Buying a Laptop, Please help!

[FRuMMaGe]

I'm looking into buying a laptop and I need something I can use for my A-Levels and also have good wireless so I can connect to the web when out-and-about.

I would like to be able to play games such as Urban Terror, although this is not a necessity.

Could you recommend any good laptops that would be fully compatible with Ubuntu and prefferably aroun £400?

Also, could I get one without an operating system preinstalled? Vista seems to add £150 to any laptop and I just want to use it for Ubuntu.

[PatrickMay16]

I'm a man-dirty challenger. I suggest a laptop with intel wireless.

I recommend Asus laptops... they're very nice.

[FRuMMaGe]

I'm a man-dirty challenger. I suggest a laptop with intel wireless.

I recommend Asus laptops... they're very nice.

Anything specific?

[tgoose]

If you want to use Ubuntu exclusively, there are a few options. While Dell have had all the publicity lately, there are a fair number of small suppliers of Ubuntu (and other distro) laptops. I've never actually looked for British sellers or prices but System 76 in the US have a good reputation and their laptops seem to be customisable enough to get within the price you want:

http://system76.com/product_info.php/cPath/1/products_id/194
http://system76.com/index.php/cPath/1_11

The laptop I run is an Acer one which just happened to work very well with Ubuntu (it's a Travelmate 2300, which I don't think are made any more,) and it was very cheap at the time a couple of years ago, but I did need to buy a seperate wireless adapter. I assume System 76's models work with the integrated ones.

[prizrak]

I agree that ASUS is very nice, also look at ThinkPads, Toshiba's and Acer's. They seem to play well with Linux. HP is known to be pretty good but make sure it's Intel wireless and not something else. As for specific models, you more or less have to research that on your own.

[FRuMMaGe]

If you want to use Ubuntu exclusively, there are a few options. While Dell have had all the publicity lately, there are a fair number of small suppliers of Ubuntu (and other distro) laptops. I've never actually looked for British sellers or prices but System 76 in the US have a good reputation and their laptops seem to be customisable enough to get within the price you want:

http://system76.com/product_info.php/cPath/1/products_id/194
http://system76.com/index.php/cPath/1_11

The laptop I run is an Acer one which just happened to work very well with Ubuntu (it's a Travelmate 2300, which I don't think are made any more,) and it was very cheap at the time a couple of years ago, but I did need to buy a seperate wireless adapter. I assume System 76's models work with the integrated ones.

Thank you for teasing me with great looking laptops, only for me to find that they do not ship to the UK. :p

Thanks anyway!

[PatrickMay16]

Anything specific?

Specifically, I could suggest you Asus's Z35FM, because that's what I've got myself. It works fine with Ubuntu.

[FRuMMaGe]

Specifically, I could suggest you Asus's Z35FM, because that's what I've got myself. It works fine with Ubuntu.

Do you know the best place to get one (by best, I mean cheapest)

[aysiu]

Here's a fairly comprehensive list of Companies selling preinstalled Linux and no-OS (http://lxer.com/module/forums/t/23168/)

[FRuMMaGe]

Here's a fairly comprehensive list of Companies selling preinstalled Linux and no-OS (http://lxer.com/module/forums/t/23168/)

Thanks this was very useful ^^

[tgoose]

Thank you for teasing me with great looking laptops, only for me to find that they do not ship to the UK. :p

Thanks anyway!

Ahhh, sorry about that! They are at least planning on shipping worldwide some time this year.

[rcutting2]

Consult your school IT Team see what they suggest????

[mips]

Consult your school IT Team see what they suggest????

Sometimes Universities/Schools get discounted deals on laptops because they purchase in bulk and are educational institutions. They pass these discounts on to their students.

Check, you neve know what they offer.