OTA and Linux

[Evan Leibovitch]

Giles Orr wrote:

> And of those current ATI and nVidia chips, how many are FULLY
> supported?  They work - but not all features, and in most cases not as
> fast as under Windows.  This is probably also true of the Intel
> chipsets, but I'm more aware of the others.

Examples?

> But to argue vehemently for  something when there is significant proof 
> to the contrary is probably
> more damaging than it is productive.

I'm not arguing _for_ anything. I'm arguing _against_ the assertion that 
"getting a mainstream notebook running 100% under Linux is a real crap 
shoot". Things are far from perfect, but also nowhere nearly as bad as 
is being asserted.

As always, it is a matter of buyer beware. Anyone who doesn't do their 
shopping, to see what works and what doesn't, is going to get burned -- 
and this doesn't just apply to laptops (indeed, it doesn't just apply to 
Linux, either ;-) . A combination of a laptop using conventional 
components, together with a distro that supplies drivers for them and is 
tuned to the needs of laptop users, is going to increase their odds 
significantly. Finding a combination isn't difficult.

Anyone who complains that "Linux doesn't support my laptop" when they 
really mean "my distro doesn't support it" ought to know better. I still 
don't consider Ubuntu a laptop-friendly distro no matter what its makers 
claim. I wasn't able to install hedgehog well on my T42, and I gave up 
after a few tries. Mandriva, Xandros and IIRC even OpenSUSE are much 
better candidates based on what I've heard.

Even so, when Debian and Ubuntu honcho Jeff Waugh had his laptop stolen 
in Montréal a fem months ago, he had no problem buying an off-the-shelf 
"mainstream" replacement in Toronto the next day, and having it working 
to his satisfaction at the TLUG meeting at which he presented shortly 
after.
 
- Evan

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