17" Notebook Recommendations
 

I'm looking for recommendations for a 17", 1080P notebook that

• supports linux really well
• is fast -- preferably something like core i7
• has a matte screen
• doesn't get too hot to use in my lap
• has good wireless

I use it for development work from home, so the screen size is critical.

The best Linux support comes when you buy Linux.

I'm very happy with my Zareason, but it's not quite 17 inches. http://zareason.com/shop/Strata-7440.html The same (not quite 17 inches) applies to Think Penguin's offerings: https://www.thinkpenguin.com/catalog...rs-gnu-linux-2

System 76 has two 17-inchers: https://system76.com/laptops/ I've not dealt with them, but I've heard persons who have speak favorably.

I went with Zareason because it let me pick a distro; the other two ship Ubuntu.

I don't have much experience, but I'll throw in what I know.

I've only installed Linux on 4 computers, 3 of them laptops. My suggestion is to avoid Dell. One Dell laptop works almost perfectly out of the box. The other Dell laptop has been much more difficult (sound, backlight) and I still haven't got it completely figured out. The third Dell was an XP desktop (now a server), and it seems mostly compatible, with the exception of sound (it "works" but not the way it should). The third laptop (well, a netbook) is an Asus EEE PC. You wouldn't want one, because they (at least mine) run on an Atom, which is like the polar opposite of an i7. But it seems to be very compatible, I haven't had any problems with it.

I've heard a lot of good things about HP, but I've never had any experience with it.

Anything with a touchscreen will be like a mirror, so you don't want a touchscreen. (you probably know this already, but I thought I'd throw it in anyway)

You might want to look at LQ's hardware compatibility list, there's a whole section devoted to laptops. http://www.linuxquestions.org/hcl/index.php/cat/507

If on a budget. 1080P not availqable though
Acer

It has usb 3.0. Look at Q&A

I've always had good results with my Dells, except that Dell tends to like Broadcom. I've had Linux on four Dells (one tower with no wireless, two laptops, one netbook) and, except for having to get Broadcom working, they have been troopers.

I also had an Acer Travelmate that worked and played very nicely with Linux, but it also had Broadcom.

Lenovo laptops are almost made to work on Linux, so you can't go wrong there...though 17" is a monster and I'd almost suggest just getting a desktop. I know Lenovo has a 15.6", but not sure about 17.

I own an ASUS N73S 17". My main requirement was a screen resolution with at least 1600X1024 so I ended up with this one.

As it seemed, normal laptops are not being produced anymore. It is either gaming beasts costing $2000+ or laptops with 1366x768 resolution. Users are accustomed to tablets, so anything with a higher resolution seems to be a niche. Anyway, this N73S is 1080p.

Pros:

• It is fully Linux compatible
• I do only use the Intel GPU chip, not the NVIDIA something. I don t need that
• It is blazingly fast with an I7 4-core dual thread
• Very sensitive WiFi
• Suspend/Resume works flawlessly. Really the first laptop I own which does that.
• Cost was around $1000
• The case stays really cool to the touch, even in warmer environments.

But the cons are not insignifincant either:

• Battery life only 2 hours in most aggressive power save mode with no heavy tasks running
• Even in suspend mode, the battery exhausts in 36 hours
• The screen is glossy (yikes!)
• The keyboard feels mushy
• The keyboard layout is pretty non-standard forcing the user to look frequently where he puts his fingers.
• The screen is so bright, that in less favorable lighting conditions you get blinded and can t see the keyboard symbols anymore. Which was very much needed as per the previous point mentioned.
• No keyboard backlight which would have helped to overcome that
• It is heavy and it is hard to find a suitable case for it. My Logitech case was torn apart after 1 year because of the weight. That tells more about Logitech s quality than over the laptop
• The power brick is literally a brick and weighs about as much

All in all, the N73S is no match for my 2008 Lenovo T61.

jlinkels

I've never bought a laptop made for Linux but have assumed they may use any hardware((Linux runs on that) as long as they set it up right) so if it comes with an install-DVD\or-whatever and an easily upgradable OS you'd be OK.

I'd look at the cheapest (for most "power") write down model numbers, go home then search for issues with video, sound, networking hardware and Linux plus how to fix them... My Vaio needs non-free drivers for WiFi and it's never been a problem to install them one way or another and I only run Linux more than 15 different distros have (D)been fine. :)

P.s: i7\any http://cdn.targus.com/web/us/product...essories_b.jpg

Another budget 17 incher. i3, 6gig of ram, usb 3.0. No 1080 though.

Asus

So if 1080 is a must. Then zareason or 1000 bucks plus is a must.

I'm fine with it costing a $1000 or so, having crummy battery life (longer is better, but my current 17 laptop lives next to the couch and is usually plugged in), and not being very portable. I have a Macbook air for portability -- this is essentially a desktop replacement with a tolerable screen.

One thing I also want and didn't mention is an ssd drive.

Zareason doesn't currently stock any 17" laptops. System 76 does, but they overcharge horribly for SSD drives -- and if I am going to install it myself, I might as well buy a windows laptop and install linux.

I can buy one from Avadirect, for that matter. What I'm curious about here is personal experience -- what have folks tried, what do they like. I have an HP 17", not quite 2 years old, that works almost perfectly -- but the build quality is terrible, the hinges are failing, etc. Its battery life is also terrible (2 hours), but I can live with that in a desktop replacement whose major selling point is that I can use it from the couch.

I want a large screen so that I can run developer tools tolerably -- e.g., run emacs in split-screen mode.

What Dell models have you used?

How well did Broadcom work once you installed the drivers?

How well did things like keyboard backlighting work? Were the laptops cool enough to keep on your lap?

Living in texas, Dells are quite as good a deal as they are out of state (sales tax), but I'm not opposed.

HP ProBook 470 G0 (or G1 or whatever).

The more you search it before buying the happier you will be http://www.consumerreports.org/cro/s...y=17%22+laptop
plus\and for the Linux part https://duckduckgo.com/ :)

Dell Precision M6700/M6800

I used a Dell M6300 for many years and it ran Slackware like a champ. And based on that experience, I wouldn't go above a 15 inch screen ever again. For me, the deal breaker is travel. A 17 inch laptop does not fit into an airplane well at all and even if I wasn't traveling by air, the thing was a boat anchor to drag around. Going with an equally well-equipped smaller laptop and getting a nice big monitor works much better in my opinion.