an older version BIOS. we are curently at A08 and some of the posted articles reference BIOs version A05. You never know, there is a slight chance that the newer versions have dropped some past features/ support. Anyway, you might find these links helpful:

http://www.intel.com/support/chipsets/imsm/sb/CS-021736.htm

http://downloadcenter.intel.com/filter_results.aspx?strTypes=all&ProductID=2101

To anyone who has succes with this info PLEASE POST an update and share your findings.

Oh, Hotmetal, before you can even access your cd rom drive (beyond boot I mean) you have to install a couple of the Dell drivers for XP. There are only 2 or 3 of the listed 28 that will install in dos mode. They are of course at the end of the list. During setup, Try win98SE. Also setup your test install on a FAT32 partiton (32gig max partition size) so you can access it with a DOS boot disk. You can convert to NTFS later.

Thanks Everyone, OooBuntuRox :guitar:

[OooBuntuRox]

Does anyone know which Hard-Drive-Controler is inside the 1545/ 15n?

How do you verify it without opening the case up and without calling dell support?

I need the exact numer or family number and type. I assume it is SCSI but am not sure about that.

The BIOS is set for AHCI (default) and the other 2 options are ATA or disable. Disable drops it into IDE mode. I want to stick with the default AHCI setting.

Thanks, OooBuntuRox :guitar:

[infernosoft]

I'm receiving my inspiron 15n in less than 2 weeks, and was wondering if anyone has been able to run aircrack successfully on theirs? Is it even possible with the driver that comes with the laptop?

[garzan]

I just got my Dell Inspiron 15n.

I took it right out of the box and it actually TURNED ON right out of the box. No charging needed! I had a 9.04 cd and installed it right away with no problems and was up and running with my favorite apps and aesthetics in no time.

I did a 'df' from the command line and saw a lot of partitions Dell installed. I'd like to wipe the drive and install 9.04 as you did. If I were installing Fedora, I'd use /, /boot, and /home. What all does Ubuntu like to see?


One of the things I really wanted to was use skype. So far the webcam works great, and I'm surprised the cam worked.

I'm disappointed in the microphone though. I tested it with one of my friends who uses skype on a mac and after several tries she could hear me.I installed skype this morning. I got audio out to work by changing from 'default' to 'pulse', but I have yet to get the microphone to work on any setting. Were you able to leave yours at 'default'? If not, what do you have the microphone set to?

TIA
Gar

[KewlEugene]

I spent hours fiddling around on my Toshiba P8010 Ubuntu 9.04.

At the top right, pick Volume Control, set Options for Internal Mic, External Mic, CDROM. Then go to the slider and turn up Internal Mic (or whichever Mic you are using).

In Skype go to the bottom left S icon then pick Options, Sound Devices. Choose 'HDA Intel (hw,intel,0)', pulse, and pulse. Then try it out 'Make a test call'.

Btw, I'm my Dell 15n Ubuntu 8.10 is on eBay, with Free Win 7 RC, NO RESERVE.

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=260458013671&ssPageName=STRK:MESELX:IT

I wish I could keep the Dell 15n, but I just landed an EDA gig, I have to have OpenSolaris. OpenSolaris 2009.06 Live CD won't boot on the Dell 15n nor on my Fujitsu P8010. So I am shopping for a Toshiba A205 (the cheap version of the pricey Toshiba R600).

[sebastianrimbaud]

I installed skype this morning. I got audio out to work by changing from 'default' to 'pulse', but I have yet to get the microphone to work on any setting. Were you able to leave yours at 'default'? If not, what do you have the microphone set to?

TIA
Gar

It did not work from default. I've finally gotten it to work. I've set exactly as KewlEugene has it. Turns out my gf had her volume all the way down and couldn't hear me when I finally did have it working correctly. BUT we figured it out.



In Skype go to the bottom left S icon then pick Options, Sound Devices. Choose 'HDA Intel (hw,intel,0)', pulse, and pulse. Then try it out 'Make a test call'.

[OooBuntuRox]

Hello Everyone,

To those who offered comments on installing XP on the 15n, Thanks!

It is possible to do (and set up dual boot with linux). The most important drivers take just a few minutes to install. They flash the bios so you can access the cd rom drive. DavidY is correct in that the Hard Drive drivers need to be injected using the <F6> process during Win install. All drivers required to install XP are on the Dell support page. There are 28 to download. You have to figure out which ones you need for your systems (dependant upon the options you purchased).

Most importantly, you have to download the files on a machine running Windows and then expand them in a win32 environment before you can even attempt to install them on your 15n. Also, it seems that the sata settings need to be changed to ATA in the bios.

Regardless of what os you use, it seems that the BSOD is most related to the absence of bios code. Many of those BSOD go away once you flash the bios upgrades from a dos environment. Even these drivers have to be expanded in a Win32 environment.

A legal copy of XP is installed and being tested. The final step by step procedures are in the works.

Thanks again for the help.

OooBuntuRox :guitar:

[leedsdevil]

i just got mine today after watching my wife on hers she got pink with all options(maxed out )pink and mine blk and maxed out no cameras man they are increadable nice lite fast what more can any one say just flat out fast enjoy all

[infernosoft]

My microphone won't work! I want to use skype, and it won't recognize my microphone. 'Sound Recorder' doesn't recognize it as well.

How do you get it to work in Ubuntu?

[uconvert]

How's that XP dual-boot project going?

If I may offer a suggestion, I was going to try an XP installation on a spare drive with the F6 method, but needed a USB floppy drive (which I ordered from ebay).While I was waiting for it to arrive, I stumbled on this link: http://www.tacktech.com/display.cfm?ttid=414

Step by step instructions on the unattended install. This is the way to go.

By injecting the drivers, you will be able to take advantage of the SATA controller in XP and Ubuntu with no issues; otherwise, there could be a problem with a Live CD rescue should that need ever arise.

While you are learning, burn to a CD-RW (better yet, install in a virtual machine (I use VirtualBox), then when you are satisfied with how the install goes, burn to a CD ROM disc and you will have a customized installation disc.

After all that, I still prefer XP in VirtualBox. I love Ubuntu!

[AmyRose]

I'm glad I got their 1525 before they decided switching the screen to the even-shorter 1366×768 was a good idea. Urgh, widescreens suck, but at least mine has a little more vertical room.

I'd jump at the chance to own a new Ubuntu laptop with a 4:3 or 5:4 screen. :D

[stillnotcool]

I can longer find the 15n on Dell's Web site. Where did it go?

[w4ett]

I can longer find the 15n on Dell's Web site. Where did it go?

http://www.dell.com/content/topics/segtopic.aspx/linux_3x?c=us&cs=19&l=en&s=dhs

[stillnotcool]

http://www.dell.com/content/topics/segtopic.aspx/linux_3x?c=us&cs=19&l=en&s=dhs

Thanks, w4ett. How did you find this Ubuntu-specific page?

It also appears as though the 13" XPS Ubuntu notebook has disappeared.

[w4ett]

Just go to the main Dell page and select Home and office on the left, then on the next page (also on the left) select open source PCs. This will take you to the Ubuntu page. Direct link: http://www.dell.com/content/topics/segtopic.aspx/ubuntu?c=us&cs=19&l=en&s=dhs&~ck=anavml

Good Luck

Don

[RedRat]

I note that you can very easily bump the price of the 15n up very quickly. Dell is charging quite a bit for just about anything added to that machine. You can approach $900 very fast.

I also not that the only graphics card offered is the Intel card. How has that been for users??? I believe, way back when, that they offered an nVidia card or am I dreaming.

[w4ett]

I note that you can very easily bump the price of the 15n up very quickly. Dell is charging quite a bit for just about anything added to that machine. You can approach $900 very fast.

I also not that the only graphics card offered is the Intel card. How has that been for users??? I believe, way back when, that they offered an nVidia card or am I dreaming.

Luckily I got my two on the initial offering...one @ $349 (basicw/tax and shipping) and one @ $457 (pentium dual, wled and 6 cell battery). I'm not so sure they are such a great buy now.

Now...if you wanted a REAL back to school buy, I also got one of these...too bad they are out of stock: http://www.geeks.com/details.asp?invtid=GBOOK2-VA1501V-LNX-R&cm_mmc=geekmail-_-daily_html-_-21jul09_Gbook2-_-Gbook2Main

The 15N has always had the Intel graphics AFAIK.

Good Luck,

Don

[stillnotcool]

I also not that the only graphics card offered is the Intel card. How has that been for users??? I believe, way back when, that they offered an nVidia card or am I dreaming.

I assumed the Intel video setup was actually preferable under Ubuntu, because driver support is stronger. Is that true?

[sebastianrimbaud]

Thanks, w4ett. How did you find this Ubuntu-specific page?

It also appears as though the 13" XPS Ubuntu notebook has disappeared.



best way to get to it easily.

wwww.dell.com/ubuntu

[stillnotcool]

It also appears as though the 13" XPS Ubuntu notebook has disappeared.

I stand corrected. Not only is the Ubuntu XPS13 readily available, but it's also shipping with Ubuntu 9.04!

Dell store link. (http://configure.us.dell.com/dellstore/config.aspx?oc=dydwgu1&c=us&l=en&s=dhs&cs=19&kc=laptop-studio-xps-13)

The only thing I can't understand: Why is this model the same price as the closed-source version ($999) when it comes with Ubuntu pre-loaded and carries a wireless card inferior to the Windows-ready XPS?

[w4ett]

I stand corrected. Not only is the Ubuntu XPS13 readily available, but it's also shipping with Ubuntu 9.04!

Dell store link. (http://configure.us.dell.com/dellstore/config.aspx?oc=dydwgu1&c=us&l=en&s=dhs&cs=19&kc=laptop-studio-xps-13)

The only thing I can't understand: Why is this model the same price as the closed-source version ($999) when it comes with Ubuntu pre-loaded and carries a wireless card inferior to the Windows-ready XPS?

For the simple reason that Dell loads crapware on to every windows machine and gets paid to do so...this following article from 2007 still holds true: http://news.cnet.com/2100-1041_3-6177050.html This lowers their cost/increases their profit...AND I'm sure there is a differential paid to load the remaining copies of Vista before Win 7 hits the streets.

[Knowle]

Just wondering if anyone else has had this happen, but lately when using Pidgin whenever a contact logs in or if I get an IM the default generated sound is buzzing on the right side of the laptop(this is on jaunty). It doesn't happen everytime though, it just seems random.

I've never had it happen using any other application or playing music, movies, shows through hulu, youtube, ect. I'm testing it now to see if it happens with another client such as emesene or amsn.

[sebastianrimbaud]

I've had an issue with my Dell 15n lately and it was with my ac adapter.

It wasn't being recognized. I called Dell Support and was amazed, this is since this is my first computer with ubuntu installed, that they do in fact have Ubuntu support and if you call you'll be directed there for any software related issues. However, my issue was hardware related and I discovered that the adapter was fixable.

Beforehand, I searched and found out this was a common problem among Dell laptops. (This is my first dell laptop) Support told me that it was probably a loose wire or something was being stretched. In my opinion, this is a downside, since other laptops I've had I didn't have a problem with them. My problem occurred with normal usage.

I would recommend people be wary of this issue and maybe even gent a longer cord for their ac adapter. (The problem might just be me and being careless, but I still think people should be aware of this).

[themrfreeze]

FWIW, just today, Dell started running a special on the Inspiron 15 (the one with Windows, not the 15n with Ubunutu). It's $449 with free shipping. It's identical to the 15n hardware-wise, but $75 cheaper once you factor in shipping. If you're willing to spend an hour wiping the drive and installing 9.04 yourself, you can save quite a chunk of change.

And the reason I noticed? Because I ordered a $495 15n for my wife just yesterday. And Dell won't cancel the order, and has no price protection. :(

[Denny Johnson]

That's been the price of the 15 for quite a while, as you can see here:
http://www.techbargains.com/query.cfm/product/dell_inspiron_15
It's worth it to me to buy a windows machine and do as you suggest.
But I reckon Dell will be losing a loyal customer, if I buy a windows unit, I'm often seeing Toshibas w more for less.
Like this:
Toshiba Satellite L505-S5966 Intel Dual-Core T4200 2GHz 15.6in Laptop (3GB/320GB) $417.99, Sep. 27 8 AM

Office Depot has the Toshiba Satellite L505-S5966 Intel Pentium Dual-Core T4200 15" Notebook Computer for $417.99. Free Shipping. Tax in most.

6.0lbs; 15.6" 1366x768; Intel Pentium Dual-Core T4200 @ 2.0GHz; 3GB RAM; 320GB HDD; DVD burner; 802.11b/g; Vista Home Premium; webcam; 1yr warranty

[RedRat]

For those who buy the Windows machine and wipe the drive, I would be very curious about how that works out. Are the two machines, 15 and 15n, exactly the same?? I wonder if the 15n perhaps comes with Ubuntu friendly hardware.

The same goes for the Toshibas mentioned above too.

It would be interesting to hear from those who have wiped the drive and put Ubuntu on them and which version they install. For example, using the Dell 9.04 Ubuntu ISO versus say the straight vanilla 9.04 Ubuntu from Canonical.

Of course, I would suppose that wiping the hard drive and installing Ubuntu would probably void the warranty.

[themrfreeze]

Why would it void the warranty? Unless Dell's terms specifically state that you MUST use ONLY the OS that originally came with the laptop, then installing Linux isn't going to void it. They may not help you if you call them with a Linux software problem, but if your machine doesn't power up, they're gonna fix it.

As for hardware, I did note that there are a few more options available for the regular Inspiron 15 when you configure it, but as long as you configure one with the same options as the 15n, it should be the same exact hardware. I can't imagine that for a budget laptop, Dell would have a Linux-specific motherboard design.

As for the Toshibas, the nice thing about buying the 15/15n is that you *know* Ubuntu will work with it out-of-the-box because Dell sells them that way. The Toshibas may be comparable in price, but they could contain hardware that won't work correctly under Linux.

[RedRat]

Why would it void the warranty? Unless Dell's terms specifically state that you MUST use ONLY the OS that originally came with the laptop, then installing Linux isn't going to void it. They may not help you if you call them with a Linux software problem, but if your machine doesn't power up, they're gonna fix it.

As for hardware, I did note that there are a few more options available for the regular Inspiron 15 when you configure it, but as long as you configure one with the same options as the 15n, it should be the same exact hardware. I can't imagine that for a budget laptop, Dell would have a Linux-specific motherboard design.

As for the Toshibas, the nice thing about buying the 15/15n is that you *know* Ubuntu will work with it out-of-the-box because Dell sells them that way. The Toshibas may be comparable in price, but they could contain hardware that won't work correctly under Linux.

What I meant in regard to the warranty also included technical support for the Linux that you add to the machine. I doubt that Dell would give you free technical support at their Linux support line, but then you might hit them on a generous day, who knows. Someone here care to try that?

I would read that warranty very closely and carefully before wiping Windows and putting Linux on the machine. You may be right in that Dell might opt to do warranty repair on a box that had Linux installed in place of Windows by the buyer.

However, many companies are not too enthusiastic about doing repair work even on their regular machines, they tend to look for every reason not to do the repair. For example, if you blow a video card, they might come back and say that the driver you used drove the installed card incorrectly, etc. so it was Linux's fault. Sure you can complain, but they hold the trump card in that they can just say No. You on the other hand, can of course sue them, but you had better have deep pockets because you could probably buy a 100 laptops for what that will cost you, even if you win.

I can't say about how Dell responds, because I have never had to send a machine back to them, at least from home. My experience with Dell Service where I worked was quite good. They sent out a local repair rep who had to replace a motherboard and they did it as promptly as they could.

[davidY]

Ubuntu 9.10 tested. Suspend, KMS... almost too good to be true, except for grub2 which doesn't have the Escape mode. And volume controls now too heavy handed :D

They oscillate the volume handling...

[Knowle]

Karmic rocks on this thing. The upgrade didn't go as smoothly for me as I had hoped but the volume is super loud now even at 80%. O_O

[K5KS]

Karmic rocks on this thing. The upgrade didn't go as smoothly for me as I had hoped but the volume is super loud now even at 80%. O_O

Knowle...what did not go smoothly on your upgrade. I am planning to do this on my 15n currently running 9.04?

[Knowle]

When I was on jaunty I was running shiretoko 3.5.4pre and after the upgrade to Karmic it stayed that way for some reason. A day after the upgrade I checked update manager again and got an upgrade to Firefox 3.5 branded correctly. The new default theme didn't take effect for some reason as well but I fixed that easy by just re-applying it. Working flawless for me now. Good luck. :)

[jaimie]

I finaly got mine! Couple of gripes to start off with. Number one it has a damn windows key on the keyboard! Took 2 months to get, Dell kept pushing off the ship date. The head phone jack is no where near loud enough. My ears arnt screaming for forgivness. Came with Ubuntu 9.04 should of been 9.10 but no biggy.

The good things are It is Ubuntu and every thing worked out of the box! The screen is awsome so clear. I upgraded Screen. Battery life is great, upgrade 6 cell. Its fast. Its fast 4GB ram. Has DVD, MP3 support, no chasing software. Very stable runs like a computer should. Its sexy clean looking. Power adapter isnt so hot you cant touch it. Nice drive size 250GB. Rips DVDs (added software for that). Its Linux, Has recovery partion and Disks never will need that but hey its there unlike the windows 7 laptop my son got LOL, No windows sticker on the bottom. All in all I give it a 9.5 out of 10. If they would of removed the windows key on the keyboard I would of gave it a 10

Jaimie

[Chaundon]

I also have one of these (Dell 15n) and have had zero problems with it for the most part, until updating to Karmic and losing my mouse. I updated to Karmic because the Broadcom wireless would work and not work randomly. I figured I would try to fix that with ndiswrapper and different drivers after I installed Karmic if it still didn't work. I was installing via a wired connection. Why would Dell put parts in a laptop with Linux that have known conflicts? Anyways, has anyone else lost the mouse after the update to Karmic? Please note, I am at work and have not yet read this entire thread, I will do so after work.

[confubar]

I can't get Blender to display properly on 9.04 (even after removing compiz) so I might go to 9.10. However, my upgrade manager doesn't see the upgrade. What could that mean, and how should I proceed?

[ericmc783]

Ok,

Thanks for all whom have offered input on the dell 15n.

I need a bit of advice. Right now, I found a deal on a fairly reputable website for a refurbished Inspiron 1545 Model. (which, from what I understand, is practically the same model as Dell's current 15N Ubuntu offering.

The refurbished deal is for $470, and includes the following:

Intel® Pentium Dual-Core T3400 (2.16GHz/667Mhz FSB/1MB cache)
Widescreen 15.6 inch display 1366x768
4GB Shared Dual Channel DDR2-RAM
320GB Hard Drive (5400RPM)
Intel Graphics Media Accelerator
CD/DVD Burner (exact specs not given)
Dell Wireless 1397 802.11g Half Mini-Card
Marvell Yukon 88E8040PCI-E Fast Ethernet Controller
Standard Size Battery (I'm guessing this means 4-cell)
3 USB 2.0 Ports (with 2 of them on the left, thank god.)
Windows Vista Home Premium (which I would completely wipe and replace with Ubuntu 9.04)

When comparing this offer with Dell's Ubuntu Pre-loaded model, which is over $100 more ($594), this refurbished model contains more RAM, Hard Drive space, and a slightly slower Processor. You don't even need 4GB of RAM to run Ubuntu, but this is a cheaper offer than Dell's 3GB model.

Any advice on if this is a good deal, and if not, any alternatives you could recommend?

[RedRat]

Ok,

Thanks for all whom have offered input on the dell 15n.

I need a bit of advice. Right now, I found a deal on a fairly reputable website for a refurbished Inspiron 1545 Model. (which, from what I understand, is practically the same model as Dell's current 15N Ubuntu offering.

The refurbished deal is for $470, and includes the following:

Intel® Pentium Dual-Core T3400 (2.16GHz/667Mhz FSB/1MB cache)
Widescreen 15.6 inch display 1366x768
4GB Shared Dual Channel DDR2-RAM
320GB Hard Drive (5400RPM)
Intel Graphics Media Accelerator
CD/DVD Burner (exact specs not given)
Dell Wireless 1397 802.11g Half Mini-Card
Marvell Yukon 88E8040PCI-E Fast Ethernet Controller
Standard Size Battery (I'm guessing this means 4-cell)
3 USB 2.0 Ports (with 2 of them on the left, thank god.)
Windows Vista Home Premium (which I would completely wipe and replace with Ubuntu 9.04)

When comparing this offer with Dell's Ubuntu Pre-loaded model, which is over $100 more ($594), this refurbished model contains more RAM, Hard Drive space, and a slightly slower Processor. You don't even need 4GB of RAM to run Ubuntu, but this is a cheaper offer than Dell's 3GB model.

Any advice on if this is a good deal, and if not, any alternatives you could recommend?
Have you checked the Dell site for refurbished machines? A friend of mine bought a refurbed Dell from them and was quite happy with it. Perhaps the same is true for laptops.

[ericmc783]

Hmmn, Dell seems to have some good options at their refurbished site: www.dell.com/outlet

I'll keep it in mind.

[ericmc783]

Ok, I just ordered a refurbished Inspiron 1545.

Cost: $490

15.4" LCD 1366x768
4GB DDR2-RAM
500GB Hard Drive (5400 RPM)
Intel Pentium Dual-Core T4200 (2.00GHz, 1MB Cache, 800 MHz)
Integrated Graphics (I'm guessing intel's media x4500)
Multi Format CD/DVDRW
1 Mic Port and 1 Headphone Port
3 USB Ports (2 on the left, thankfully).
1 LAN Port
1 VGA Port
RJ-45 Ethernet Connector
Dell Wireless 1397 802.11b/g Half Mini Card
9-Cell Lithium-ion Battery (wow!)
Integrated Webcam
Windows Vista Home Premium 64-bit (not for long)

I plan on installing 9.04

I'll keep you all posted on how it goes! :-)

[sebastianrimbaud]

I upgraded to 9.10 and the skype and mic don't seem to be working on this machine. Anyone else having any problems or have any fixes?

Also, 10.04 is coming up. Anyone else planning on upgrading or testing the beta and give us any idea how it's working?

I'll try to report issues if any when I upgrade. Maybe it will also fix my mic issue.

[Knowle]

I've never used skype and I didn't get the webcam/mic (both built in as option, right?) but I do plan on upgrading to the 10.04 RC this Thursday to see how it runs without being in a virtual machine. I've been playing with it since Alpha 1 in VB. Then I might buy the CD from the Canonical store and do a fresh install later on.

edit:
Went ahead and upgraded today even after I read about an X.org memory leak, lol. I upgraded from 9.10 using Alt+F2/update-manager -d, worked fine for me. One issue I noticed when I first started up Firefox and went to YouTube is that it wasn't recognizing Flash for some reason. I just went into synaptic and reinstalled. Works fine now. All my multimedia keys are still working and suspend still works as well. I haven't noticed any other issues.

[bigkahuna]

My wife inadvertently turned the wireless modem off somehow and I can't for the life of me figure out how to turn it back on? I tried the function key combinations that appear on the keys, but no luck. I also tried setting up a new wireless connection and still no luck. The connection widget says that it is connected (?) but the signal strength bar is empty even though the notebook is only a few feet away from the router. This notebook was connected and worked just a few hours ago but now I can't figure out how to fix this. Anyone?

[deibu76]

On my Inspiron 1545, you have to hold down Fn-F2 for about 20 seconds to cut back on the wireless after it has been cut off. Not sure if it's the same with your model.

[bigkahuna]

Thanks, I'll give that a try.

[OooBuntuRox]

My wife inadvertently turned the wireless modem off somehow and I can't for the life of me figure out how to turn it back on? I tried the function key combinations that appear on the keys, but no luck. I also tried setting up a new wireless connection and still no luck. The connection widget says that it is connected (?) but the signal strength bar is empty even though the notebook is only a few feet away from the router. This notebook was connected and worked just a few hours ago but now I can't figure out how to fix this. Anyone?

It may not have been your wife. My card mysteriously toggled off a few months back. Right about when my one year was up. I think it may have toggled when my battery was low. I was looking at the price of a new card when I remembered the keyboard toggle option. It was kind of funny and I'm glad it solved the problem. No problems since then.

I'm glad they finally came out with 10.04LTS. I'm using 64 bit. Love the fact that my sound finally works properly! and the wifi connects faster too. Imagine that. After years of MS upgrades... I thought my system would only slow down with OS upgrades. Its no worse than an MS upgrade. Since it's all free... It's all good to me!

Anyone have any 10.04 pointers? any glitches and fixes?

OooBuntuRox :guitar:

[Guitar John]

I realize that this thread started about a year ago, but here is an interesting price comparison.

The 15n with installed Ubuntu:
-price $579 (http://www.dell.com/us/en/home/notebooks/laptop-inspiron-1545/pd.aspx?refid=laptop-inspiron-1545&s=dhs&cs=19&~oid=us~en~29~linux_2~~)


The 1545, and you install yourself:
-price $449.99 (http://www.dell.com/us/en/home/notebooks/laptop-inspiron-1545/pd.aspx?refid=laptop-inspiron-1545&s=dhs&cs=19&~oid=us~en~29~laptop-inspiron-15_new_cto_4~~)
bonus: Integrated 1.3 MP Webcam

[Mike Krall]

This got posted today... http://ubuntuforums.org/showthread.php?t=1528947&highlight=Dell+Inspiron+15n
Probably should have gone here but... sorry to say, I contributed to not keeping similar stuff in the same place, but maybe this will help.

Mike