Linux-friendly laptops?

[GreyGeek]

HP laptops may have thermal issues with Linux -- they use cheap and poorly-designed heat sinks. Personally, I've found Lenovo to be the most trouble-free laptops.

Also, many HP models have a flipped webcam which gives an upside down image in Linux, but not Windows. I checked out the reason and it was because HP wired the camera backwards and after MS wrote the driver they didn't change it and that template was used for several models. I don't know how many different models exhibited the problem or iif more recent machines have the problem.

[MoonRise]

I have an MSI GE70 I just recently put 13.10 on. Runs great. Only issue is the DVD drive doesn't have an eject button. It's on the keyboard. I just made a simple routine and tied it to that button and that was solved. Once that was done I can say it is nearly perfect.

[Feathers McGraw]

HP laptops may have thermal issues with Linux -- they use cheap and poorly-designed heat sinks. Personally, I've found Lenovo to be the most trouble-free laptops.

This is so true.

My HP laptop is a complete PITA with Linux, mainly because of overheating. Have installed Kubuntu on 5 laptops for other people and everyone else's hardware is much better supported than mine! They've been Sony Vaios, Acers, anything but HP (or Compaq, who are owned by HP).

I've never had a problem with any of the laptops with integrated Intel graphics, everything was fine out of the box.

Am saving (lots) for a Lenovo T440s for my next laptop.

[dibl]

Two laptops and a netbook have been running Linux troublefree for several years at my house (I'm not counting a motherboard replacement, a non-Linux issue). They are all getting a bit long in the tooth, but if you're willing to grab an E-bay deal, these would all work fine:

Dell E6500 -- mine has a broken ethernet port (which made it really cheap to buy), but once I got the Broadcom firmware installed, it works great with a KDE desktop.

Dell D620 -- an oldie but goodie -- runs KDE perfectly. Replacing the motherboard (the Nvidia chip died an ugly death) last month was kind of challenging -- thankfully there is a great youtube video to use as a guide. My wife uses this one for browsing and work-related stuff through a web interface. Get the model with Nvidia graphics.

Toshiba NB280 -- Toshiba clearly has a policy of ignoring the Linux community, but they inadvertently made a great little Atom-based netbook that, with the SSD I put in it, boots in 12 seconds and runs like a champ. Still using the original battery, from 2010.

[GreyGeek]

...Dell D620 -- an oldie but goodie -- runs KDE perfectly.....

When I retired in 2008 the Dell D620 was the laptop I was using at work. The Dept of Rev had a 5 yr contract (IIRC) with DELL to supply laptops, desktops and servers. At the time, fully 1/3rd of the displays on new machines were failing, and so were 1 out of 10 HDs. But, the D620 I was using was a jewel. We were given a docking port and connected to that docking port was a USB keyboard and mouse, and a 17" display. The laptop stayed plugged into the port with its display closed. It dual booted with PCLinuxOS and I did all of my Qt development in Linux.

A couple of months ago the Dept of Rev had a surplus equipment sale and I went there to buy some laptops that I could install Kubuntu on and give to the elderly who can't afford a good computer. Behind the locked cabinet were a couple of DELLs of similar vintage. Here is my post on that sale.

Last Saturday I went to the Nebraska state surplus auction to see if there were any good laptop deals that my son might be able to use with RR on it.

There were about 100 old laptops, with an average age I'd estimate to be 8 years old. Several were from 2004. There were a couple dozen towers that ranged from 8 to 12 years old. I expected to pick up a DELL E6400, D6XX or D8XX laptop for around $50 and hopefully less. Anyway, $50 was going to be my max bid. A D8XX went for $200 !!! One can purchase a new Chromebook for $200!

After I picked my jaw up off the floor I watched in utter amazement as people bid an average of $75-$100 for these old boxes. The salvage table was just as bad. Folks were paying $25 to $100, and more, for laptops and towers that didn't work and/or were missing necessary parts. There was about a dozen tables with LCD displays on them, stacked as tightly as possible. About 100 - 130 displays in all. The bidding started at $25 and quickly rose to $75-$100 for each display in a lot of about 6 to 10 displays. The winner would pick the ones he wanted. Then the auctioneer would resume bidding on the rest in that lot, which usually went for less money. Rinse and repeat. In one of those cycles a 17" display was left and I bid $10, which got it. The next lot had the same pattern except that the final one went for $5. Those two buys were the best deals of the day.

Why are such ancient relics going for such high prices? I have a theory. I suspect that folks are avoiding the new Win8's and are buying what's left of new machines that have Win7 on them. Since those boxes are rapidly being bought out the only recourse left if one want to avoid Win8 is to buy an older laptop or desktop and put Linux on it. In talking with folks who gathered around the laptop display I found out that most were planning exactly that -- put Linux on an old laptop. I was suprised that of the 20 or so I talked to only a couple planned to put a copy of WinXP or Win7 on them. My son is thinking about buying a Chromebook and replacing the Chrome OS with RR.

My son ended up buying a new System76 Gazelle with Ubuntu pre-installed. It's an awesome machine.

[dibl]

At the time, fully 1/3rd of the displays on new machines were failing ...

Right -- a BGA underfill problem in the PWA assembly process. Now there is a subject that this Zoology major did not expect to become knowledgeable about.

Behind the locked cabinet were a couple of DELLs of similar vintage ...

Crazy! Looks like $85 - $225 will get a Latitude E6500 on E-bay today. I wouldn't be afraid to buy one if it was in good shape. I put a OCZ Vertex 2 SSD in mine, and a second DIMM in it and it flies with Debian and KDE.

My son ended up buying a new System76 Gazelle with Ubuntu pre-installed. It's an awesome machine.

Yep, if I buy a new one, that is most likely where it will come from.

However, if you can take a bootable USB stick Linux installation into the big box store, you can probably get one of the sales techs to let you boot it on whatever brand they have there -- I did that some years ago when buying a box for a relative.

[GreyGeek]

Yep, if I buy a new one, that is most likely where it will come from.

Me too. When the bounce on this keyboard gets too bad, or the display starts showing vertical burnout lines a System76 will be my first choice.

However, if you can take a bootable USB stick Linux installation into the big box store, you can probably get one of the sales techs to let you boot it on whatever brand they have there -- I did that some years ago when buying a box for a relative.

I always carry TWO LiveUSB sticks in my pocket to test hardware for Kubuntu compatibility. Sales staff whose computer knowledge is limited to Windows or none at all usually won't allow it, but if you find a salesperson who is knowledgeable about Linux they usually have no objection, especially if they are on a commission. Walmart or Bestbuy? Usually not. Independent computer shops? Usually.

[Feathers McGraw]

I always carry TWO LiveUSB sticks in my pocket to test hardware for Kubuntu compatibility.

Were you in the Scouts? Lol.

[GreyGeek]

Yup. Made it through Eagle Scout!

[vinnywright]

well my HP-G62 has worked just fine for 2 years now .......the only thing that ever was a thermal prob was netflix ,,,,high CPU and heat 200+F and would cause a thermal shutdown ,,,,,for some reason SOME vids ,,,,not all ,,,,,,would cause "plugin container" to use a lot of CPU .

VINNY

[dtr]

well my HP-G62 has worked just fine for 2 years now .......the only thing that ever was a thermal prob was netflix ,,,,high CPU and heat 200+F and would cause a thermal shutdown ,,,,,for some reason SOME vids ,,,,not all ,,,,,,would cause "plugin container" to use a lot of CPU .

VINNY

Yes there is something funky with that Silverlight plugin for Netflix, although my laptop hasn't shutdown due to heat, it certainly has to work extra hard.

[GreyGeek]

Yes there is something funky with that Silverlight plugin for Netflix, although my laptop hasn't shutdown due to heat, it certainly has to work extra hard.

And netflix admits it here. They are dumping Silverlight because version 5 of it is so wanky, as has been noted in this thread. MS claims they will support ver 5 until 2021 but if Netflix's problems with it are any example that "support" may be in lip service only. Ten more years with ver 5? MS is hallucinating, and so are the people who are depending on it remaining viable. How many Linux users would be willing to continue using SuSE 9.0, released ten years ago, on 10/15/2003, just before Novell bought it?

[Detonate]

I bought a HP DV1000 laptop seven years ago and it still runs fine. Only Linux problem I had with it was it is that the WiFi has a broadcom chip and it was a pain to set up in the old days, but that problem has been resolved with the later kernels. Not a lot of power but I only use it for email and web browsing while traveling, which is not often. I did have to replace the fan after about four years of use, but that is the only time it had a problem. I would really like to have some of the features that later models have, such as a built in webcam, but with the little use I make of a laptop, I can't justify the expense on my very limited budget. I guess I will keep on using it until it dies.

[charles052]

HP laptops may have thermal issues with Linux -- they use cheap and poorly-designed heat sinks. Personally, I've found Lenovo to be the most trouble-free laptops.

I didn't know that. I've used Kubuntu on my wife's old HP dv7-1232nr entertainment notebook and had very little issue with it except that it didn't play flash games all that well.

[charles052]

well my HP-G62 has worked just fine for 2 years now .......the only thing that ever was a thermal prob was netflix ,,,,high CPU and heat 200+F and would cause a thermal shutdown ,,,,,for some reason SOME vids ,,,,not all ,,,,,,would cause "plugin container" to use a lot of CPU .

VINNY

Had the same problem here. 101 Dalmations was one such movie, shut down my HTPC in less than 15 minutes. Installed Pipelight instead and that helped but didn't solve the issue. I had to put in a new cpu cooler fan and redo the thermal paste before it would start working better. Funny thing is that Pipelight only took up about 51% of my cpu and it still overheated. Definitely a hardware assembly problem caused by a faulty assembler.... that being me. LOL