Laptop Reccomendation

[Jim Smith]

Gabriel Dragffy wrote:
> Jim Smith wrote:
>   
>> Scott W. McMikle wrote:
>>     
>>> I would like to purchase a used older laptop and my intent is to run
>>> Ubuntu on it.  My plan is to surf the web, run Openoffice, and a GPS
>>> navigation program.  I am curious to what others have been sucessful with.
>>>  
>>> Scott
>>>       
>> I'm using a Sony VAIO VGN-FJ250P (widescreen) Pentium M, 1Gb RAM, 100Gb
>> HDD and DVD-RW. Almost everything worked at installation with a couple
>> of minor exceptions. The DVD-RW drive is not recognised at bootup UNLESS
>> there is a disc in the drive. Odd problem and one I've never heard of
>> before. Workaround of course is to leave a disc in the drive at all
>> times. Drive is OK as WinXPPro has no trouble with it. The built in
>> webcam hasn't worked yet but truth be told I've not given it a serious
>> look yet. WiFi was a nuisance at first but I installed KWFiManager and
>> now have no problems with it. This unit is Intel Centrino, so its all
>> Intel, graphics, WiFi and sound, no problems except as above.
>>
>> Your mileage may vary.
>>
>> Jim
>>
>>     
> Surely if you fire up the computer, then put a cd in the drive, linux 
> will do it's thing and then give you an icon for it?
>
>   
No it does not. If you try to use any Linux DVD player (xine, mplayer
etc.) the error message is "No device /dev/scd0." As above. If however,
the disc is in the drive _at bootup_ then the disc is recognised, the
icon is displayed and disc can be played normally. Also, if there is a
disc in the drive at boot and then that disc is ejected all subsequent
discs are recognised when loaded. In short there has to be some sort of
disc, even a blank will do, in the drive at boot for the drive to work.

Jim