Laptop Help

[fetfet]

School's coming up again, and after 2 years of abuse, I believe I'll need a new laptop. I've got a few requirements.

I've only got about $200 right now, and I'll be getting about $300, so my budget is... $500:smallredface:.

I don't overuse my computer, but I fill up the memory fast/ I'd get an external hard drive/USB drives/online storage, but it needs to be able to handle moderate use, and enough RAM to run Firefox, MSN, LimeWire, and a flash game all at once.

Good video card is a plus, but not required.

Speed is good too. I'm planning to run Mint Linux on it.

Any help is welcomed! Thanks!

[Flickerdart]

It doesn't look like your requirements are too power-demanding. Have you considered the Eee PC? The Linux version has 20GB HDD space, and will definitely be able to do everything you need it for.

[fetfet]

I've heard mixed reviews of the Eee PC.

[Irbis]

Is this going to be your first machine?

[Lupy]

Linux Mint is resource light, but be extra sure your computer will work with it. In fact, I would make a thread at the forum there and tell them what you need and see what they say.

[fetfet]

It's my second. I've currently got an HP Pavilion from 2 years ago. It's been dropped, stolen, drenched, frozen, etc. And It barely works.

[Cyrano]

It's my second. I've currently got an HP Pavilion from 2 years ago. It's been dropped, stolen, drenched, frozen, etc. And It barely works.

Barely works? Sounds ridiculously reliable, actually.

[fetfet]

It's not. It took me about 5 tries to write this message.

[Lupy]

It's not. It took me about 5 tries to write this message.

Any one of those should have ruined it. :smallwink: HP makes reliable stuff though.

Did you post in the Linux Mint forum? The Ubuntu guys can help you as well.

[Irbis]

It's my second. I've currently got an HP Pavilion from 2 years ago. It's been dropped, stolen, drenched, frozen, etc. And It barely works.

No, I meant it like "is it going to be your only machine"?

Because if so, then you can forget about anything with screen smaller <14", unless you don't mind plugging a monitor into it every time you want to work.

And netbooks are very picky about what linux distribution they will work fine with, so I'd try to either forget about choosing a distribution at this moment, of pick a laptop by checking which ones can be said to work under it (but that will give you about as much choice as Apple does).

[Lupy]

No, I meant it like "is it going to be your only machine"?

Because if so, then you can forget about anything with screen smaller <14", unless you don't mind plugging a monitor into it every time you want to work.

And netbooks are very picky about what linux distribution they will work fine with, so I'd try to either forget about choosing a distribution at this moment, of pick a laptop by checking which ones can be said to work under it (but that will give you about as much choice as Apple does).

When did Apple start giving a few hundred options?
--

You have plenty of options for a laptop that'll run Linux mint. I would look and see what runs Ubuntu well because LM is based on it. This page here may be of interest: https://wiki.ubuntu.com/LaptopTestingTeam

[Irbis]

When did Apple start giving a few hundred options?
--

You have plenty of options for a laptop that'll run Linux mint. I would look and see what runs Ubuntu well because LM is based on it. This page here may be of interest: https://wiki.ubuntu.com/LaptopTestingTeam

If your definition is 'console working', then yes, a few hundred options. If you go by 'stable system with no problems', then you can count on fingers of one hand. You have no idea how often I see a linux distro A (say, for example, Red Hat) to have problems with graphic card on a given machine, distro B (e.g. Ubuntu) with graphics working fine, but with no sound, distro C (Mandriva) with no working net drivers - often, it takes so much time it's easier (and cheaper) to go with windows instead.

This situation is bad enough on normal laptops, but on these you can sometimes substitute a driver from other laptop, even if it had a bare minimum of functionality (like working with 800x600 as the only graphic mode). On netbooks, the situation is much worse - they are pretty unique so no driver-swapping between models and distros in most cases.

Just look what they added to Eee PC - a special version of linux that barely works and that has its own problems, not something from a major house.

[Lupy]

I was talking about notebooks, where supported models are well, supported. Most Linux systems aren't barely functional terminal boxes in the year 2009.

I would be very hesitant to install anything on a Netbook though, that's asking for trouble. If you don't want Windows for whatever reason get an HP with Linux preinstalled.

[fetfet]

Please... I just want a laptop.

Linux Mint isn't a necessity. I just don't want spyware and viruses messing up my system.

I'm looking at Acer and Toshiba stuff, because it looks cheap.

[Lupy]

Be careful what you buy from Toshiba, read a lot of reviews. Their stuff is hit or miss.

[fetfet]

Really I want a fast computer. That's it.

[Don Julio Anejo]

If you want cheap and reliable? HP and Acer are your best bets.

[fetfet]

I've got an HP, and wouldn't want to try that again. Might go Acer, install Ubuntu.

Thanks, everyone.