From owner-freebsd-mobile@FreeBSD.ORG Sat Jun 25 18:34:18 2011 Return-Path: Delivered-To: freebsd-mobile@freebsd.org Received: from mx1.freebsd.org (mx1.freebsd.org [IPv6:2001:4f8:fff6::34]) by hub.freebsd.org (Postfix) with ESMTP id 9314F106566C for ; Sat, 25 Jun 2011 18:34:18 +0000 (UTC) (envelope-from kob6558@gmail.com) Received: from mail-gy0-f182.google.com (mail-gy0-f182.google.com [209.85.160.182]) by mx1.freebsd.org (Postfix) with ESMTP id 4EAE48FC17 for ; Sat, 25 Jun 2011 18:34:18 +0000 (UTC) Received: by gyf3 with SMTP id 3so1950153gyf.13 for ; Sat, 25 Jun 2011 11:34:17 -0700 (PDT) DKIM-Signature: v=1; a=rsa-sha256; c=relaxed/relaxed; d=gmail.com; s=gamma; h=domainkey-signature:mime-version:in-reply-to:references:date :message-id:subject:from:to:cc:content-type :content-transfer-encoding; bh=b8NjMavJssq0bKeAguf4JjPi+z88lAc+w7PQR/j/4Ww=; b=udjSGqqUy6JqBUP8tmpXsmCpWfl8FV3C6T5kNvQyU1Ku9JnRZzUjkX+DvnKTsFH22e 4ybwuOtFmkYHhQLrp8IIMg0lpfMz1VFMrqIZO4iZAdCJLDe2cG283Y4HdZkOq1KbqiZI EYesRH+xPNXYZOzgLznGrZ3d9S7n3UavnEdbE= DomainKey-Signature: a=rsa-sha1; c=nofws; d=gmail.com; s=gamma; h=mime-version:in-reply-to:references:date:message-id:subject:from:to :cc:content-type:content-transfer-encoding; b=KGSw8g7e27DwC3EBC4M4dcMDCOVL32oRmLR5OopIB5WPStf2ycXGyqu3p2ipfE26Ge 3RG4spBe+kQ+ORacntk+vGQfu6wKGjB90/HswDtlC6i9DctnfHUp4BfA2fnV1AtDLAlC 3IlJrMMljwz1pyyX1xTEM2cMy8cyPXqLudGek= MIME-Version: 1.0 Received: by 10.150.66.20 with SMTP id o20mr5007244yba.344.1309026857511; Sat, 25 Jun 2011 11:34:17 -0700 (PDT) Received: by 10.150.12.15 with HTTP; Sat, 25 Jun 2011 11:34:17 -0700 (PDT) In-Reply-To: <1309023264.31961.1467170105@webmail.messagingengine.com> References: <1309023264.31961.1467170105@webmail.messagingengine.com> Date: Sat, 25 Jun 2011 08:34:17 -1000 Message-ID: From: Kevin Oberman To: Bastian Rieck Content-Type: text/plain; charset=ISO-8859-1 Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable Cc: freebsd-mobile@freebsd.org Subject: Re: Laptop recommendations? X-BeenThere: freebsd-mobile@freebsd.org X-Mailman-Version: 2.1.5 Precedence: list List-Id: Mobile computing with FreeBSD List-Unsubscribe: , List-Archive: List-Post: List-Help: List-Subscribe: , X-List-Received-Date: Sat, 25 Jun 2011 18:34:18 -0000 On Sat, Jun 25, 2011 at 7:34 AM, Bastian Rieck wrote= : > Dear list, > > I need to replace my old IBM Thinkpad R50e, which is running FreeBSD > 8.2. Currently, my favoured replacement is a Lenovo ThinkPad Edge E520. > However, I am not sure how well FreeBSD would run on it. Is anyone > using this laptop with FreeBSD? I ran several searches with Google, > of course, but the models described in search results are either > too old or too expensive, > i.e. more than 1000 EUR... > > Consequently, I am also interested in other recommendations: If you are > using an affordable laptop (say less than 600 EUR, i.e. 850 USD) with > FreeBSD, please reply. My requirements are actually quite low: I need 3D > acceleration (OpenGL) as I am developing scientific visualization > software and a working WLAN card. Any extra features/hardware supported > would be nice, but it is definitely _not_ a must. > > Thanks for your considerations. > > Kind regards, > =A0 Bastian Two main issues. Graphics and wireless. As far as wireless goes, look out for Lenovo "1x1" wireless. It's a Realtek card and there is no support for it. The Intel cards (Centrino) should do OK with IWN. I would be delighted if an Atheros card would work, but Lenovo locks PCI IDs for wireless, so I suspect Atheros won't work since Lenovo no longer sells them. Almost all new systems use the integrated Intel 3000 GPU which won't work with FreeBSD until GEM/KMS support is available. If you can find AMD graphics or nVidia graphics OTHER THAN OPTIMUS, you are fine, but I don't think this will be easy. Lenovo does sell some AMD based laptops with Redeon graphics and hose might be your best bet. Good luck! FreeBSD on laptops is a real problem ATM. --=20 R. Kevin Oberman, Network Engineer - Retired E-mail: kob6558@gmail.com