[Lancaster] Linux & Laptops

[jtl.tony]

Hi

I am looking to buy a Laptop and intend to use Mandrake Linux 9.0 rather
than MS. I am surprised to find that retailers do not have any knowledge
( well no, I'm not surprised ) and will not consider a test build just
to check.

I am more surprised to find how unhelpful the manufacturers have been to
date.

I am surprised that Linux Format et al seem to ignore Laptops and the
web contains mostly out of date machines.

So I noticed your User Group and wondered if you can help at all. I
cannot expect any single machine to be know but I wondered if there are
known successes or failures with some of the components.

I am using a Toshiba as a starting point.

It has a P4 Mobility CPU, nVidia GeForce 420 Go (Toshiba) graphics (
which may be a nForce 420 chipset), Toshiba Combi, Toshiba Soft LT Modem
AMR which I gather may be less than a Winmodem.

I have looked at machines with ATI Radeon graphics but I gather here
some work and some do not.

Currently, deals are favourable but the poor responses over the last
month have not let me get near to a choice

Am I over worrying on the issue? Can you or your members offer some advice?

Cheers

Tony