Re: AMD64-based laptops from HP/Compaq are crippled

From: Marek Williams (abc_at_example.com)
Date: 08/15/05

  • Next message: Unruh: "Re: AMD64-based laptops from HP/Compaq are crippled" 
    Date: Sun, 14 Aug 2005 15:53:52 -0700

    On Sun, 14 Aug 2005 15:32:53 -0400, General Schvantzkoph
    <schvantzkoph@yahoo.com> dijo:

    >As for buying an HP/Compaq. The HPs and the Compaqs are identical except
    >for color. On any give day the price on http://www.hpshopping.com for
    >identical models can vary significantly between the HP and Compaq versions
    >depending on the specials of the day so check both models. HP also sells
    >systems without Windows, you can get Linux or Freedos instead. They don't
    >offer these systems on hpshopping, you have to go to http://www.hp.com and
    >look up business systems. I don't know if this is actually cheaper then
    >paying the Windows tax on hpshopping.com, you'll have to do the
    >comparisons for the model that you are interested in yourself.

    I had an R4000 before I sent it back under HP's "no hassle" return
    policy. Now I have an R3240, which is much better. I don't see any
    speed difference in the R3240. Notice that I said I don't see any
    speed difference. Benchmark tests might tell a different story. But
    from the standpoint of the user, if the difference isn't noticeable,
    then who cares?

    It took a long time (because I'm a n00b), but I finally got the wifi
    working with ndiswrapper. There's still a problem though. It works
    fine, but ever since getting it working the bootup process hangs for
    three minutes on "configuring network interfaces," or whatever that
    line says. I just hit Ctrl-c to continue. But then the wireless is not
    functioning after it finishes booting. I have to do ifup wlan0, and
    that takes awhile to finish too. I went to a local Linux clinic for
    beginners and one of the gurus got it working without the delay. But a
    few days later it was back to the delay. Unfortunately, what he did
    took him a while to figure out, and I didn't keep notes. (OK, not only
    am I a n00b, I'm kinda dumb.)

    As for HP v. Compaq, the Compaq has one feature that I dearly love --
    the on-off button for the touchpad. I want the touchpad functional, in
    case my mouse battery goes dead or I get to the university and
    discover I left the mouse at home. But otherwise, it is a PITA. You're
    typing along and your thumb hits it and zooom! Your cursor is suddenly
    across the screen.

    And as for the laptops sans Windows, I tried everything to get a
    laptop from HP without Windows before buying the R4000. HP insists
    there is no such thing as a laptop without Windows. I tried the
    corporate department and every other department. I think they might
    have offered a laptop without Windows once, but as far as I know that
    option is history.

    And for the record, the main problem with the R4000 was the ATI video.
    I could never get it out of VESA 1024 x 768. In fact, to date I still
    haven't heard anyone getting it successfully into a decent resolution.
    In contrast, when I installed 64-bit Ubuntu 5.04 on my R3240 it
    automatically found the video and set it up at 1600 x 1080. 

    --
Bogus e-mail address, but I read this newsgroup regularly, so reply here.
  • Next message: Unruh: "Re: AMD64-based laptops from HP/Compaq are crippled"
    • Quantcast