Subject: Re: Recommendation on laptops, notebooks or portables for NetBSD.
To: None <jdf@rse.com>
From: Peter Seebach <seebs@plethora.net>
List: netbsd-users
Date: 12/17/2002 11:22:12
In message <XFMail.20021217115913.jdf@rse.com>, John Fisher writes:
>I am looking to buy a new laptop or a notebook. And was hoping that I could
>get some recommendations on some good ones that NetBSD supports most or all of
>the hardware on. I have been doing as much research as I can, going through
>the NetBSD mailing list, searching the net, and so on. But I am finding most
>people are using older hardware that they are going to stop selling, or are no
>t
>selling any more. And I would like to know if there is anyone that just bough
>t
>a brand spanking new laptop, notebook or portable and is running NetBSD on it.
>How do you like it. What's the make and model, and the things you got on it?
>Is everything working? What isn't working?
Two answers:
1. HP Pavilion n5490. P3 1Ghz. Worked pretty well, but no APM support,
and I never tried to debug ACPI power management. Well, not "no" APM support;
you could check how much battery you had. Sleep/suspend/etc didn't work.
I have one of these for sale if anyone wants it (asking around $1200 with
two extra port replicators and power supplies). 1400x1050 display, works fine
in X, supported audio, CD burner/DVD player. 10/100 ethernet works. Modem
doesn't.
2. ThinkPad A31p. This is why I'm selling the Pavilion. APM works (but you
have to be on a text console or the display won't come back). Video works,
audio works. Hardware "mute" button, which is occasionally useful. CD
burner/DVD drive, serial, USB, bluetooth, firewire, built-in wireless. 10/100
ethernet works, modem doesn't.
The ThinkPad is awesome. I liked the HP, but the ThinkPad is better. (It
should be; it cost nearly twice as much!)
-s