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Another Suggested Laptop Thread
I'm in the market for a new laptop that can I can run Linux on without losing any functionality. I have a Compaq Presario 2710US that has been working quite nicely but it's 3 years old now and it shows.
Here are my requirements:
1. A 15" or larger high resolution display that is readable at almost any angle or lighting condition. Widescreen would be nice but not required. I would HAVE to have someway of turning the backlight off when the laptop screensaver kicks in. With my current laptop with works but only because I use a video card specific tool "radeontool".
2. A decent video card that can handle recent games and will be able to for at least a couple years. This will be a dual boot system with XP for that reason along with the fact I need visio and a few other Windows only apps.
3. 802.11G that works with a native driver. Not sure the status of 801.11G /w Linux but I'd like to avoid using a wrapper and Windows driver if possible. (I'd also like to be able to use Airsort/Kismet)
4. 10/100/1000 is desireable
5. A modem with a FREE linux driver. My current laptop driver is a winmodem and the driver isn't free... at $20 it's not worth it for the few times I use it.
6. A battery that can last at least ~2.5-3 hours, or enough to watch a DVD
7. Has to be relatively quite and run cooler if possible
8. 1024MB memory and up
9. 60GB at 5400RPM and up
10. DVD+/-RW, speed doesn't matter much, DL would be nice but not required.
11. A scroll button, preferably 4-way so I can map the right/left to forward and back in Firefox and other apps. I have this now and it would be hard to give up.
12. Decent sound quaility
13. At least 3 USB ports
14. A 6-pin IEEE1394 port (firewire) would be nice but not required
15. A card reader would be nice but not required.
16. Extra function keys like volume control, multimedia etc.. (that can be made to work with Linux) would be nice.
17. Solid and attractive construction.
I will be travelling a lot and this will be going with me as my primary work and personal system. Most of the time I'll be plugged in. Weight isn't as much of an issue since I have no problem with my current 7.8 pound laptop /w bag full of accessories. I will be using this outside in the sun sometime in the summer too so I have to be able to read the display (I can do this somewhat now) and it can't overheat when it's in the mid 80's F outside.
So I'm looking for as specific suggestions as possible. I've been looking at the:
Sager NP4750-V
- Pro everything I want (except 4-way scroll), nice display, powerful, AMD64
- Con a little too big (not sure if it would fit in airline seat), power hungry, a little too loud, average and pain looking
Sager NP4380 or NP4790
- Pro nice size and looks
- Con no 802.11G
Sager NP3790
- Pro nice size and battery life(?), nice looking, HIGH resolution display, light
- Con 802.11G may not work?
Compaq nc8000
- Pro good performance/size
- Not configurable
Compaq nx9500
- Pro good performance
- Not configurable, pain looking, display specs unknown?
Anyone have experience with these? What other suggestions do people have? My limit is around $2500. I'm not a big fan of McDell and Sony looks nice but costs too much and uses too much prioritary stuff. Other then that I'm open.
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