Looing for reasonably priced, refurbished laptop to run Win7 andCentOS
 

I am looking for a cheap refurbished Linux compatible laptop for personal testing. I will likely configure it to dual boot Windows 7, load CentOS.
One laptop I am looking at refurbished is a HP 61510B or 6530B,wireless. I previously owned a HP 6510B, a very good machine,but with a junk OS( Vista) at the time. I have read about some Wireless issues with the 6510B and CentOS.
I think this is workable,if issues I would rather know BEFORE I purchase the laptop,with Win7. I prefer $300 or less price range. I am looking for at least 2GB of memory,preferability option to add memory( 6510B supports up to 4 GB) and preferrably at least 100GB of disk space. It would be nice to have a 2nd disk to play with LVM,but I prefer a laptop over a desktop, so that's out, unless I go to a desktop. I have used LVM but not on Linux.This laptop will likely run Linux only later on. I have a Win 7 laptop.

Looking for suggestions/problems using CentOS with these systems or for info on other refurbished Linix compatible laptops that meet my needs.

If you can find out what wireless chipset is the computer you are looking to buy, that would help a lot--not the brand of the wireless card, but the chipset in the card.

This post will give you some hints on how to find that out using Linux. In Windows, look in Control Panel-->System-->Device Manager (although I can't remember whether it will actually report the chipset or just the card and don't have Windows running to check).

6510b wireless chipset
 

Looking at the wiki it shows what looks to be intel wireless chipset. IPG3945 abg. Looks like a firmware n driver install required unless the kernel is 2.6.22. Have to check kernel version in centos. I am still trying to pick out a laptop to use with win7 n centos. Lookong at refurbished in the $300 range, suggestions . I have a docking station cor a 6510 b also, assume this would work with linux on a 6510b .

I was looking at second-hand (used) laptops a while back for similar. Eventually went for new - much better idea at similar price (ASUS, not HP).

Don't know about there, but at present there are some mighty good deals here as retailers get rid of (perfectly good) Win7 laptops as M$oft pushes Win8 so hard. Seriously good deals, and willing to negotiate.

I have an old (about five years) ASUS Travelmate 1000 that runs flawlessly with Linux.

My Dells also perform excellently, but it does take an extra step or two to get the Broadcom wireless working (Dell seems to really like Broadcom).