Buying a laptop -- I don't know squat !

[thelugnut]

I am vacationing in the U.S.A. next month and am in the market fr a laptop.

Considerations:

1. I want it to replace my desktop which is fairly state-of-the-art.
2. It must use GNU/Linux (Ubuntu) as the O.S.
3. Dual boot-up with Windows XP would be nice.
4. 2 Gb memory minimum
5. 200/250 GB hard disk, if possible.
6. Good graphics.
7. Ethernet connection
8. I do not plan on carrying this thing around a lot. It will replace my desktop so will stay in one place most of the time. In simpler words, weight is not much of a factor.

I know very little about laptops, and nothing about their capability of running Ubuntu.
I know this subject has been broached many times before, but if any one has some late information and suggestions, I would appreciate it.

[solitare]

this may be a good place to start.... but.... there are many.

http://www.linux-laptop.net/

[coffeecat]

Dell sell laptops with Ubuntu pre-installed, so if you go for the right model you'll be pretty sure of it being compatible with Ubuntu. If you want Windows XP, you could buy a model that they sell with Ubuntu, but get it with Windows and then install Ubuntu yourself as a dual-boot. I don't know whether Dell do dual-boots or not.

And I don't know whether Microsoft is still letting them sell machines with Windows XP, but I'm sure that they can sell you a Vista machine together with the "upgrade" (cough, cough :wink:) to XP.

[Sef]

Check out

1) Systems76 (http://systems76.com)

2) Dell (http://dell.com)

3) Emperor Linux (http://www.emperorlinux.com/)

[thelugnut]

And I don't know whether Microsoft is still letting them sell machines with Windows XP, but I'm sure that they can sell you a Vista machine together with the "upgrade" (cough, cough ) to XP.

Now that's funny.!

O.K. Lots of things to look at now. I am sure I will find something.

I certainly appreciate the replies.:guitar: