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View Full Version : Thoughts on an ultrabook...



lz1dsb
December 26th, 2013, 05:11 PM
Here's the thing... I would like to buy an ultrabook to be more mobile. I have an eye on one model Fujitsu U772. It has an Intel HD Graphics chip, should also have (I'm still clarifying this with the retailer) an Intel Centrino WiFi chip. With my current laptop (ATI Mobility Radeon and Broadcom Wifi) I still have serious issues with the WiFi and the video controller, so I'm particularly picky with that. Intel seems to have probably the best support in the Linux kernel, if I'm not wrong. So my question is in general... what do you guys think? It would be great if anyone has ever used such a model with Linux. I particularly like the build quality on Fujitsu laptops. It has always been a high class. My corporate laptops have always been Fujitsu and I've never had any issues running Linux on them too...
I found though... some mixed reviews on the U772, so I'm a bit... uncertain whether the investments is worth it. After all, this ultrabook is not cheap ;) But if I would have seamless Linux experience on it.. I would buy it...

mips
December 26th, 2013, 05:57 PM
http://translate.google.co.za/translate?hl=en&sl=de&u=http://linuxundich.de/hardware/ultrabooks-in-der-intel-bloghutte-auf-der-ifa-2012-im-linux-schnelltest/&prev=/search%3Fq%3DLinux%2BLIFEBOOK%2BU772%26newwindow%3 D1%26safe%3Doff%26biw%3D1266%26bih%3D915
https://bugs.launchpad.net/ubuntu/+source/linux/+bug/1183804

lz1dsb
December 27th, 2013, 09:30 AM
Thank you mips ;) It sounds good. I've also stumbled upon the second link, hopefully the issue has been resolved with the new kernels.

mJayk
December 28th, 2013, 09:36 AM
What do you plan to use it for? Have you considered a chromebook with native ubuntu

lz1dsb
December 28th, 2013, 06:53 PM
Mostly as a kind of a thin client. I plan to leave my old bulky and heavy laptop at home and use that ultrabook for connecting to the resources I have there. So far I've been using my company laptop for the purpose. But it's also heavy and bulky and I don't enjoy carrying it on always with me.
Chromebooks look nice, but I didn't know they could run Ubuntu without any issues. Do they? I've stumbled upon on lots of posts where people complain they can not run Ubuntu on their chromebooks.. Otherwise the chromebook is an option quite an attractive one too ;)

Copper Bezel
December 29th, 2013, 03:04 AM
I'm pretty happy with my Asus Vivobook running Ubuntu. It's ultrabook-class. I've always preferred portables, though, and not much minded the performance cut.

cianmaggs
December 30th, 2013, 12:05 PM
Yeah me too, the performance drop isn't that much either these days. I'm running 12.04 on an alienware m17 at home, then when I'm out at work and stuff have the same OS on an acer aspire netbook. Both run really well and have no hardware problems from the start :)

mJayk
January 2nd, 2014, 05:16 AM
The chromebooks do tend to run ubuntu very well and very easily either natively or via chroot. Alot of the problems (ive seen them too) tend to come from the arm variants. I got mine for the same reason as you leave the big laptop on the desk and use this to connect to shh's, write documents and do small stuff.

I have the c720 which has an intel processors and it runs ubuntu 13.10 very well (just for a quick test when installed natively i get around 70 fps on minecraft :p). But yea they are not for everyone but with worth considering, if you want something that is very fast for small stuff, light and has amazing battery life (when using mine for creating documents, latex or libre office, i get around 8 - 9 hours when watching videos and listening to music I get around 6).

lz1dsb
January 2nd, 2014, 11:32 PM
Asus Vivobook... wow and the price looks sweet! Could you share a bit more specs, I saw one in a local retail store Asus VivoBook S300CA-C1. It has Intel HD Graphics and a dual core Intel processor.

lz1dsb
January 2nd, 2014, 11:37 PM
This Acer model looks quite new and interesting... sadly I can not find it in any local stores :(

Copper Bezel
January 3rd, 2014, 12:22 AM
The downer for the VivoBook is that it's only an i3 processor - my X202's runs at 1.8Ghz, but it's quad-core, at least, and consistently responsive. Otherwise, I have 4 gigs of RAM, a half-TB hard drive (not a hybrid drive, sadly,) and a really nice display that's also touch, which is convenient on rare occasions. I like the 11.6" size, but of course it comes in others. It's quite a bit of computer for $500, no question. My only real complaint has been that the trackpad, while it behaves much more responsively on Ubuntu than on Windows, loses palm detection, so I had to set a keystroke to disable it while I'm typing. (Well worth it for the full complement of Mac gestures via Touchégg.)

I try to avoid Acer - but then, I'm somewhere between picky and superstitious about brands. A friend of mine and I were shopping PCs lately and checking brands to include on a search engine, and ultimately only left 4 checked. = /

mips
January 3rd, 2014, 01:53 PM
The downer for the VivoBook is that it's only an i3 processor - my X202's runs at 1.8Ghz, but it's quad-core...

You sure about that? Quad-cores are not that common in laptops.

You sure it's not a dual-core with 4 threads?

Copper Bezel
January 3rd, 2014, 04:46 PM
Yes, that's right. Sorry. Two virtual cores on each of two physical ones. I knew that seemed ... odd.

makitso
January 4th, 2014, 12:50 PM
I have the c720 which has an intel processors and it runs ubuntu 13.10 very well

mJayk, I have been thinking about getting a c720 and upgrading the SSD so that I could run a full install of Ubuntu 13.10. But, I am concerned about the touchpad issue. Do you use yours in dual boot mode of just switch after booting chrome?

cptrohn
January 4th, 2014, 02:42 PM
I have the Dell XPS13U Sputnik edition and it is a pretty awesome little machine.

And it comes with Ubuntu pre-installed as well.

Copper Bezel
January 4th, 2014, 05:58 PM
Yeah, that thing is aluminum sex. Did they sort out the problems with multitouch on the trackpad?

mJayk
January 5th, 2014, 05:34 AM
mJayk, I have been thinking about getting a c720 and upgrading the SSD so that I could run a full install of Ubuntu 13.10. But, I am concerned about the touchpad issue. Do you use yours in dual boot mode of just switch after booting chrome?


Haya yea i've done both crouton which is a chroot and crubuntu which is a duel boot side by side install both worked really well. The only touchpad issue I was aware of was it didnt work via the install but that was fixed after 13.04. Unless there is another issue im unaware of.

hg-knight
January 5th, 2014, 08:45 AM
I ran Ubuntu on an older Fujitsu Lifebook AH531 with 8 gb ram and a hybrid hdd. It ram beautifully.
Well built,looked good and i had no problems what so ever.
Buy the fuji worth it

cptrohn
January 6th, 2014, 12:41 AM
I'm actually thinking about heading over to System76 and getting the Darter Ultra thin. It's not a "true" ultrabook But the thing that disappoints me with the ultrabooks and that the vast majority of then have the ram soldered onto the MB, so there is no tweaking your system at all really hardware wise. Or the Galago Pro with the Isis Pro Graphics. I like the Dell I have sexy, small, runs well. But I am still a tinkerer.