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Doug0
August 25th, 2007, 01:38 AM
If this is a bad choice of board, please advise...

Like a lot of users, I'd like a very basic laptop using Linux -- just run OOo, Internet applications, and media listening/viewing. I know people sometimes resusitate old laptops, but I don't own one.

I've seen retail laptops during this back-to-school season that have the basics covered (512MB, 80GM, 802.11, play DVD, CR-RW) for as little as $300.

Is anyone selling state-of-the art Linux-compatible machines for that (without paying the M$ Tax and un-installing.)?

Paul S
August 25th, 2007, 08:04 PM
I don't think you'll find any linux right now (maybe next year from asus) for that low price. I read someone's blog recently about trying to load linux on a $400 toshiba from best buy .. and he was having a lot of pain.

regards,

Doug0
August 28th, 2007, 01:27 AM
Thank you for your reply, Paul S. I agree Asus is likely our best prospect.

I've been seeing online news stories about demos (but not shipments) of super-affordable linux laptops modeled on the $100 laptop per child.

I'm kind of wondering whether the most likely direction of the very basic laptop market is:

1) OLPC-knockoffs that use flash memory, are physically small, and have little storage capacity, in favor of providing connectivity for external memory and storage

2) If one assumes the cheapest mass-market laptops include $50 of M$ Tax, a basic but state-of-the-art linux version might be as cheap as any stripped version

It's possible that 1) will be available by Christmas and 2) in 2008; but I've never been pleased about the speed at which linux ideas reach a broad market.

-SpaZ
August 28th, 2007, 01:32 AM
I'd wait it out a little bit until prices start to drop before new models are brought in, but if you have to get a laptop right now, you can get a pretty decent one for about $600-$700.

julian67
August 28th, 2007, 01:35 AM
It's really not that difficult. I've bought 4 laptops that work really well with Ubuntu.....the secret? Intel wireless and Intel graphics. On my current Lenovo Y400 everything works down to the SD card reader. I bought my gf a basic NEC Versa and everything worked except the SD card reader....On my Asus M5N everything works, on my (now deceased) Fujitsu P7010D ultraportable everything worked. All these laptops are based on Intel sound, graphics and wireless and the prices ranged from £300 to £1100. It shouldn't be too hard to find a low end centrino or even celeron based laptop, the prices have dropped a lot since the Core Duo and Core 2 Duo arrived.

Compucore
August 28th, 2007, 01:42 AM
Or if you cannot wait check your recycling centers for computers that sell both desktops and laptop/notebook computers. Someplaces have it even cheaper than buying brand new. You'd be surprised on what you can find secondhand. Thats what I had to do when I got a second hand laptop over here.

Compucore

multifaceted
August 28th, 2007, 01:45 AM
If this is a bad choice of board, please advise...

Like a lot of users, I'd like a very basic laptop using Linux -- just run OOo, Internet applications, and media listening/viewing. I know people sometimes resusitate old laptops, but I don't own one.

I've seen retail laptops during this back-to-school season that have the basics covered (512MB, 80GM, 802.11, play DVD, CR-RW) for as little as $300.

Is anyone selling state-of-the art Linux-compatible machines for that (without paying the M$ Tax and un-installing.)?

I wouldn't say that is bad choice at all! The system of your supposed machine to be, meets all of the requirements to run Ubuntu very nicely.

As a matter of fact, I resurrected my brothers machine from death... it's a 6 year old Gateway Pentium4, 30GB HD, 128 MB.... yes 128 MB RAM! that ran freaking WinME! Though it did not have enough RAM to run Ubuntu I was however, able to install the less demanding Xubuntu 7.04. It's like a brand new computer and runs 10 times better and faster than it ever did with WinME.

I tell you, Linux in general is a learning curve for beginners, such as myself. Nevertheless, once acclimated, it's a fast, dependable and fully customizable Operating System that's well.....100% FREE

You can't beat that with a baseball bat!

jgrabham
August 28th, 2007, 01:55 AM
I wouldn't say that is bad choice at all! The system of your supposed machine to be, meets all of the requirements to run Ubuntu very nicely.

As a matter of fact, I resurrected my brothers machine from death... it's a 6 year old Gateway Pentium4, 30GB HD, 128 MB.... yes 128 MB RAM! that ran freaking WinME! Though it did not have enough RAM to run Ubuntu I was however, able to install the less demanding Xubuntu 7.04. It's like a brand new computer and runs 10 times better and faster than it ever did with WinME.

I tell you, Linux in general is a learning curve for beginners, such as myself. Nevertheless, once acclimated, it's a fast, dependable and fully customizable Operating System that's well.....100% FREE

You can't beat that with a baseball bat!

Nice I have an old IBM TP 600 with a pentium 2 300Mhz and 224MB RAM! (xubuntu naturally)

Although It needs replacing with something with a better CPU - Probabally an Asus eee PC 200 bucks new with over double the RAM, 3x the CPU Power, 1/4 the size, built in wifi, and Ive heard 3 or 4 USB ports and a memory card reader.

jrusso2
August 28th, 2007, 02:17 AM
Go buy a cheap acer and install Ubuntu on it. I have seen some for $400. They seem to work well for a lot of people.

multifaceted
August 28th, 2007, 03:11 AM
Nice I have an old IBM TP 600 with a pentium 2 300Mhz and 224MB RAM! (xubuntu naturally)

Although It needs replacing with something with a better CPU - Probabally an Asus eee PC 200 bucks new with over double the RAM, 3x the CPU Power, 1/4 the size, built in wifi, and Ive heard 3 or 4 USB ports and a memory card reader.

Very nice indeed, I'm sure it's still a basic reliable unit.... why not, right?

Dimitriid
August 28th, 2007, 03:58 AM
Go buy a cheap acer and install Ubuntu on it. I have seen some for $400. They seem to work well for a lot of people.

Mine ( acer aspire )was $500 on a sale but significantly better than most of those models: amd x2 1.7ghz, 160gb hdd, dvdrw, 15.4 screen, 1gb ram shared with ati 1100 video.

Restricted drivers for ati work out of the box ( but even without em resolution was detected fine ) wireless card was detected and only needed to add firmware for it ( now it works very well with certain routers, not at all with others ).

Definitely as painless as setting ubuntu up on my desktop. Even more so if you get a model with intel wireless I think.

Sporkman
August 28th, 2007, 03:18 PM
I have a couple of cheapo Gateway Solo 9300's with PIIs & 196 megs RAM - they run Xubuntu fine, except browser videos (like YouTube) run a bit choppy.

jgrabham
August 28th, 2007, 03:30 PM
Very nice indeed, I'm sure it's still a basic reliable unit.... why not, right?

Infrared doesnt work, sound doesnt work, graphics arent right. I cant fix it, but Ill get someone from my lug to do it :D