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Re: [linux-team] Portables Linux/Windows



----- Original Message -----
From: Emmanuel Tychon [C] <etychon@cisco.com>
To: <linux-team@rtfm.be>
Sent: Wednesday, May 17, 2000 12:56 PM
Subject: Re: [linux-team] Portables Linux/Windows


>
> On 17-May-00 Carlos Betancourt wrote:
>
> > The most non-propietary and x86 standard Laptops I've seen on the market
are
> > the non-big-brand ones.
>
> Obviously, this is not easy for a small coputer maker to develop his
> own product, and drive the market. But with noname PCs, you may have
> some other issues:
>

Remember that OEMs (Compaq, Toshiba, Dell) have to buy their components to
big taiwanesse manufactures to keep costs low. At the end, all laptops
manufactures of the world _can't_ design/manufacture their own pieces. It's
just not cost effective. Ok, they have special configuracions and set ups.
But nothing else. It's like car manufacturers: they buy designs to other
companies and sell them as their own in other countries.

>   - linux support: some of them are using really cheap components to
>     build the PC, and don't hesitate to buy even the crappyiest
>     taiwanese video card.
>

You're wrong. Do you think that an ATI Rage LT Pro is a sample of "the
crappyies taiwanese video card"?
The Laptop market is too competitive nowadays. Not anyone can jump in. An
product quality must be very high to enter the arena. So, please, make some
research before making your comments.

>   - inestment protection: a small brand may disapear shortly, and your
>     laptop is not covered by anything anymore. Bad luck for such a
>     expensive piece of hardware!
>

Those "small brands" are just resellers. The main manufacturer is Sager. Go
to the news&reviews section of AJP
(http://www.ajp.co.uk/reviews/indreviews.htm) and find what others say.
Anyway, you can go to the Linux-Laptop project site
(http://www.cs.utexas.edu/users/kharker/linux-laptop/) and find out Linux
users' comments about Pro-Star Laptops (They are the sames Sager and AJP
sell). So, if the reseller disappears, you still have others to give you
service.

> > As you live in Belgium, I don't know if you have to pay taxes if you buy
it
> > in the US (to import it). If so, can someone please tell me how much it
> > would be?
>
> Also, buying branded laptop in the US is not a problem, if your computer
is
> covered by an international guarantee. It's not so easy with small brands,
> where the support and guarantee are really restricted to certain areas.
>

Well, you've got a point. As a last resort, you can Fedex the machine back
to the company and they'll send it back within 72 hours after receiving the
machine (I've already done it). If you buy in the UK, it could be faster.
You just have to ask them before buying.

> Appart from that, here at Cisco we have two models of laptop used.
>
>         - Toshiba Tecra 8000: This is a pretty nice laptop, but we
>         have seen various issues to make linux running on it. Most
>         of the time, the CardBus slot is the issue. Using a good
>         3 Com card works fine, but avoid all the Xircom CardBus
>         based nics. Tecra 8000 PII-400, 128mb, 13.1gb, dvd and
>         14.1-Tft for 225.600,- bef.
>

Sager NP2850: 15.1'' TFT, PIII-700, 128mb, 12GB-UDMA, 6X-DVD, 10/100
Ethernet, ATI Rage LT Pro 8MB, 56K Modem (not winmodem). PRICE: 2850US$ ~
120.000BEF
With the money you save, you can even go personally to the US, in case you
have troubles with the computer (which is very unlikely - anyway, you don't
have to go to the US, it's just an example), and you still will have money
in your pocket, compared with a toshiba price.

>         - Toshiba Portege 7020CT. Slim (1.5cm) and fast machine, this
>         one works "out of the box" with any Linux distribution. I really
>         like this one! Portege 7020ct, PII-366 w/ 64mb, 6gb, modem 56k,
>         13.3-Tft for around 160.000,- bef.
>

Pro-Star 3160 (Sager NP3360): Slim (1.4cm), 13.3'' XGA TFT, Celeron 500MHZ,
64MB, 6GB, 24X-CDROM (optional DVD), 56K Modem, LS-120 (optional), ATI Rage
LT Pro 8MB, TV-Out port (NTSC/PAL) = 1710US$ < 70.000bef

> For cheaper material, I have also some friends using ACER laptops. They
> are working great, but this is indeed cheeper (800x600 max of the screen,
> bullshit sound card, SoftModem,...)
>

Pro-Star 5100: 12.1'' TFT (800x600), Celeron 500, 32MB (up to 256), 6GB,
24X-CDROM (optional DVD), S3 AGP 4MB video, TV-Out port (NTSC/PAL) = 1250US$
~ 50.000bef

In case you want to buy a new Hard Drive, what do you do with the old one? I
mean, I also have a Compaq Presario, and when I upgrade it to a new hard
drive, the old one will be useless. This Sager computers have modular HDs
and Floppies, so you can put a _second_ hard drive instead of the floppy. So
you can keep using the old HD.

Anyway, I just give you the information so you will know you have more
options; that's what Linux is all about: _options_. I'm not trying to push
you to buy this babes, and I don't have any ties with their companies, but
I'm a happy buyer using Linux in this computers. The decision is up to you.
Yes, maybe you will feel much more confortable if you buy your computer from
a Big-Name manufarturer here in Belgium, but at least you know you have
other options. And better ones. And last but not least, you are using Linux
not because there is a Big-$oftware company behind it, but because it's a
better option.

> Just my 0.02 euro :-)
>

Just my 0.02 euros

(See? Now you have 0.04 euros in your pocket. And free! :-)

Carlos

P.S. Beware of compaq laptops: they only have one PCMCIA Type II Slot and no
IR Port. If you need to have those features ( 2 Type II slots or 1 Type III
slot and/or IR port), Compaqs don't have them. And they won't tell. You will
find out after you buy. Surprise, surprise.


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