HPs with freedos - hardware ok w linux? any experience?

[towsonu2003]

In an email I got from HP, they are selling the following with Freedos option:

-Compaq nx6110 Series Notebook PC
-Compaq nc6120 Series Notebook PC
-Compaq nc6220 Series Notebook PC
-Compaq nc6230 Series Notebook PC
-Compaq nc8230 Series Notebook PC
-Compaq Mobile Workstation nw8240

Anyone using any of these with linux? how is the hardware compatibility? out-of-the-box everything (for well-known* distros like redhat, fedora, suse, ubuntu) -or- need configuring and playing around etc?

*slackware always wants configuration ;)

[phen]

of course! the actual idea was to sell them with freedos and a ubuntu-cd in the box. hp does not want to install it, as it costs to much time (time=money). there was a special hoary version available for these laptops. breezy works out of the box.

i use one myself. everything ok. check the wiki page for details! (you have to add 2 or 3 lines to some config files...)

[mohapi]

Did they include any links? I'd be interested in a laptop that didn't come with Windows. I'm combing the HP site right now.

[mohapi]

Okay, I found some.

http://h71016.www7.hp.com/dstore/MiddleFrame.asp?page=config&ProductLineId=539&FamilyId=2124&BaseId=14322&jumpid=re_R2515_store/smProdCat/PSG/notebooks/HP_nx6110_notebook

I was looking in the Home and Home Office section.

Funny, the downgrade from XP Pro to FreeDOS is only $100. I could swear XP Pro costs much more than that at Staples. ... :-k

[dosed150]

yeh its only $100 because hp wont pay retail for xp pro will they

[towsonu2003]

they didn't provide any links but all of them are in the business section of the hp shop.

the $100 is the Windows tax, isn't it? I would think Microsoft contracts them with a Windows tax to install the OS as the default, instead of selling them the license.

does the winmodem of your freedos laptop works in ubuntu?

[K.Mandla]

Okay, I followed the link (http://h71016.www7.hp.com/dstore/MiddleFrame.asp?page=config&ProductLineId=539&FamilyId=2124&BaseId=14322&jumpid=re_R2515_store/smProdCat/PSG/notebooks/HP_nx6110_notebook) to the nx6110 and was twiddling with the configuration and noticed that. ...

- Knocking the base memory down to 256Mb subtracts $50 from the price
- Adding a single 256Mb stick to be installed by me (from further down the page) adds only $39.

So should I be angry that they charge $11 to insert a single memory stick, or be overjoyed at finding an $11 loophole? :-k

I suppose, either way, the $100 discount for omitting Windows isn't enough to interest me. I'll stick with newegg.com.

[Krigl]

So should I be angry that they charge $11 to insert a single memory stick, or be overjoyed at finding an $11 loophole? :-k

Definitely overjoyed, especially if your nearby store would sell the right stick another 3-5 bucks cheaper. This exactly like in that joke where the mechanic repaired customer's car with a while of listening to the engine sound and turning one screw. When the customer complained about 500 crowns price and asked for bill, the tech just wrote down to the form - "one turn of the screw: 1 crown, knew which one: 499 crowns". Many people will be satisfied with 256 MB and if you want more RAM and "know which one" to turn, it's great you can earn 11 buck just for insertin one stick.

[jason.b.c]

hey i was reading through your posts here and was actually kinda supprised to find this here,:o got a question, is there any sort of way to install freedos along with ubuntu? i don't mean dual boot or anything, but within ubuntu ? ;) ya know to have dos support:confused: