From owner-freebsd-mobile@FreeBSD.ORG Wed Dec 24 10:47:14 2003 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 5573716A4CE for ; Wed, 24 Dec 2003 10:47:14 -0800 (PST) Received: from lomond.aae.uiuc.edu (lomond.aae.uiuc.edu [128.174.132.117]) by mx1.FreeBSD.org (Postfix) with ESMTP id 2D87943D46 for ; Wed, 24 Dec 2003 10:47:13 -0800 (PST) (envelope-from dmmcf@uiuc.edu) Received: by lomond.aae.uiuc.edu (Postfix, from userid 1000) id B27F818F6C; Wed, 24 Dec 2003 12:47:06 -0600 (CST) To: Martin Cracauer References: <87zndjidfr.fsf@lomond.aae.uiuc.edu> <200312231650.30382.cbehanna@panasas.com> <20031224105010.A79893@cons.org> From: dmmcf@uiuc.edu (D. Michael McFarland) Date: Wed, 24 Dec 2003 12:47:06 -0600 In-Reply-To: <20031224105010.A79893@cons.org> (Martin Cracauer's message of "Wed, 24 Dec 2003 10:50:10 -0500") Message-ID: <87fzfavys5.fsf@lomond.aae.uiuc.edu> User-Agent: Gnus/5.1003 (Gnus v5.10.3) Emacs/21.3.50 (gnu/linux) MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii cc: freebsd-mobile@freebsd.org Subject: Re: Experiences with HP, Compaq? 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: Wed, 24 Dec 2003 18:47:14 -0000 Martin Cracauer writes: > I looked at some rebated HP/Compaq models at BestBuy yesterday. The > cheap celeron models I was looking at had no firewire and only USB > 1.1. You want to make sure those you are looking at have 2.0. Good point. Unfortunately, it eliminates both my original choices. >> For about that same price, Best Buy has an eMachines laptop w/17" >> widescreen (1280x768) LCD, the same Athlon-M, and the same ATI video >> chip. > > I looked at that part yesterday.[...] > Anyway, I had a closer look and the whole thing feels so flimsy and > cheap mechanically-wise that I am pretty much put off it. I might > have a second look these days but I really wouldn't like to buy a > notebook with a keyboard that breaks. I looked at the M5312 (the Athlon version), and was mildly impressed. Then I tracked down a somewhat Linux- and FreeBSD-savvy tech (Who'd've thought?), who expressed some concerns about eMachines hardware. I came away thinking that if I wanted to run Windows, that notebook would be a great bargain, but for what I have in mind it might add another layer of annoyance. I've since raised my sights a little (aye, there he goes, right down the slippery slope), and am looking at the Compaq 2580US, which is a little newer than the models I started with (e.g., USB 2) but looks similar enough in most of the hardware details that I can believe I could get most features to work. But feel free to contradict me---I hate spending money, even on computers. :-) Michael