Lenovo B590

[RichardET]

As I posted earlier in the HCL, this laptop seems to work well with Ubuntu version 13.04 and I am sticking by that story! Further developments are that I now have VMware version 10 running flawlessly, with a 64 bit of Windows 7 as a guest. This laptop has the UEFI BIOS, but it is disabled. I have two other Lenovos, a W530, which is less than a year old, and is my main computer, that one is still running Windows 8.
Ubuntu is running as a VM on that system. An older Lenovo, which I have lent out, is a V470, which also has a UEFI BIOS. Early on, I tried to install openSUSE on it and the BIOS really whacked it out and I had to pull back, restoring the Win. 7 installation. For the past 2 years, I have been hesitant to try a native Linux install on it again, but my recent success with this free B590, which came into my possession this past week, has bolstered my resolve, that I might go for it in a month or two. In general I think that Linux has evolved enough that it works very well with laptops originally marketed only for Windows. It begs the question, why pay retail for a pre-built Linux laptop, when a quality off the shelf Windows laptop will run Linux flawlessly?

[germanix]

Thank you for the information. I am considering buying the Thinkpad X230 soon. On these machines and many other Lenovo products, Ubuntu runs out of the box and everything just works. Have a nice day.

[yannoo]

I recently bought a B590, installed Ubuntu 13.04 64bit without problem, but when upgrading to 13.10, at the time where the graphical interface (unity in this case, I guess) should kick in, I get repeated flashing black screens with a mouse cursos in the middle, then a cursor on the top-left, and so on.

I went back to installing 13.04 ('cause in a hurry to get that laptop running), but if anyone finds a solution to that, I'll take it.

[mastablasta]

you could choose another DE (XFCE or maybe Gnome panel). you should troubleshoot this in other forum section. it could be that a fresh setting would be ok. or does 13.10 live session gives you same issues?

upgrade can also bork GPU drivers.

[nomenkultur]

how is the build quality on that B line?

I went to the store and saw a couple of lenovo g500's and g700's and they were absolutely atrocious.

crappy plastics, flimsy screens, they were truly crap made the asus and dells look like maserattis.

but then I saw the b5400 online and fell in love with it

[mastablasta]

crappy plastics, flimsy screens, they were truly crap made the asus and dells look like maserattis.

it seems all have bad line then good then bad. it's stupid they do this. IMO it hurts the brand.

also what is with flimsy screens on laptops? mine started to move as well.

hinges - once you find the hinge that works prefectly why change the design?