Hi, I'm currently investigating laptops in the UK around the £800 pound mark new, but I was wondering if there is any particular laptop or make of laptop to avoid for using linux??

I'll be using Slackware most probably.

Is there any that can be recommended? Any make that are good for linux (heard Toshiba are good from somewhere???)

I just want to avoid driver problems in a new machine mainly

Thanks in advance.

I have good experiences with older Aver TravelMates under Linux (though the hardware has some problems - especially the hard disks).

Also several Compaq Armada (110S, E500) and Evo (N1050) work without problems.

I used to have problems with Xfree video drivers on a Toshiba Satellite Pro 4200 with several Distributions two years ago.

If you plan to use a modem (which is typically an "Winmodem" in current notebooks), make sure there is a driver available (visit www.linmodems.org).

The German Distributor xtops (www.xtops.de - Site is also available in English) offers Asus, Xeron (never heard of them elsewhere) and of course Apple.

You might also look at www.tuxmobil.org. There are tons of links to user experiences with Notebooks.

I just got used Omnibook 900 (HP) from Retrobox. I had Slack installed and running without trouble in less than an hour. Everything works fine. DVD, sound, PCMCIA, USB, APM, both trackpoint and touchpad, etc etc....
It has an ATI Rage Mobility P/M and I do have to say that I wish there was better support for that piece of hardware, but for what I'm using it for, there are no problems. Overall, it's a sweet little machine. (Can you tell I'm happy yet? )

In general don't use the latest model/hardware when u plan to use linux is a good advice. Toshiba seemed dominant in laptop marked. No other experience with others. I have slackware 9.1 on satelite 2805, a little bit old. Previously i also have slack 8.1 on it, X n networking run ok.

As stated b4 only that the modem is softmodem (most laptop used softmodem ?), that is a little bit hairy to configure on linux. But nowaday connection to internet through usb (cable,dsl) or through ehternet card is usual, so need to deal with softmodem, at least for the first ..

I have used this satelite either connected through ethernet to my server or I connect it directly to cable modem through usb port, surely I can also connect through the ethernet port, that will be even easier.

Oh well slack 9.1 loads the modules for ether as well as usb port, depends on wut detected. Be use u used the bareacpi.i kernel for installation on laptop. That is all so far with slack on satelite..

almost laptop nowaday have some hardware that already support fot linux like AT radeon ect... but i wonder what problems you will get with Acer travermate ( if i didn't wrong ) that travemate quite a new branch so why it can't living with linux forever u make me sad cause i had 2 laptops one can't use linux cause the video card is so stupid another new ones used to my studing so quite uncomfortable with school applications, and the one i using now is a desky to make a home server quite good now
some branches work well with linux ( base on my ex )
dell
IBM
Compaq ( nomore now is hp but it suck )
Acer
toshiba ( really good )
Sony ( never use so don't know )