Pre installed Linux Notebook

[Joe San]

Guys,

I'm looking for a pre installed notebook (preferably Ubuntu). I tried my best to search in google for the options here in Germany. But what I get is not to my desire. Following are my requirements.

(1) 13'3 display
(2) 320 GB HDD
(3) Less than 2 kg in weight

Any ideas on any branded machines that suits my needs. I would definitely like to find one like www.emperorlinux.com (Sony Vaio z Series really attracts me) here in Germany, but unfortunately I could not find a satisfactory one.

Suggestions welcomed.

[Pat Farrell]

I bought my last laptop from
LinuxCertified
its a Lenovo T-series. Came with Ubuntu (you could select from other distros too). Don't know if they ship to where you live.

I avoided the Microsoft tax.

But, next time, I may decide to get one with Windows 7, and then dual-boot. Ubuntu doesn't run Starcraft II to my liking.

[Maneesh Godbole]

Pre installed Linux? I don't see the advantage in this one.
Ubuntu is free download. If you install it yourself (the UI installer which is really very easy to follow, practically just a few clicks), you have the flexibility to configure it just the way you want it. Also, the manufacturers might be lagging behind the Ubuntu release, and you might end up with an older Ubuntu version.
e.g. Recently Ubuntu 10.10 was released, but you might end up with 10.04 installed.

I don't know your reasoning but 13.3" might be a bad idea. You will need high res display drivers else you will have trouble viewing the screen.

I got myself an HP 550 with DOS. As per the invoice DOS didn't cost me anything. Then I downloaded Ubuntu and set it up myself. Hardly to 20 minutes. Of course I am in India, and things might be different in Germany.

[Pat Farrell]

Maneesh Godbole wrote:Pre installed Linux? I don't see the advantage in this one.

I've been using Linux for a decade, and used Unix systems professionally since the mid-1980s.

I went for a installed Linix because in the many years that I've used assorted Linux distros, the sad fact is that new hardware often has driver issues. And with laptops, you never know when some piece is "new". Could be the bluetooth radio, or the video card or....

So when I got a laptop with Linux installed it was to make sure that the parts shipped with the laptop worked with the distro. Out of the box, day one. No screwing with drivers, looking for patches, figuring out which dependency breaks what part.

[Maneesh Godbole]

Ah Ok!
Never thought of it on those lines.
Thanks Pat.

[Joe San]

Exactly on the lines what Pat mentions is one of the major major reason that I want to buy a notebook with pre installed Linux. I'm very much obsessed with the Sony Vaio Z series and S series, but when googling on Ubuntu compatibility with the Z and S series it was evident that there were un-resolved problems with display driver compatibility. Spending 1500 to 2000 Euros and realizing the fact after buying it is not my game. In fact I had similiar issues with my Lenovo R61 when I was getting everything to work with Ubuntu 8.04. Had a tough time then.

Just had a look at www.emperorlinux.com and was very much interested in getting the Vaio notebook form them but not sure if they would ship it overseas and moreover I do not want to pay the hefty custom here in Germany. Recently came across this article http://www.cyberciti.biz/tips/linux-laptop.html and it seems that the Thinkpads have the hardware which is mostly compatible out of the box with the different Linux distros available.

[Joe San]

The T series Lenovo with Ubuntu pre-installed seems to be as expensive as with Windows

[Pat Farrell]

Joe Harry wrote:The T series Lenovo with Ubuntu pre-installed seems to be as expensive as with Windows

Why do you think this is a problem? Around here, anyone can get an OEM copy of Windows 7 Home Premium for $100 in a retail store. If a vendor sells all of its machines with Windows, there are significant marketing dollars available from MS. Those dollars go away with Linux.

Notebooks, laptops, and netbooks are very low margin commodity businesses. The marketing co-op dollars may be the whole profit margin. Often, the marketing co-op dollars from MS are not enough, which is why there is all the crapware installed by the factory.

I've been running Ubuntu on my laptops for years to avoid the unreliability of Windows. Since I'm on my laptop 8+ hours a day, and my time is valuable, I can't afford to waste time with forced reboots, let alone crashes.

[Stefan Wagner]

Pat Farrell wrote:So when I got a laptop with Linux installed it was to make sure that the parts shipped with the laptop worked with the distro. Out of the box, day one. No screwing with drivers, looking for patches, figuring out which dependency breaks what part.

I thought the same way, but then my brother ordered a laptop with some linux preinsalled, and what was the result? A plain command-line installation without support for the internal cripple-modem (which is luckily not used), not even language-settings or such was made. But he had a second machine to download an ubuntu-cd, and made that thing working.

But I have to admit, it was a low-cost laptop, and windows seemed mostly missing to make it a few dozen Euros cheaper.