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Dell Announces A Linux Laptop Designed For Developers

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Re: Dell Announces A Linux Laptop Designed For Developers

#151

Post by BadassFractal »

kamechan wrote: post #143
BadassFractal wrote: post #132

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Realforce completely spoiled all the other keyboards for me. Totally worth the $400 pricetag.

if you don't mind having a 10-key you can get a realforce 103 for $235 from elite keyboards. The switches supposedly have a 30 million press lifecycle, significantly higher than most keyboards, so it should last many years. I bought both an 87UB (the $400 one) and a 103UB, and kept the 103UB because I both prefer the feeling of it over the 87, and also discovered that I like having a 10-key again. Had pretty much aba…

The 103 feels different, as far as keys go? I'm a bit surprised, I thought they were made exactly the same. What's the perceived difference?

Re: Dell Announces A Linux Laptop Designed For Developers

#152

Post by Arelius »

jakeonthemove wrote: post #95
seanp2k2 wrote: post #45

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Amen; I'm also a member of "Team 16:10" Not getting rid of my Latitude D830 (14.1" 1920x1200) until I can get something with /more/ pixel density and vrez

Well, then you're s@@t out of luck :-)... though the 1920x1080 17.3 inch laptops aren't that bad - the resolution is good enough (well, it's the best vertical resolution you can get) and unlike Full HD 15.6 inchers, the text is big enough not to make your eyes hurt like you're welding without a mask...

The Macbook Pro 17" Still ships with a 1920x1200 screen, still not as nice as the same on a 15" though.

Re: Dell Announces A Linux Laptop Designed For Developers

#153

Post by nodata »

encoderer wrote: post #53
ntkachov wrote: post #6

How about a laptop with a better key board, slim figure, larger special character keys and more feedback for keys? Then shove a great processor, a mouse pad that's not accidentally click able while typing, and a high resolution screen. That's a developer laptop. Ill install my own software, Thank you very much.

I went shopping a couple weeks ago for a MacBook Air to replace my 15" MBP as my primary development machine. (The endorsement a couple weeks before from Linus about the simplicity and silence of the Air sold me) I picked it up at BestBuy and when I was there I glanced at their Ultrabooks display. They had 3. The Asus and Toshiba seemed complete crap. Flimsy. Trash. The only one that seemed a plausible purchase was t…

Two questions:

1. Are you happy with the Air versus the MBP?

2. Seems a strange time to buy. Why not buy in six months time?

Re: Dell Announces A Linux Laptop Designed For Developers

#154

Post by bretpiatt »

seanp2k2 wrote: post #42
fierarul wrote: post #39

>Project Sputnik, a product of Dell’s new internal incubation fund, features not just full hardware support for Ubuntu on the XPS13, but a notion of “profiles” for developers They could have stopped at "full hardware support for Ubuntu". Nobody cares about their crapware. Just two weeks ago I bought an HP ProBook for a colleague for the sole reason of being Linux certified. It came with a Suse license but he's using…

Agreed that I don't want/need their crapware. It'd be great if companies that make hardware had a clue what people wanted, but that's why Apple is going to be the biggest company in the world while IBM lays off seventy-some percent of their workforce, HP has 100 models of notebook that all do the same thing, and Lenovo forgets what made their older laptops so nice.

IBM and Apple compete about as often as GM and Boeing do. One builds servers, systems, and writes business software wrapping it all with services and the other sells end user devices, media, and minimal software wrapping it all in a brand LVMH is jealous of.

Re: Dell Announces A Linux Laptop Designed For Developers

#155

Post by notatoad »

majorlazer wrote: post #111
phaus wrote: post #74

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Even if Dell's monitors had a 50 percent failure rate and no warranty, you would still be saving money by purchasing only Dell monitors. While price isn't likely your only concern, $1000 for a monitor(even a nice one) is really ridiculous. When you consider the fact that a 27" iMac only costs about $1700, it only seems even more absurd.

I assume you are referring to the Apple 27" display listed here: http://store.apple.com/us/product/MC914LL/A?fnode=MTY1NDA5OQ You do realize that it is 27" with a 2560x1440 resolution and it uses an IPS panel, right? That doesn't come cheap. Dell's comparable monitor is only $100 cheaper: http://accessories.us.dell.com/sna/productdetail.aspx?c=us&#... Of course, I would rather get the Dell, but the Apple display isn'…

27" 2560x1440 IPS screens can come cheap. http://www.ebay.ca/sch/i.html?_from=R40&_trksid=p5197.m5...

Re: Dell Announces A Linux Laptop Designed For Developers

#157

Post by mnazim »

kamechan wrote: post #107
wyclif wrote: post #102

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Yes, the old-school ThinkPad keyboards were the best you could get on a laptop. Chiclet keyboards are made for non-touch typists, the kind of people who need to hunt and peck with big fat fingers. My fave keyboard is my Unicomp Linux model, with the Caps Lock and Ctrl keys swapped...but best of all, with positive keyclick and actual mechanical switches under each key instead of dopey, squishy foam like what you get w…

I thought this for a while as well, but I wouldn't put it past manufacturers to have done some comprehensive testing before just moving to island-style keyboards. I prefer the thinkpad keyboards myself and use a mechanical keyboard on my desktop (one which I consider to have the best tactile feedback available: a Topre Realforce). However, as a dvorak touch-typist I was curious to find out just how well different key…

If you are in India and TVS Gold mechanical keyboard is also a very good keyboard. I have been using mine for past 6 years without a problem and I tend to bang on keys a bit harder than normal.

It's also cheap - Rs. 1500 ($30)

http://www.theitbazaar.com/store/components/com_virtuemart/s...

Re: Dell Announces A Linux Laptop Designed For Developers

#158

Post by Michiel »

lloeki wrote: post #71
sophacles wrote: post #17

Earlier quoted context omitted.

On top of that, I will never consider switching away from my Macbook until the following things are true: * battery will last several hours (macbook still at 4+ hrs on full charge and it is 1.5 yrs old) * very good (open) acpi support - if I can't 100% trust closing and opening to just suspend and resume correctly, I won't use it for anything other than toy purposes. (and open because I will be using my own kernel, o…

> (macbook still at 4+ hrs on full charge and it is 1.5 yrs old) My MacBook Pro, mid-2009, original battery: Temperature = 2982 CycleCount = 591 DesignCycleCount9C = 1000 DesignCapacity = 5450 MaxCapacity = 4814 WearRatio = 88% CurrentCapacity = 1514 ChargeRatio = 31% Voltage = 11077 Amperage = -694 InstantAmperage = -661 InstantTimeToEmpty = 2:17 TimeRemaining = 2:11 AvgTimeToEmpty = 2:11 FullToEmptyTime = 6:56 (thi…

Here are the stats from my MacBook Pro (also mid 2009, 13-inch, original battery):

  Temperature = 2990
  CycleCount = 488
  DesignCycleCount9C = 1000
  DesignCapacity = 5450
  MaxCapacity = 4804
  WearRatio = 88%
  CurrentCapacity = 4804
  ChargeRatio = 100%
  Voltage = 12568
  Amperage = 253
  InstantAmperage = 88
  TimeRemaining = 0:8
  AvgTimeToFull = 0:8
I seem to be missing the InstantTimeToEmpty and FullToEmptyTime data. Reading your script, that tells me the values are "None" but not why that is. I'm also apparently 8 minutes from an empty battery, even though it's fully charged. Do you know why this is?

Re: Dell Announces A Linux Laptop Designed For Developers

#159

Post by fractallyte »

joe_the_user wrote: post #76
ntkachov wrote: post #6

How about a laptop with a better key board, slim figure, larger special character keys and more feedback for keys? Then shove a great processor, a mouse pad that's not accidentally click able while typing, and a high resolution screen. That's a developer laptop. Ill install my own software, Thank you very much.

A Linux laptop should be a good laptop. But we should be aware that having Linux pre-installed does make a difference. A) You'll either pay the Microsoft tax or have Linux pre-installed, possibly both depending how how deep MS' hooks are. B) Having all the drivers work is important, especially modern laptops will often switch their peripheral chips without changing even model # so there.

Sigh. I wish more end users would consider option C:

Ask nicely for a laptop with no OS. When the reply is 'No', return/wipe the Microsoft default, carefully documenting your refusal of the End User License Agreement, and ask for your money back on the OS. (They'll still say 'No'.) Be firm, be persistent, and even go as far as issuing a Small Claim.

They will ultimately accede, because the law is on your side.

No one need pay the Microsoft tax.

Re: Dell Announces A Linux Laptop Designed For Developers

#160

Post by pvidler »

sliverstorm wrote: post #137
kamechan wrote: post #107

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I thought this for a while as well, but I wouldn't put it past manufacturers to have done some comprehensive testing before just moving to island-style keyboards. I prefer the thinkpad keyboards myself and use a mechanical keyboard on my desktop (one which I consider to have the best tactile feedback available: a Topre Realforce). However, as a dvorak touch-typist I was curious to find out just how well different key…

The last time I remember this discussed, I believe the main points in favor of chiclet keyboards were: - looks stylish - very cheap to manufacture Obviously the manufacturers wouldn't switch arbitrarily, but I wouldn't be surprised if those two reasons alone weren't enough to drive the switch.

They also use less space (depth -- imagine a MacBook air with an old-style keyboard), probably weigh less and are much easier to keep clean.

I prefer them for that last point alone. Non-chiclet keyboards get filthy and are a nightmare to fully clean.

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