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HP Linux Laptop Is A Winner

Posted by michael on from the laptop-special-olympics dept.

minus_273 writes "MSNBC is currently running a story on the front page reviewing the new HP Linux laptops. In a story titled 'H-P's first Linux laptop a winner', the article provides a brief look at the accomplishments and some of the shortcomings of the nx5000; a new inexpensive HP business laptop that comes with SUSE installed. The author seems extremely happy about how everything just works out of the box and mentions the significance of the product. Could HP+SUSE go the way of Apple+BSD and become an option for those that want friendly non-windows laptop? Releasing an easy to use Linux system is a good first step." We mentioned this laptop a few weeks ago.

30 of 412 comments (clear)

  1. First Post by Trigun · · Score: 4, Funny

    From my Suse/HP Laptop!

    YESS! Now to hibernate!

    1. Re:First Post by Trelane · · Score: 4, Insightful

      Software Suspend 2 should work, since it doesn't involve the brain-damaged Windows-Only hardware. For instance, I've been using kernel 2.6.7 + software-suspend2 2.0.100 on my Dell Inspiron 8600 to suspend-to-disk for a while now. While it's not 100% yet, it's mostly there (I can generally get a good number of suspend-resume cycles before it stops).

      Look for it soon in a kernel near you. :)

      FWIW, if you really want Linux to work on your hardware, you need to be pestering your hardware vendors. "Gee, I'd love to upgrade, but, you see, you don't support Linux...." Bring up the specific issues if you're familiar with them. Sure, your one voice may not change much in a large company, but if many voices speak up, they will be heard. Same reason I vote in an election.

      --

      --
      Given enough personal experience, all stereotypes are shallow.
    2. Re:First Post by Zaiff+Urgulbunger · · Score: 4, Interesting

      I've got a PB iGO4450 too!! :-D

      I have SuSE 8.2 Pro installed on it, and I thought the same thing about have to recompile (I think one of the messages implies this). You don't have to. My notes (for SuSE linux btw) are:

      "After installing SuSE 8.2 on the PB iGo 4450, ACPI is not enabled. To enable it, simply to into YaST2-->System-->Runlevel Editor-->Runlevel Properties and enable ACPI and check the runlevel 5 box. AFAIK the battery monitor is the only service currently working-- the suspend functions have not been implemented yet."

      HTH!

      ps. I've also got the modem working... say if you want the notes on how to do this.

  2. What is more amazing? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Funny

    MSNBC is currently running a story on the front page reviewing the new HP Linux laptops. In a story titled 'H-P's first Linux laptop a winner',

    or

    LinuxJournal is currently running a story on the front page reviewing the new HP Windows laptops. In a story titled "HP Windows laptops kick ass"...

    1. Re:What is more amazing? by ForemastJack · · Score: 4, Funny

      No, no. You picked the wrong statement out of the writeup. The truely amazing line is:

      "We mentioned this laptop a few weeks ago."

      Why? Because it implies that /. editors have some knowledge of what stories they've run in the recent past.

      I know that was quite a shock to me.

  3. I am surprised.... by Dr+Reducto · · Score: 4, Interesting

    I am amazingly surprised that an HP Linux laptop would become a sleeper hit like this. I mean, I thought it wasn't going to get much press and that it would only be purchased by people who really want pre-installed Linux.

    1. Re:I am surprised.... by Trigun · · Score: 5, Insightful

      Not really. Getting hibernate to work on a laptop, as well as any exotic functions requires quite a bit of work/digging. The vendors have the resources and knowhow to create the software for it, since they built the hardware.

      Servers I'll install myself, Desktops I'll install myself. I control the hardware that goes into them. Laptops however, I don't have so much control.

    2. Re:I am surprised.... by Bastian · · Score: 4, Interesting

      I would buy one, and I might even keep the pre-installed Linux if it were a distribution that I use, but even if I wanted to put something else on my machine, I would still be happy just to have a laptop where I have an assurance that all of the hardware in the machine is going to work reasonably well with Linux.

  4. Not a negative choice by sita · · Score: 5, Insightful

    Could HP+SUSE go the way of Apple+BSD and become an option for those that want friendly non-windows laptop?

    People don't buy Macs because they don't want a Windows machine, they buy Macs because they like Macs!

    1. Re:Not a negative choice by GreatDrok · · Score: 4, Informative

      I bought a Mac (iBook G4 14") because I was sick of the increasingly poor quality of Intel based laptops. My last Toshiba cost me £1500 and it didn't even last 18 month before it was dead. My iBook cost me £1000 and it is already 10 months old and still in great shape having been used just as much as the Toshiba was. By this point the Toshiba case was cracked and chipped, the paint had rubbed off where my palms rest and the screen was starting to flicker. Eventually the battery died and then the screen failed.

      I never used Windows on my laptops, I always made sure they could run decently with Linux. The best bit with the Mac is it is Unix and everything works right out of the box.

      I think it is good that Intel based laptops are appearing with Linux preinstalled but I still think a Mac is better value. This is my first Mac and it definitely won't be my last.

      --
      "I have the attention span of a strobe lit goldfish, please get to the point quickly!"
  5. MSNBC? Said good things about Linux and HP? by ackthpt · · Score: 5, Funny
    Bill: I want his head on a stick.
    Steve: We can't do that, it'd be murder.
    Bill: Ruin his career then, have him sent to North Korea as a technology correspondent.
    Steve: Yes, Master.

    --

    A feeling of having made the same mistake before: Deja Foobar
  6. Not the same by dfj225 · · Score: 5, Insightful

    Don't get me wrong, I like Linux and I think it is great that you can finally buy a Linux laptop where everything just works, but I still think it trails behind Apple. I can run Photoshop and MS Office on my iBook without any gimmicks or compromises like I would need to run them on a Linux laptop. Also, when I buy new hardware or look for a new program, there is a pretty good chance that there is support of OS X. The chance of finding mainstream items that support Linux is still very slim.

    --
    SIGFAULT
  7. Reviewer seems VERY easy to impress by JUSTONEMORELATTE · · Score: 5, Insightful

    The author seems extremely happy about how everything just works out of the box

    Just how low is the fsking bar when a reviewer has to note that nothing was broken when he first powered on the system?
    C'mon people, raise your standards for a "good" system!
    --
    I always wanted an iPod how about you?

  8. In a related story . . . by kelzer · · Score: 4, Funny

    Microsoft has announced it's putting its share of MSNBC up for sale.

    --

    ---------------------------------------------
    SERENITY NOW!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
  9. HP and Linux by brilinux · · Score: 5, Informative

    I put Gentoo on my HP ze5600, and I have been quite impressed. The winmodem works, the ATI Radeon works, the WiFi works with NDIS Wrapper, and even ACPI hibernate mode seems to work fine. I hope that companies like HP continue to support more variety in their OS options.

  10. Ok... by Cyno01 · · Score: 4, Funny

    So apparantly linux is ready for the laptop, but when will it be ready for the desktop?

    --
    "Sic Semper Tyrannosaurus Rex."
  11. Interesting Pricing by sublimusasterisk · · Score: 4, Insightful

    I headed over to HP to price this thing how I'd like it. The select box for the OS allows me to pick the Suse option, but only subtracts $50 USD. After some research, that's actually about right. So, where's the big money savings by going to linux?

    --
    True believers seek redemption from the sin of death.
    1. Re:Interesting Pricing by leadsling · · Score: 5, Interesting

      Don't forget that is just the OS. There's hundreds of $$$ worth of software included with Suse that you would have to go out and buy to be productive with a new win computer.

  12. MOD PARENT UP! by still_sick · · Score: 5, Insightful

    Yeah, it's Linux so in Slashdot's eyes they instantly get 10 cool points, but come on.

    Stuff not working out of the box is noteworthy in a bad way. Everything working the way that it's supposed to is just what's supposed to happen.

    Yeah, I know for a long time it was a criticism of Linux that driver support sucked - so in a way I can understand why he'd mention it. But the fact that everything is supported on the laptop is not a good (TM) thing. It's merely the absence of a bad thing.

    It's like saying that a new Windows Laptop was the best ever because it didn't explode when powered up, and didn't cause severe burns to the user's lap. Yeah, great that that's true, but it's not something to go around advertising - that would just show that you expected otherwise.

    --
    ...Also, I didn't know Buggalo could fly.
  13. huhuhu... by Azureflare · · Score: 5, Insightful
    Isn't this the classic chicken before the egg problem?

    Will widespread acceptance of linux occur only when dominant software makers support linux, or will widespread acceptance of linux cause dominant software makers to support linux?

    Which will come first?

    It's my opinion that widespread usage will occur first. Then software giants will realize the demand, and they will start supporting it.

    Linux deserves respect and support from vendors, and I believe it will get it soon.

  14. I hope families don't buy this stuff by IronChefMorimoto · · Score: 4, Insightful

    No offense to the /. crowd and Linux fans, but I really hope families don't get bilked into buying Linux laptops or desktops without knowing what they might be getting into.

    I personally think this ia a great step toward making Linux much more mainstream than it is now, but I fear that unsuspecting and uneducated consumers being led around by unhelpful and undertrained sales staff at Circuit City or on the HP sales line might find themselves with Linux machines they really don't like.

    I could see a family making a computer purchase and visiting some retailers that, perhaps, start selling things like Linux laptops and Linux desktops as a novelty item. They get in the store and are like, "WOW! This PC is so much cheaper than that PC over there." They might even think, in their minds, that bad viruses and things come from Windows, so they're even more enthused about the Linux machine.

    They get it home, and then they realize that they have to jump through hoops to play this game or open this document from work.

    Granted, the process I outlined above has to occur to some degree in order to facilitate adoption of Linux as a mainstream PC operating system (or whatever you might call it). I just hope and pray that vendors like HP and major retailers don't jump on the bandwagon a little too eagerly in trying to sell these machines only to find that they've opened a Pandora's box worse than a MyDoom worm on Windows XP... ...instead... ...a really pissed off family that can't run little Sally's Barbie Dream Makeover software.

    A family that ends up returning the Linux machine altogether rather than having the Windows machine with a virus serviced at Best Buy and put back into the wild.

    My 2 cents.

    IronChefMorimoto

    1. Re:I hope families don't buy this stuff by rusty0101 · · Score: 4, Insightful

      Actually, my own hope is that the home market for Linux is recognized as large enough to support game developers writing their games for Linux as a primary distribution route, and advising Windows users to use a bare bones Linux install to run their game under, to provide an online gaming platform that is less likely to be compromised by Windows viruses while playing online.

      Do I see this as being likely to happen? No. But I think it would be a better route.

      -Rusty

      --
      You never know...
  15. I *do* take exception: by H_Fisher · · Score: 5, Insightful
    Talk about damning something with faint praise. From TFA:

    But overall, (and here's where staunch Linux fans will take exception) this machine is not as easy to use for most computer users as the same machine running Windows XP or (if it could) Apple's OS X. You still need to know a lot more about the inner workings of a computer to excel on a Linux machine.

    Maybe I'm missing the boat, but I think this is a given. I've never heard a Linux user claim that someone who's only familiar w/ Mac or Windows is going to fully understand (much less fall in love with) Linux the first time they use it. That kind of negativity - however slight and between-the-lines - is just pushing more people away from Linux by reinforcing the "theirs is harder to use than ours" idea.

    You must figure out on your own things like where to store the software and associated programs and how to handle permissions. These are not things most consumers want to do.

    ...and because of this we have x million Windows machines running with little or no protection, instant worm-fodder.

    Linux to me is professional-grade software - the difference between the Huffy bike you'd get when you're 10 and the 18-speed alloy frame bike you buy when you start racing. It won't always be that way; there are thousands of people out there pushing to make Linux more accessible to Mr. & Ms. Average Joe, but right now it's counterproductive to act like your average AOLer should be able to sit down with KDE and instantly feel at home.

  16. No they won't by swordboy · · Score: 4, Insightful

    They have to make it "sound like a winner" in order to get credibility. If you read on, you'll see that they don't recommend the PC for anyone who isn't a Linux expert because You still need to know a lot more about the inner workings of a computer to excel on a Linux machine.

    So, basically, they said that its great but they don't suggest that 99 percent of the Joe Users out there buy the thing. Safe.

    But the article does have points. When the hell are we going to see some standards in Linux to sort this out? Here's my list of needs/wants:

    1) Standard control panel through EVERY distro & desktop environment. Gnome and KDE need to learn how to play nice. Obviously, this will involve some work at lower levels by others. We need everyone to create some STANDARDS here.

    2) An installer. n00b's don't know what the hell a freakin' tar.gz file is and once they do figure it out, they don't know to where they should extract it. If Linux had a standardized software installer (complete with a dedicated file extension that could be "picked up" from a browser click), we'd see a huge Linux section on download.com. Yes - I realize that there are some nice things out there but we need a STANDARD to which every desktop distro can adhere (or else they don't get that fluffy "Desktop Linux Compliant" sticker that the industry also needs to invent).

    3) Rules for software companies. Right now, there's no problems with this as there are with Windows because Linux hasn't become mainstream. What am I talking about? Software installs run amok. I hate to see Windows programs putting shortcuts *everywhere* - quick launch, desktop, taskbar, programs menu (and sometimes right even off of the top of the start menu). Some of them even install their own "tool bars". WTF? If Linux doesn't fix this NOW, before it becomes desktop mainstream, we're gonna have to live with it forever. We don't need uninstall icons right off of the program menu if there's another way to do it in the control panel. FORCE companies to put software installs in ONE LOCATION. Put it off of root? Sure, why not? Nobody's stopping me.

    Forever.

    Hell... its Friday so I'm gonna go now. I really wish there were a place to submit all these suggestions that I've got.

    --

    Life is the leading cause of death in America.
    1. Re:No they won't by wsapplegate · · Score: 4, Informative

      > 1) Standard control panel through EVERY distro & desktop environment. Gnome and KDE need to learn how to play nice. Obviously, this will involve some work at lower levels by others. We need everyone to create some STANDARDS here.

      You could maybe lend a hand. The source is available, you know. First problem to tackle : write configuration software that will parse *any* configuration file thrown at it. That's not so trivial. Some configuration files have very hairy syntax (*cough* Sendmail *cough*). Next, make sure your software doesn't do a big mess while writing changes, this will irk power users (I did make a clean, commented /etc/fstab, and the stupid Mandrake configuration tool wrote back a mangled thing without comments or indentation. This is not acceptable). I wish you good luck. This ain't a piece of cake, to say the least.

      Still, there are efforts in this area. One example would be the GNOME System Tools. Although I won't settle for something less than stellar, this kind of software could satisfy you. As for your demand that everything should be the same from distro to distro, I just can't understand why that would be. The very point of having more than one distro is, we get to choose which one is best suited to our working methods. And, generally, we end up settling on one preferred distro and we don't move anymore (instead, we go trolling on Web forums saying it is the best distro ;-)) For my part, I chose Debian. But I guess it wouldn't please you. That's why you'll be so happy when you'll be able to get Mandrake or SuSE (or Fedora, or Gentoo, or even Slackware, whatever).

      > 2) An installer. n00b's don't know what the hell a freakin' tar.gz file is and once they do figure it out, they don't know to where they should extract it. If Linux had a standardized software installer (complete with a dedicated file extension that could be "picked up" from a browser click)

      An installer... you mean, like apt-get ? You know, that tool you just tell 'install foobar', and it downloads and installs the program foobar ? Or would you like some graphical thingie like Synaptic, where you just click on the program, then on Install ? Don't tell me you're still building from source without some specific reason on a 2004 distro ? That's SO nineties ;-) Also, I gather you want the files to have specific extensions. I'm not sure why (MIME types are way better metadata to identify files), but be advised the .rpm and .deb extensions are just that. Ain't life cool ?

      > 3) Rules for software companies. Right now, there's no problems with this as there are with Windows because Linux hasn't become mainstream. What am I talking about? Software installs run amok. I hate to see Windows programs putting shortcuts *everywhere*

      Then, you'll just LOVE Linux : you see, the Filesystem Hierarchy Standard specifies very clearly where files go on a Linux distribution : binaries (executables) in /usr/bin, libraries in /usr/lib, data files in /usr/share/{programname}, and so on. The menus also have been unified between KDE and GNOME. Not to mention that package management makes it a lot easier to know what your package has really installed, and you'll be sure to find your configuration and documents in your home directory. No more nightmares finding them in C:\Program Files\Foobar\Obscure\Path\Name\You\Would\Never\Hav e\Thought\Of. Linux makes managing your software a breeze :-)

      That's it. I hope I've been helpful, and I wish you good luck in your quest for a better Linux. But remember : diversity and freedom to experiment with your own solutions is what appeals so much to Linux users. A more rigid f

      --
      Xenu brings order!
  17. hibernate by Janek+Kozicki · · Score: 4, Informative

    hibernation on my toshiba tecra 8100 with kernel 2.6.8.1 works perfectly, with latest kernel patches. I use debian so a line in /etc/apt/sources.list :

    deb http://cp.yi.org/apt/hibernate ./

    makes sure I have latest hibernate scripts.

    I just assigned 'sudo /sbin/hibernate' to "sleep" button in my session manager. I also had set up sleepd to hibernate when battery drops to 5% (which is usually 2 hours).
    And, yes - there is a glitch - if I hibernate with blender or glxgears running, then after restore the 3d acceleration gets screwed up, and sooner or later I want to restart Xserver anyway (graphic card is s3 savage).

    --
    #
    #\ @ ? Colonize Mars
    #
    1. Re:hibernate by Blakey+Rat · · Score: 4, Insightful

      God forbid somebody make a post like that without the obligatory "works for me!" reply that utterly misses the point.

      "Hibernate works for me! All I had to do is upgrade the kernel, change a line in my etc/apt/sources.list, assign a 'sudo' command with a session manager, set up 'sleepd' to hibernate when the battery drops and there are a couple glitches that mean I have to restart my window session, but hibernate works great! It was SO EASY!"

      Feh, Linux users.

      --
      Comment of the year
  18. Try reading a few paragraphs of the article first by nacs · · Score: 5, Informative
    It'd probably be too much to ask some people to read the product page for the laptop but the least you can do is read the first sentence of the 2nd paragraph:

    Hewlett-Packard is now taking orders for their nx5000 business notebook computers with Novell's SuSE Linux 9.1 installed.


    HP is intentionally targetting the enterprise market with this laptop and have stated this multiple times in the past.

    Cnet even has a video where an HP representative tells us that HP is targetting enterprises and that they're doing this more as a trial run to work out kinks and see what improvements users request before they put more resources into this segment.
    --
    "I filter at +6, and have yet to miss out on an important comment." (#822545)
  19. Re:I dunno if Apple is the best comparison by valkraider · · Score: 4, Insightful

    But don't you have to buy all those same things with other companies as well? How is Apple any different? We bought my sister a HP laptop about 3 months ago (her school provides support for their teachers and they won't support anything but Windows). We paid $1400 for the laptop, $200 for the extended warranty (it came with 90 days), it only came with 256 RAM so I upgraded it to 1GB, and we paid $100 for a basic laptop satchel. All in all it was about $1800 total cost.

    Apple actually STARTED with virtually ALL of the PC market share (Apple II years), and has been losing market share every year since then. We don't need to rehash the market share vs. installed base and related arguments. Apple does not cater to yuppie techno elite, however they *are* more popular with artist types. But I am a software developer who switched when Apple OSX hit the market because it is the nicest *nix I have ever used. And I'll tell you what - I have had many many fewer issues with the 5 Macs in my home than with the PCS that I had prior. I was constantly tinkering and fixing with my Windows/Linux PCs. I decided - I do that all day - I want to have computers that are nice to use when I come home. And now I do, thanks to my Macs and OSX.

    But the claim was that Apple only sells > $3000 computers. That is false.

  20. HP compax NX5000 and wireless by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Informative
    For the record, Linux doesn't support Intel's wireless chip. H-P's WiFi modules work just fine.

    Let's just hope nobody tells my wlan nic, otherwise I'll have to resort to fast ethernet.

    I am currently at the kde conference in Ludwigsburg, Germany and working on one of these NX5000 notebooks. Hewlett-Packard was nice enough to sell them for about 580 EUR, which is about 700 USD, to kde developers.
    However, our laptop models included the intel wireless 2200BG card, otherwise known as the dreaded centrino card. But what surprise, the driver from SourceForge works. Sometimes a bit flakey though, but it works...

    Otherwise I am quite happy with the NX5000. The thing looks quite stable, has mostly supported hardware and sports a pair of superb speakers.

    All in all, quite a nifty device for a very reasonable price.