cheap ubuntu laptop with wireless that works right "out of the box".

[Derek Broughton]

Christopher Copeland wrote:

> 
> 
> Derek Broughton wrote:
>> Christopher Copeland wrote:
>>
>>   
>>> I don't think being forced to have a dongle or pcmcia card hanging off
>>> a laptop is desirable (especially on a new purchase) in terms of both
>>> wireless performance and convenience.
>>>     
>>
>> Who's being forced?  The OP suggested that he could only get laptops with
>> known working wireless for considerably more money.  To my mind, it's
>> well worth it to pay less for the hardware and use a dongle, but it's his
>> choice.
>>   
> The OP! If that boxed up toshiba's wireless doesn't work AT ALL, then by
> keeping it he would be forced, right? Note I didn't look into whether or
> not the card in the laptop is actually going to work in ubuntu..

He's not forced, though.  He has options - he's explicitly not opened the
box so that he won't be forced.

However, the amount of research one can do with wireless hardware is
somewhat limited, as the "specs" the manufacturer give are rarely
sufficient to know what actual driver is needed - as in this case where
they just said "realtek".  There must be more than one kind of realtek
wireless driver - there are three or four wired realtek drivers that I know
of.

> The Dell open box might have been the solution.. 

imo, that's even _less_ likely to work out of the box.  Some of the Dell's
come with options for four different wireless NICs, two of which are dicey
even under ndis.  otoh, my HP came with a NIC that announces itself
as "Dell TruMobile"!! and works with ndiswrapper.  You really need to be
able to see the chipset in use before you can tell if it should work.

> my point was I'd rather 
> have built-in wireless and pay for that privilege, than use a usb/pcmcia
> card. Then I suggested usb cards to look at in case *his choice* wasn't
> the same as mine.. ;)

That's reasonable - if the cost difference is negligible, but he could buy
and throw out a few NICs before making up the difference in the costs he
quoted.

>> I spent just over $500 for the HP I'm using - working wireless (Broadcom
>> with ndiswrapper) included.  I _want_ an eee. :-)
>>   
> :) They are lots of fun, I can't keep hold of them though.. when I
> travel with one my client usually ends up buying it off me.

LOL.  I was wondering why you had bought a "few".  I met with a client who
was using a tiny Mac a few weeks before I first saw an eee, and was a
little jealous but the Mac was way out of my price range.

> I only use mine as travel machine 

Sure, but what a travel machine it makes!

-- 
derek