[SLUG] Re: Linuxcertified laptops? -- HP is definitely Linux _desktop_ partner #1

From: Bryan J. Smith (b.j.smith@ieee.org)
Date: Sun Oct 24 2004 - 21:01:35 EDT


On Sun, 2004-10-24 at 20:16, Tom E. Craddock, Jr. wrote:
> Hey,
> I looked into getting one of their laptops as I feel the same way,
> wanted a good reliable laptop, 15"-17" LCD screen, DVD burner, large
> RAM, etc. I ended up going with an HP zt3380us from Circuit City for
> around ~$1700.00. I had done a bit of research, and found that it met
> up to all of my hardware desires, and that there wasnt too much one had
> to do to get all the hardware working. I am running FC2, kernel
> 2.6.8-1.521, and have all of the hardware working on if.

HP is one of the extremely few tier-1 companies pushing Linux on the
_desktop_.
And their record versus IBM and others in this regard is unquestioned.

> I have a link below to the laptop site at HP,

HP also does a great job on telling you what will work, as well as what
they officially support too.

> but heres the hardware that seemed like
> it wouldve been hard, but was quite easy. Within an hour of first
> repartitioning and install a stock FC2 I had the below working:
> Bluetooth w/KDE framework
> Intel Centrino 802.11b/g WiFI

Is that the Centrino platform 802.11b/g (2.4GHz) WLAN?
Or is the an external Atheros 802.11a/b/g (2.4 and 5GHz) chipset?

I was under the impression the Centrino platform 802.11b/g "software"
(aka Host-based MAC) MAC didn't work with Linux, and HP required you to
buy their add-on Atheros 802.11a/b/g chipset WLAN for compatibility with
Linux.

[ Side note: The Atheros is also a software/host-based MAC, but like
nVidia, they make a platform-unified (Windows, Linux, Mac, etc...)
"object code" and then link in a loader for just the kernel. Also note
there are some real issues with GPL software/host-based MACs and FCC
compliance, so the binary "object code" is also for regulatory reasons.
]

[ Also: Does anyone know if the Pentium "M" Centrino is the Pentium 4
or Pentium 3 core? I assume it's the former, although it could be a
redesign of the P3 core. I know early Centrinos were P3 cores, but I
know the PPro-P3 core design wouldn't scale past 1GHz until Intel made
some serious, localized async mods, and then they only made it to
1.4-1.5GHz. It would tell me how much battery life they would get. ]

> SD Reader (I installed everything needed for it, but havent had a chance
> to test it yet)
> The laptop is a 15.4" WXGA Widescreen HiDef display @1280x800...a quick
> edit of the xorg.conf and it was working beautifully.

The suspend operation is also fully supported AFAIK.
Now if they only sold one with a nVidia GPU, I'd buy it in a heartbeat.
Although the ATI Standardware drivers are now getting better I hear.

> Outside of that, everything else on the laptop works with the stock FC2
> install. Not sure if this is exactly this is what youd be interested,
> but thought you may find it interesting.
> http://h10025.www1.hp.com/ewfrf/wc/document?product=421940&cc=us&lc=en&dlc=en&docname=c00169925

-- 
Bryan J. Smith                                  b.j.smith@ieee.org 
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