Ubuntu Laptop Suggestion

[Shannon McMackin]

On 06/07/2009 07:53 PM, NoOp wrote:
> On 06/05/2009 11:53 AM, Shannon McMackin wrote:
>> On 06/05/2009 01:31 PM, Bill Moseley wrote:
>>> This is a bit off topic, but a sixth grader from my kid's school asked
>>> for recommendations for a laptop.  He says he's saved up about $400[2]
>>> (we are in the US) and wants to learn Linux and programming.
>>>
>>> My Linux laptops have always been Thinkpads, but that's out of his
>>> price range.
>>>
>>> True, it's easy to find Linux laptops on-line, but at his price range
>>> I'm concerned with hardware compatibility.  I can research, but I
>>> thought it worth a try asking here just in case anyone has been
>>> through this lately or seen any great deals in that price range.
>>>
>>> Also, my Thinkpads have always had plenty of power -- so I don't have
>>> experience with low-end laptops.  For example, most the low price
>>> units are Celeron 2.16GHz machines[1] so I wonder if things like
>>> compiz will even run.
>>>
>>> Sorry, I'm not that up on hardware.
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>> Thanks,
>>>
>>>
>>> [1] Some examples:
>>> http://www.dell.com/content/topics/segtopic.aspx/linux_3x?c=us&cs=19&l=en&s=dhs
>>> http://www.geeks.com/details.asp?invtid=AS5335-2238-R&cat=NBB&cpc=NBBbsc
>>>
>>> [2] He seems to have saved more than most Americans. ;)
>>>
>>>
>> The Acer Aspire One works very well with the latest Jaunty remix.  Asus
>> has a few as well that come pre-loaded.  IdeaPad S10 should work well or
>> the newer S20 if he saves some more.
>>
>> The other thought of a refurbished Thinkpad is also good.  T41 was a
>> very sturdy linux laptop...
>>
>>
>
> I wouldn't touch Thinkpads with a 10 ft. pole. I have:
>
> 2 T30's - both have common Thinkpad problems:
>   - 1 has a dead RAM slot
>   - 1 has a screwed up motherboard - won't boot into bios, no beeps
> 1 T21 - has the infamous 'Thinkpad Blink of Death'
>
> However I also have an IBM A21M - this old 650Mhz machine is the *only*
> reliable IBM laptop in the bunch. Swapped out a busted LCD from an old
> Dell junker, added a 30Gb hard drive and 384Mb of RAM&  it chugs right
> along. Only problems are: 1) the battery is dead&  I'm too cheap to
> spend $60 on a new battery, 2) 384Mb of is just OK but new memory for
> old machines like this is *very* expensive.
>
>
>
>
I never had a T30.  I jumped from a T21 to an A31 (too big) to a T41.  I 
never had any problems with any of them.  That was over a 9 year period. 
  I currently have a T61 that's had a couple of hiccups but I have to 
expect Lenovo quality to be less than that of the IBM Thinkpads.

Sorry that you've had some bad experiences...