Linux-ish Laptop Question

[blu-Z8efaSeK1ezqlBn2x/YWAg at public.gmane.org (Edward Ned Harvey)]

> From: discuss-bounces-mNDKBlG2WHs at public.gmane.org [mailto:discuss-bounces-mNDKBlG2WHs at public.gmane.org] On Behalf
> Of Dan O'Donovan
> 
> to sound out the BLU. I say linux-ish as she will definitely be running
> Windows 7 + Office on it for the first few months, but I'm hoping that
when
> she's done I can get a go and install a real OS.

Win7 isn't bad...  As long as you don't get some crappy "home" version, and
you install the OS yourself, so it's not preloaded with junk ...  Which is
generally what you get if you buy at retail stores.  At work I happily
support win7, fedora, ubuntu, and OSX for peoples' primary user interfaces,
and of course, other OSes for servers.  Each one has their own strengths &
weaknesses, but none of them are simply bad in general.

Most people who talk about how awful windows is, are talking from bad
experience.  But to be fair ... You would not remember a good experience if
you were thinking about Fedora Core 1 as your primary user interface on a
laptop... Or OS 9 ... Or Windows 98.  Or ubuntu from several years ago, say
~2003-ish.


> So - I'd ideally like to get a machine with a good keyboard that doesn't
'look
> like arse' as one learned colleague might put it. Decent linux support
would
> be great, but I'm used to getting my hands dirty with custom kernels +
> drivers. I would like to push for the good keyboard part though - typing
for
> hours on cheap and nasty keys is *not* nice. She's been using my Happy
> Hacker keyboard for the last six months so is used to the good life!
> 
> Another friend strongly suggested the Lenovo thinkpad, but it seems that
> neither Micro Centre nor Best Buy have these in stock. I'd ideally like to
see
> the machine in person before splashing out (and cost is obviously an
issue,
> but I'm feeling reasonable).

I can't comment on the keyboards - I personally use Dell, which is reputed
to have crappy keyboard, but it doesn't bother me - I like the backlight.
:-)

But if cost is an issue, you might check overstock.com.  They sell used &
refurbished systems that have presumably gone out of warranty so companies
are unloading them...  They do a minimal effort in the refurbishing, but so
far I've had good luck with the ~4 laptops I bought there so far.  Of
course, you wouldn't be able to see it before buying it, but they do have a
N-day no-questions asked shipping paid by vendor returns policy.  My brother
used that once due to a dead pixel on laptop, and he opted to simply have
them ship another, and he had no problem.

I know I've never had any trouble (in the last 2-3 years) running stock
ubuntu or fedora on any modern dell or lenovo.  I've done about half a dozen
different models of each.  (But I've heard bad stories about doing it on HP,
no personal experience.)  

I know if you buy from dell.com, you have a N-day full refund policy, (pay
shipping? not sure) but you can't see it before you buy it.
I know if you buy a Lenovo from pcconnection, you have a N-day return policy
with restocking fee and you pay shipping.  And you can't see it before you
buy it.

Most people say Lenovo "feels more well built" compared to the dell.  But my
personal preference is for the dell due to lower cost of software and better
warranty service (if you pay for the super duper warranty).  

This is now a pure tangent - but just to avoid people flaming me over the
warranty comment - I like the dell complete care + gold support warranty
because I get to call in, say I'm a tech, and then they'll replace any part
I say I want replaced.  Next day, onsite, either ship me parts or optionally
dispatch a tech with it...  Including accident damage.  But when I get the
super duper warranty on lenovo, they do all the same stuff except accident
coverage must go through their depot which incurs shipping wasted time and I
have no control over what parts they're going to replace.  That's all.  It's
a small difference but it matters to me, managing my CEO's and other
peoples' laptops.