Debian Laptops

Nils sent a release to the Debian Announce mailing list proclaiming that Linux Laptops Ltd is up and running, and (surprise!) they're whole deal is reselling Laptops with Linux Pre-installed. And they're shipping them with Debian as their distribution of choice. Pre-installed portables are still a hole in the Linux hardware realm, hopefully this will work out.

Comments

right on

[xcene]

now script kiddiez will fly around on skateboards phreaking from public phone boots in true "Hackers" (the movie) style...

Re:right on

[Anonymous Coward]

Indybox is the only hardware vendor to pre-install Debian GNU/Linux as far as I know. Does anyone know of another?

nice looking setup

[cloudmaster]

Well, they look good (fast clean pages and a well-thought-out product) - now I just need a half-baked reason to need a laptop...

Debian on a Tecra 8000?

[Anonymous Coward]

I have a Tecra 8000 that I have attempted to put Debian on. I have several interesting things going on and I was wondering if a Debian based help article exists anywhere. Anyone know?

I have already looked at the info on the "Linux Laptops" page at UT but the info was fairly basic.

Re:Debian on a Tecra 8000?

[Caelum]

Debian has a special boot disk for Tecra, dunno if it will work for that model. But worth a try.

CTRL Key Left of 'A' ???

[Anonymous Coward]

Have they got a good keyboard, with the Control key to the left of the 'A'? Anything else is unusable, and broken by design.

Awwww, cute

[Stig]

If I buy one, it'll be because of the logo. :)

S. Part-time cat fan.

Re:Awwww, cute

[GrenDel Fuego]

Hmmm.
I guess I'm the only one who thought that it looked like a cat about to be impaled on a stake of some sort.

Re:Awwww, cute

[sjames]

If the logo were animated (and it was my cat anyway), the next frame would show the cat leaping over the screen with front paws aimed squarely at the keyboard.

After all, why would I be paying attention to that thing when I should be scratching the cat behind the ears (according to the cat anyway).

Expensive laptops

[BlueLines]

These laptops are way expensive....for $2500 i got a sager p2/366, 128mb ram, 6 gig hd , cd, 14.1" active, etc....totally linux friendly. I've had no problems. I admire what these guys are trying to do, but $4400 is a lot for a laptop.

Re:Expensive laptops

[Anonymous Coward]

Except for the processor, the equvilent system to what you're describing is the mid-range "Attaché" which runs $2400, not $4400. The biggest difference between the high and mid range systems is the weight, not performance... You pay an extra $2000 to shave two pounds off. Sheesh.

Re:Expensive laptops

[cdlu]

For $50.00, I picked up a Dtk Technologies 486 Laptop with 8MB or RAM and a 320MB hard drive, 9 or ten inch dual-scan monitor, two PCMCIA network cards and a modem, a 6' ethernet cable and a computer case - which runs debian beautifully. Mostly because I use it as a dumb terminal and make it pretend to be a 233MHz P(2) Desktop with 128 MB of RAM by using my desktop from whereever I am on the network.

Oh yeah, slightly offtopic, I know, but at school I found that I can make the whole Windows network bow down to my linux box by calling my computer an SMB master browser. I did some experiments with it and foud that it **DOUBLED** my transfer rate across the board -- until I got a call from InfoTech complaining about there master browser losing network elections :) Yeah linux! :)

hella expensive

[Anonymous Coward]

Why do computers pre-installed with linux always cost more than their windows counterparts?
I think these guys would have us believe that they had to find hardware that would work best with linux and then figure out how to get debian installed on it.
I look forward to getting a laptop at price - microsoft, not price + bull shit.

GNU/Hurd or GNU/Linux?

[Anonymous Coward]

Are these only running GNU/Linux, or can we get them running GNU/Hurd as well?

Re:GNU/Hurd or GNU/Linux?

[cloudmaster]

Are these only running GNU/Linux, or can we get them running GNU/Hurd as well?

The question is, can you get _anything_ usefully running GNU/hurd? :)

--Danny, who has a signifigant amount of non-gnu software on his linux box.

Who cares how the keys are labelled?

[Mawbid]

You can remap the keyboard to your heart's content, both in X and the console.

Unless, of course, you're thinking there might be no key at all left of the a key. Xmodmap won't help you in that case :-)
--

High volumes -> low prices

[Anonymous Coward]

Low prices come from high volumes. Linux
computers are still a boutique business.

Decide how much time you want to spend setting
up and keeping on top of things, and decide if
it's worth the price difference. That's all.

Re:High volumes -> low prices

[hoefkens]

Well, the Sony Vaio 505TS sells for about $1800 in the same configuration. So that makes an extra $500 for a preconfigured Linux installation. I think that cannot be explained with high volumes or anything; it is just expensive.

So if you (and possibly others) think that's worth the price difference I should consider getting into computer retail...

Re:High volumes -> low prices

[matsh]

If you think the price difference of $500 is much,
then you're either a Linux whiz, or value you own
time very low, since it's a major mess installing
Linux on a laptop.

CapsLock mapped to Ctrl with Xkb.

[Anonymous Coward]

Of Course the Caps Lock key is mapped to Control,
in both virtual terminal and X modes.

This is not done with xmodmap, though; that's the wrong place.
The default key map is the place to do it on the console, and XkbOptions
is the place to do it in XF86Config.

Re:CapsLock mapped to Ctrl with Xkb.

[cdlu]

Or you cna have a whole slew of ANSI commands to do it for you - I can't remember which ANSI code it is, but there's one that allows key reassign.

Re:CapsLock mapped to Ctrl with Xkb.

[orabidoo]

what's so wrong about xmodmapping your keys? i'll admit that i'm lazy enough to do it that way rather than go read about Xkb. I also have a modmap file for the whole qwerty keyboard with left-alt-is-meta-adds-128-to-the-code for all keys wehre it makes sense, and I use it wherever I go (as long as it's x86 Linux), no matter what is written on the actual keys.

NOOO!

[be-fan]

I think a better machine to base the high end one would be any laptop with a 8MB Rage Pro. Imagine Q3A on a laptop!

Re:NOOO!

[Anonymous Coward]

I've been looking at laptops recently and the _only_ decent 3D chipset I've seen on laptops has been the Rage Pro... Hmmm, well, there's always commercial X servers with GLX

NOOO!

[be-fan]

One major problem with these is none of them have hw accelerated video chips. The Tecra seems to have a Rage Pro, but Linux only support TNT and V2/3 for HW acceleration. I doubt anyone buying one of these things anyway would want to load windows, even if it was for quake.

Tech Support?

[kramer]

What I find interesting is 3 hours of tech support is an additional $200. Man, for $60 an hour even I might consider doing tech support again.

LLL beats $2500

[Anonymous Coward]

This is a totally unfair comparison.

LLL sells a machine with specs comparable to that Sager (but better) for less than $2500. The $4400 price is for an IBM. Of course IBM gets most of that.

Tux is being used

[Anonymous Coward]

This is the first site I've seen that has anything remotely to do with linux, and doesn't have the
Tux (the penguin) plaster over ever page. That cat looking at the laptop made be realize it.

Tux is being used, abuse and exploited by these so called "linux users". Day after day of photo shoot and PR meetings, this poor little penguin doesn't have time to eat or sleep.

It is a proven fact pengiuns need to eat and sleep. If they don't they become hungary and or tried, and sometimes, even die.

Does Tux (the penguin) ever see a dime that is made off his image, pictures, and salesmanship?

Hell no. Anyone site that has anything to do with linux in any way, even if they just menation the name, BAG Tux (the penguin) gets posted on there site.

Free TUX (the penguin)

Re:Tux is being used

[hedgehog_uk]

Fear not, Alan Cox has made sure that the penguin is well looked after. See http://penguin.linux.org.uk

HH

Hurray!

[rickmoen]

I'm very pleased to see Linux Laptops's debut, especially since it's run by Nathan Myers, a long-time, respected member of the San Francisco Bay Area Linux community. These look like quality offerings from a quality outfit.

Speaking of laptops, what about a SPARCbook?

[ien]

if you don't know already go here for the laptop specs and prices

Hey, i came across these laptops on the net for pretty low price. but i'm wondering if these laptops SPARCbook GX with a 110 mHZ Microsparc II Processor are worth it. does anyone have any opinions on this??

i would probably also install linux on it, so if anyone has had experience with linux on these SPARCbooks please help.

i know the Microsparc II is great at integer performance, but pretty bad at floating point. will this greatly affect my use of it (which would be web browsing and programming)??

Re:Speaking of laptops, what about a SPARCbook?

[DeathB]

I bought one already... People have had luck with linux on them, exp with later version 2.2.x kernels on them. Unfortunatly the special tadpole notebook tools ( for dealing with PCMCIA APM and suspend ) only work under solaris 2.5 and 2.6, not linux, or sloaris 7. Good thing this didn't get a real mention on /. :-)

I want the ARM

[bluGill]

.9 watts of power @ 600 mhz! Low power is the key for laptops, and the ARM beats the x86 or just about everything else. Linux will run just fine (I prefer netBSD, but the difference isn't that great)

If Apple would put three buttons on their laptops I'd go for that as a second choice. I know the ARM better though as I program on it all day at work.

This site has been up for weeks...

[Anonymous Coward]

...so did they open officially just now?

linux getting higher bids than windows98

[jeffr]

Shameless plug: I'm auctioning a Vaio505TS with RH6.0 plus updates, the same model being sold by linuxlaptops.

Their price: $2300. My current top bid: $1575.

I thought it would be hard to sell w/ linux, so in my ad I offered to reinstall windblows for the Buyer. Since I'm loath to do this, I offered a $50 rebate to those would take it as is (w/ linux). The incentive may not have been necessary; I'm getting higher bids than a professional reseller offering stock machines (windblows only).

good experience with Linux Laptops Ltd.

[jpn]

I bought the Chembook from them and so far
have had a pretty good experience. The owner,
Nathan Meyers, has been helpful and friendly.

Note that there is presently only partial
sound support via OSS for the Chembook for,
analog only. Nathan is working with 4Front to
better this.

Dont get to excited

[guacamole]

ATI RagePRO is a about the WORST 3D chip around. It does not do well even on Desktop PCs with FAST CPUS. Overall it is slower that the old Voodoo1 with 4 mb. Just to get an idea how bad it is..
I was reading a review of a laptop with a P2-366mhz CPU and this video chip (with 8mb) they got about 24fps on Q2 timedemo. Now, I have a computer with the old good PentiumMMX 233 + RIva128(8mb), abd I get THE SAME FPS on Quake2 timedemo at that resolution. Not to mention that a P2-366mhz laptop with a any 3D card will cost you an arm and leg.

Re:Dont get to excited

[be-fan]

Actually the Rage PRO is the fastest 3D card for laptops. And 3D carded laptops are under $3000 for ones like the WinbookXL.

Re:Dont get to excited

[great om]

if the 3d chip in the winbook xl is the same as the one in the winbook XLi (trident 4mb sgram) it's totally awful. open GL only works in NT (Afaik) which if you put on a winbook, last i checked, violates your warrentty)
the direct 3d support is slow and ugly --most things will run --when direct 3d is used the sound chip clicks and buzzes sometimes (sounds like an old radio when itplays 16 bit sound)

--am i the only one who wants a CARDBUS 3d card!!!!???

www.thelinuxstore.com has cooler laptops

[Anonymous Coward]

their least expensive is under $1500... I saw one at linux expo, mail ordered one, and it rocks.
miguel from gnome was begging them for their floor model....

*moan*

[Beethoven]

Why didn't you tell me about this a month ago? ;-) You would have saved me a lot of trouble researching, finding, and installing Debian on a laptop.

Boots

[Anonymous Coward]

If you can't help but imagine the cat attacking the keyboard,
then the logo works, and animation would only annoy.

Incidentally, the cat's name is "Boots", pun intended.

Intel is a hopeless laptop platform

[Jamm!n]

If you're going to sell Linux laptops, why not make them StrongARM based, so the battery will actually last more than five minutes?
--
Jamm!n

Who makes StrongARM machines?

[Anonymous Coward]

It would be great to have laptops based on
the StrongARM chip family, but who makes
them? There are Wince machines, mostly
subnotebooks, based on it -- such as HP's
-- but they don't publish specs to allow
porting Linux to it. Reverse-engineering
a Wince box would be a thankless task.