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Another option.

So, I think one great thing is availability of pre-loaded Linux laptops (e.g. from LinuxCertified http://linuxcertified.com/). I have had even problems with Windows and drivers for laptop components. So, we are almost getting equal (in good and bad).

http://www.linuxcertified.com/linux_laptops.html

Disclamer: I have only had the opurtunity to run linux on 2 laptops, both originally purchased with MS on them. (I purchased both used). The compaq was quirky, but the Dell I have now is great with Linux.

The link I followed from there did bring me to this:

http://linuxcertified.com/linux_laptops.html

Says on the pages "No windows tax"; and, I'm not the hippest when it comes to the newest specs, but they seem to have the latest and greatest.

Just get one of these if you don't want to pay it. Don't worry, I ain't affiliated. I go to pawn shops and scrounge around for a crappy lappy and throw on whatever flavor I'm interested at the time. Then I wind up giving them away because they're slow and start pissing me off.

Here's a start:

Linux Certified

I imagine that it is time for a small time vendor to start making 100% Linux compatible laptops

"I imagine that it is time for a small time vendor to start making 100% Linux compatible laptops and if they survive and make money then great"

You mean like LinuxCertified? They have been around for a while now actually.

LC2464: http://linuxcertified.com/linux-laptop-lc2464.html

Great, but does it run Windows XP?

*ducks*

Actually, the prices looked extremely reasonable enough that I'm considering a purchase. The LC2410 is only $1499. The 2430, the one in the review, is only $1699.

I'm rather impressed they can have prices this reasonable, "Windows tax" or not. A similar Dell Inspiron 5160 (a "desktop replacement" as well) configured with WinXP runs around the same price ($1640, though they are offering a free wireless card now).

Great, but does it run Windows XP?

*ducks*

Actually, the prices looked extremely reasonable enough that I'm considering a purchase. The LC2410 is only $1499. The 2430, the one in the review, is only $1699.

I'm rather impressed they can have prices this reasonable, "Windows tax" or not. A similar Dell Inspiron 5160 (a "desktop replacement" as well) configured with WinXP runs around the same price ($1640, though they are offering a free wireless card now).

So, I'd be intrested where and who this super cheap feature full, sub 6lb laptop is coming from?

As I said before, you may not *need* all the features and quality of a apple laptop, but to compare it to a lesser product that is also cheaper is misleading. I can say I don't need a Mercedes and so purchase a econo car (saving a buck or two in the process), but pointing out that a wal-mart e-machine is cheaper than an iMac and than saying, "See I can get the same thing for 1/2 the price." Is just silly.

Oh and also out of curiosity, what are you going to be running that would benefit from 64 bit computing?

Linux Certified laptops

Apple

just try getting a laptop without Windows

If you are considering a training class - in my opinion the absolute best Linux sysadmin class is offered by LinuxCertified. I have taken two of their classes. After being bitten very hard by another training vendor, I can recommend them without reservation.

http://www.linuxcertified.com/

FYI: At Linux World Expo in S.F. last week, Linux Certified http://linuxcertified.com/ displayed their new high end AMD Athlon 64 based notebook running dual hard drives with your choice of RAID 0 or RAID 1 using a Promise card designed for notebooks. They were demo'ing games with it :) ~ Nzeanzo

Hey,

This is good news, but I was at LinuxWorld today and I was sooo impressed with the guys from Linux Certified that I'll be seriously surprised if my next Linux Laptop doesn't come from them. When you go with a smaller vendor like Linux Certified and you have a problem, the person who answers the phone (there's the first difference, a human will answer the phone) will actually know something about Linux and be able to help you.

I applaud HP, but it's too little too late in my book. Linux Certified closed a sale today with old-fashioned customer service.

Amazing they didn't pick one of the "Linux Certified" models like the LC2430. I would have figured a better standing for a company that specializes in Linux Laptops instead of just one that you can install Linux on.

...but those aren't realistic for many people.

I just bought a computer from LinuxCertified.com and it's going to be fine for college. I don't see any reason how this is "unrealistic" for anyone.

I agree that stuff should 'just work' out of the box. According to the LinuxCertified website, this laptop costs $1399. I recently bought an Apple iBook with similar specs for about the same price. The Apple works correctly straight out of the box and OS X runs nearly all Linux programs for which the source is available. Besides that, it gives you the option of using commercial products like Quicken or Adobe Photoshop, if you need to use those for anything.

Since Apple's laptop prices are about the same as similarly-equipped x86 laptops and since OS X is a pretty complete UNIX workalike, it's pretty difficult to justify buying a Linux-only laptop at all, much less one that doesn't work 100%. If you're buying a laptop and want to go the UNIX-only route, an Apple laptop is the best choice in nearly every measurable respect. If, for some reason (and admittedly there are some), you require an x86 processor, you should just get a Dell or a Thinkpad with Windows preinstalled, repartition the disk, and install Linux or BSD yourself. At least that way, you can keep your Windows partition around for playing games and running commercial software applications like Photoshop.

Steve

Los Alamos Computers These guys seem pretty good, and offer a lot of choice, and have some clearance systems.
penguin computing
Linux Certified
Linux.org's listing of linux hardware vendors. Doesn't seem to be that up to date(last I looked) but a good starting point for finding computers running linux.

For instance I would of bought a Dell laptop in a heartbeat if I knew dell supported it and offered a Windows-less or linux OS pre-installed.

I don't care if they support* Linux or not. Just give me the laptop without the Microsoft tax and I'll do the rest.

* By support I mean that if I have a problem with Linux I don't care if they have people around to help me with my problem. But if you meant that they actually do a little bit of research to make sure the hardware that goes into the laptop works with Linux, then well yeah ... it would be nice if they supported Linux.

In the latter case, here are a couple of places I've found that do just that. Unfortunately their prices can't match Dell's, but at least you know that all of your hardware is going to work with Linux. (or so they claim)

laclinux.com

linuxcertified.com