From owner-freebsd-mobile@FreeBSD.ORG Fri Dec 31 18:50:51 2004 Return-Path: Delivered-To: freebsd-mobile@freebsd.org Received: from mx1.FreeBSD.org (mx1.freebsd.org [216.136.204.125]) by hub.freebsd.org (Postfix) with ESMTP id DB5FD16A4CE for ; Fri, 31 Dec 2004 18:50:51 +0000 (GMT) Received: from www.raught.net (pcp0010251116pcs.lpaxtn01.pa.comcast.net [68.36.104.127]) by mx1.FreeBSD.org (Postfix) with ESMTP id 3C8AB43D3F for ; Fri, 31 Dec 2004 18:50:51 +0000 (GMT) (envelope-from mraught@acm.org) Received: from [192.168.0.2] ([10.0.0.52]) by www.raught.net (8.12.9/8.12.9) with ESMTP id iBVIhEgV028436 for ; Fri, 31 Dec 2004 13:43:15 -0500 (EST) Message-ID: <41D5911A.6080403@acm.org> Date: Fri, 31 Dec 2004 12:49:14 -0500 From: "Mark A-J. Raught (from the laptop)" User-Agent: Mozilla/5.0 (X11; U; FreeBSD i386; en-US; rv:1.7.3) Gecko/20041204 X-Accept-Language: en-us, en MIME-Version: 1.0 To: mobile@freebsd.org Content-Type: text/plain; charset=ISO-8859-1; format=flowed Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit Subject: Buying a laptop. (HP, Compaq, or Gateway) X-BeenThere: freebsd-mobile@freebsd.org X-Mailman-Version: 2.1.1 Precedence: list List-Id: Mobile computing with FreeBSD List-Unsubscribe: , List-Archive: List-Post: List-Help: List-Subscribe: , X-List-Received-Date: Fri, 31 Dec 2004 18:50:52 -0000 Greetings all, I am about to buy a laptop from Best Buy (18 months no interest is the main reason I am going with them) My choices have come down to the following 3: Gateway 7405GX (AMD 64 3200+) HP zv5320us (AMD XP-M 3000+) Compaq r3306us (AMD XP-M 3000+) While it would be cool to have the 64 bit machine, I am kind of scared of the new technology in a laptop. I know sometimes it is easier to turn lead into gold than get the latest and greatest to work on a laptop. So I am kind of leaning toward the HP or the Compaq. However (you knew it was coming) I still don't trust Compaq (bad history with them) so this leaves me at the HP. It seems to be a reasonable laptop at a decent price. I am definitely not set on the HP, that's why I'm writing to the mobile group, to get more info... On to the big problem; I can't find any info on any of the laptops with FreeBSD. I checked the usual compatibility web pages, but couldn't find these specific models and don't know what models would be close. I am going today to play with a FreeSBIE CD, but I would feel more comfortable knowing if I was going to hit any big roadblocks. Extra info: The laptop will be wiped (no windows please) and I will be running FreeBSD. I have no problem replacing a miniPCI card if need be, but obviously I can't do that with video (HP and Compaq both have nVidia w/ unknow chipset) which is my biggest concern, or sound (not that important, but it'd be nice). I have complete confidence that this laptop would work eventually, but I would rather sooner than later. Please, if anyone has experience with any of these (or similar models) please let me know. I will be buying soon (hopefully today or tomorrow, within the week definitely) and would love to have more than a FreeSBIE CD to tell me everthing will be alright. :) thanks, -mark