On Thu, Jan 7, 2010 at 11:37 AM, James B. Byrne <byrnejb@xxxxxxxxxxxxx> wrote:
> So, my desires are:
>
> WANT:
>
> Robust construction
> Reliable quality
> Reasonable weight (< 2.5 kg all in)
> Supported sound and video reproduction of reasonable quality
> 15-17" lcd screen
> Out-of-the-box support for wireless networking
> Battery life > 2.0 hrs.
> Not MS-Windows
>
> PREFER:
>
> 64 bit
> core duo 2
> 2-4+ Gb RAM
> 120+ Gb HDD
> writable multi-mode DVD/CD drive
> CentOS-5+
>
> Your system suggestions, both for hardware and OS, are most welcome.
I'm writing this on a ThinkPad T61 (used), which meets all your
requirements. I'm
running Fedora 12 for a couple of reasons: NetworkManager and power
managment have matured a lot since F6/CentOS 5. Also, the current
generation mulitmedia apps are easier to install on F12. All the hardware was
recognized and supported out of the box. I haven't tried CentOS on it, but it
should also work. (I'm hoping for CentOS 6 within the next year so I won't have
to reinstall fedora too often).
Previously, I was using CentOS 5.4 on a ThinkPad A20 (500MHz 512MB), which
was useable, but slow.
The website thinkwiki.org is a good resource for those looking to run Linix on a
ThinkPad.
You might also search for service manual for the laptop. That will tell you
whether the manufacurer think it is serviceable.
A MacBook is another idea. They have genuine UNIX, better than average sound,
a well-integrated system, no Windows.
Jim
_______________________________________________
CentOS mailing list
CentOS@xxxxxxxxxx
http://lists.centos.org/mailman/listinfo/centos
