Date: Fri, 19 Apr 2002 09:03:05 -0400 From: Brian T.Schellenberger <bts@babbleon.org> To: Jim Freeze <jim@freeze.org>, f-mobile <freebsd-mobile@FreeBSD.ORG> Subject: Re: Recommend a laptop for FreeBSD Message-ID: <20020419130306.3C44BBB39@i8k.babbleon.org> In-Reply-To: <20020419082413.A4862@freeze.org> References: <000f01c1e76a$5bc52180$7d00a8c0@compaq> <20020419075502.GA28589@moo.holy.cow> <20020419082413.A4862@freeze.org>
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On Friday 19 April 2002 08:24 am, Jim Freeze wrote: | On Fri, Apr 19, 2002 at 03:55:02AM -0400, parv wrote: | > > I'm looking to purchase a laptop to run FreeBSD. Other than the | > > best price performance, I'm looking for troublefree installation | > > and native support for all the hardware. | | You may want to consider getting an iBook. It's not exactly | FreeBSD, but it's a Unix platform. I have been running FreeBSD | for several years now and have often contemplated getting a laptop | and putting freebsd on it. But I just did not have the time | to do all the research and then worry about all the special | apm services working. | | With the iBook/airport card and the airport base station, I | can work anywhere in the house and connect to my server | and perform administration work as needed. I don't have to | worry about apm. I get audio and video (you enter a new world | of computer use with a wireless card and iTunes :) ) | a cdburner and the ability to create movies. But, the big seller, | I still get all the unix sw that I use on FreeBSD. I've been running FreeBSD on laptops on and off for seven years; it's really not anything to be afraid of. I recommend Dell Inspiron. For a trouble-free installation, you need only make sure that you do two things: - Get one with an ATI graphics chip, not an Nvidia, and - Don't install X directly from the install disk; install the Xfree 4 port instead. (And don't try to automatically generate the XF86Config; instead, go to the "linux for laptops" page and get an pre-cooked config for your machine.) Also, remember that when you buy PCMCIA cards, get the 16-bit cards, not the newfandled 32-bit cards. (NOTE: It is possible to use nvidia graphics chips and 32-bit cards now, but if you want a trouble-free, simple experience, don't do that. Those both still involve fiddling.) | $0.02 -- Brian T. Schellenberger . . . . . . . bts@wnt.sas.com (work) Brian, the man from Babble-On . . . . bts@babbleon.org (personal) ME --> http://www.babbleon.org http://www.eff.org <-- GOOD GUYS --> http://www.programming-freedom.org To Unsubscribe: send mail to majordomo@FreeBSD.org with "unsubscribe freebsd-mobile" in the body of the message
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