Laptop dead, suggestions?

Greetings,

My Sony VAIO Z1W died this weekend at BSDcan.  Both the hard
dirve and
the laptop are dead.  The hard drive doesn't spin up on
about half a
dozen different machines and enclosures.  The data is likely
gone
forever, unless I can find a good data recovery place.

So, I'm in the market for a new laptop.  Unless someone is
donating me
a decent one, I'd like it to have the following
characteristics:
	>= 1GHz speed
	>= 512MB RAM
	>= 40GB hard disk
	Excellent battery life
	light weight (< 4 pounds?)
	decent scren
	well constructed
	PC Card slot
	ExpressCard slot
	SD card slot (with the standard SD host interface)
	builtin wireless

Does anybody have any recommendations?

Warner
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On Mon, May 15, 2006 at 10:48:59AM -0600, Warner Losh wrote:
> So, I'm in the market for a new laptop.  Unless
someone is donating me
> a decent one, I'd like it to have the following
characteristics:
> 	>= 1GHz speed
> 	>= 512MB RAM
> 	>= 40GB hard disk
> 	Excellent battery life
> 	light weight (< 4 pounds?)
> 	decent scren
> 	well constructed
> 	PC Card slot
> 	ExpressCard slot
> 	SD card slot (with the standard SD host interface)
> 	builtin wireless
> 
> Does anybody have any recommendations?


I have had good experiences with IBM/Lenovo Thinkpads,
having owned
several over the last ten years.  Most of mine have been the
desktop
replacement variety (except for two, a Z50 supercompact
which ran
NetBSD/hpcmips, and a previously used 560), but the Thinkpad
X-series
meets most of your requirements, not sure about the SD card
slot or
Express Card.

The X-series are the only ones without a builtin trackpad,
which may
or may not suit your personal preference-- I find the
TrackPoint red
"eraser" pointer to be very ergonomic, and
appreciate having one of the
few laptops with three mouse buttons.

regards,
Andrew
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Andrew Elmore wrote:
> On Mon, May 15, 2006 at 10:48:59AM -0600, Warner Losh
wrote:
>> So, I'm in the market for a new laptop.  Unless
someone is donating me
>> a decent one, I'd like it to have the following
characteristics:
>> 	>= 1GHz speed
>> 	>= 512MB RAM
>> 	>= 40GB hard disk
>> 	Excellent battery life
>> 	light weight (< 4 pounds?)
>> 	decent scren
>> 	well constructed
>> 	PC Card slot
>> 	ExpressCard slot
>> 	SD card slot (with the standard SD host interface)
>> 	builtin wireless
>>
>> Does anybody have any recommendations?
> 
> I have had good experiences with IBM/Lenovo Thinkpads,
having owned
> several over the last ten years.  Most of mine have
been the desktop
> replacement variety (except for two, a Z50 supercompact
which ran
> NetBSD/hpcmips, and a previously used 560), but the
Thinkpad X-series
> meets most of your requirements, not sure about the SD
card slot or
> Express Card.

I'd second the ThinkPad vote. They're fantastic machines,
although not
the cheapest. The T and X series are certainly worth a
serious look, IMHO.

> The X-series are the only ones without a builtin
trackpad, which may
> or may not suit your personal preference-- I find the
TrackPoint red
> "eraser" pointer to be very ergonomic, and
appreciate having one of the
> few laptops with three mouse buttons.

While the X-series are fantastic machines, the newest models
(X60/X60s)
usually use the Intel 3945ABG card for the wireless*, which
isn't much
use in FreeBSD at the moment! (See my previous posts to this
list about
wireless attempts.)

James

* However there are a few models (mostly in the US I
believe) that use
the Atheros card, hence the ath driver might work. YMMV.

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Warner Losh wrote:
> 
> So, I'm in the market for a new laptop.
> 
> Does anybody have any recommendations?
> 
> Warner
>

In my opinion reliable laptops are a question of good luck.
I didn't
have good luck with my Thinkpad (quite the opposite), but
most people
seem to have.

So my recommendation is to take one that has (at least) a 3
years
warranty plan and offers relatively cheap battery
replacements.
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Offer to blow it up and post video for donations?

dave c

> Greetings,
> 
> My Sony VAIO Z1W died this weekend at BSDcan.  Both the
hard dirve and
> the laptop are dead.  The hard drive doesn't spin up
on about half a
> dozen different machines and enclosures.  The data is
likely gone
> forever, unless I can find a good data recovery place.
> 
> So, I'm in the market for a new laptop.  Unless
someone is donating me
> a decent one, I'd like it to have the following
characteristics:
> 	>= 1GHz speed
> 	>= 512MB RAM
> 	>= 40GB hard disk
> 	Excellent battery life
> 	light weight (< 4 pounds?)
> 	decent scren
> 	well constructed
> 	PC Card slot
> 	ExpressCard slot
> 	SD card slot (with the standard SD host interface)
> 	builtin wireless
> 
> Does anybody have any recommendations?
> 
> Warner
> _______________________________________________
> freebsd-mobilefreebsd.org mailing list
> http://lists.freebsd.org/mailman/listinfo/freebsd-mobile

> To unsubscribe, send any mail to
"freebsd-mobile-unsubscribefreebsd.org"
> 
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On 15 May 2006 at 10:48, Warner Losh wrote:

> Does anybody have any recommendations?

I have an IBM ThinkPad T41.  I like it. If I had to buy a
new laptop, 
I would give serious consideration to the Apple dual core
Intel 
units.  I saw one at BSDCan and I loved it.  I think it was
US$1800 
or something, but my memory is very vague on that.

Would you consider an Apple?

-- 
Dan Langille : Software Developer looking for work
my resume: http://w
ww.freebsddiary.org/dan_langille.php


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> Offer to blow it up and post video for donations?

Hmmm, I like that idea...

Warner

> > Greetings,
> > 
> > My Sony VAIO Z1W died this weekend at BSDcan. 
Both the hard dirve and
> > the laptop are dead.  The hard drive doesn't spin
up on about half a
> > dozen different machines and enclosures.  The data
is likely gone
> > forever, unless I can find a good data recovery
place.
> > 
> > So, I'm in the market for a new laptop.  Unless
someone is donating me
> > a decent one, I'd like it to have the following
characteristics:
> > 	>= 1GHz speed
> > 	>= 512MB RAM
> > 	>= 40GB hard disk
> > 	Excellent battery life
> > 	light weight (< 4 pounds?)
> > 	decent scren
> > 	well constructed
> > 	PC Card slot
> > 	ExpressCard slot
> > 	SD card slot (with the standard SD host
interface)
> > 	builtin wireless
> > 
> > Does anybody have any recommendations?
> > 
> > Warner
> > _______________________________________________
> > freebsd-mobilefreebsd.org mailing list
> > http://lists.freebsd.org/mailman/listinfo/freebsd-mobile

> > To unsubscribe, send any mail to
"freebsd-mobile-unsubscribefreebsd.org"
> > 
> 
> 
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> On 15 May 2006 at 10:48, Warner Losh wrote:
> 
> > Does anybody have any recommendations?
> 
> I have an IBM ThinkPad T41.  I like it. If I had to buy
a new laptop, 
> I would give serious consideration to the Apple dual
core Intel 
> units.  I saw one at BSDCan and I loved it.  I think it
was US$1800 
> or something, but my memory is very vague on that.
> 
> Would you consider an Apple?

Does FreBSD/i386 boot on Apple/intel hardware?  The answers
are the
same 

Warner
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From: "Dan Langille" <danlangille.org>
Subject: Re: Laptop dead, suggestions?
Date: Mon, 15 May 2006 15:40:41 -0400

> On 15 May 2006 at 10:48, Warner Losh wrote:
> 
> > Does anybody have any recommendations?
> 
> I have an IBM ThinkPad T41.  I like it. If I had to buy
a new laptop, 
> I would give serious consideration to the Apple dual
core Intel 
> units.  I saw one at BSDCan and I loved it.  I think it
was US$1800 
> or something, but my memory is very vague on that.
> 
> Would you consider an Apple?

On apple's web site I'm seeing the fmore more like $2000. 
The only
down size that I see to them is that they come with a
ExpressCard/34
slot only.  No PC Card slot, and not ExpressCard/54.  Some
of the few
ExpressCard cards that I've seen are the /54 variety...

Warner
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> > Offer to blow it up and post video for donations?
> 
> Hmmm, I like that idea...

Another reason to buy a laptop with a magnesium case....
Though I suspect Mg alloys don't burn as brightly
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