[conspire] Linux laptop vendors

[Rick Moen]

Quoting Bill Moseley (moseley at hank.org):

> With one laptop dead and another on the way,

Condolences.

> I'm looking at a new Lenovo T60p.  Yes, I realize I can go a lot
> cheaper (which I've done in the past) but sometimes you just want to
> splurge.  (And use the wife's credit card.)

Hmm, I believe I have a few sketchy, vague notes about the T60p.  Ah,
here:

  Machine type 2007-83U (product ID 2007), with Intel Core Duo
  T2600 2.16 GHz "Yonah" core CPU, 2GB PC2-5300 SDRAM, Intel Modile 945ZGM
  northbridge with Intel 82801G (ICH7 family) southbridge, ATI Mobility
  FireGL V5200 (chipset model x1400) requiring the X11 "vesa" driver,
  Intel PRO/Wireless 3945ABG Mini-PCI Express Adapter wireless (untested),
  Intel 82801GBM (ICH7-family) SATA chipset requiring ata_piix driver,
  Intel 82573L gigabit ethernet chipset requiring a very cutting-edge
  e1000 driver, Analog Devices AD1981HD (Intel 82801G ICH7-family sound)
  sound chipset requiring a cutting-edge snd-azx driver, a USB-type
  integrated fingerprint reader from UTEK (untested), bluetooth
  (untested), internal modem (untested), a Matshita model UJ-842
  DVD-RAM/CDR drive, and a Synaptic PS/2 touchpad/trackpoint.

  Take careful note (for many distros' installers) of the need to force
  installation of a uniprocessor kernel, and put the SATA chip into
  "Compatibility" mode in the motherboard BIOS Setup.

  HD is SATA, requiring driver ata_piix at this date in all Linux
  distributions tested, and thus requiring that the system BIOS Setup be
  manually switched from SATA "AHCI" to "Compatibility" (i.e., ICH5-alike)
  mode.  /dev/sda, a Hitachi TravelStar HTS721010G9SA00 100GB 7200RPM SATA
  notebook drive, verified mounted in "Compatibility" mode only.

  Suspend/resume tends not to work with default vendor kernels.
  No sound support on most such kernels, either. Fn F7 key performs
  either/or video switching between LCD panel and external monitors, but
  no simultaneous video.  Installing the third-party proprietary ATI video
  drivers changes this to doing _only_ simultaneous dual video, and never
  internal-only or external-only.


And yes, ThinkWiki is definitely your friend, there.

> The two vendors I'm aware of are Emperor Linux and Los Alamos
> computers.  Any experience with either?

No.  However, add to that mix "LinuxCertified", on the cheap end.