What is the most linux-compatible laptop?

[rpcyan]

Looking around for a new laptop, and I was wondering what people's experiences are for linux on laptops. I personally have had good experiences with IBN's ThinkPads and Red Hat Linux, but I was wondering about the Dell Inspiron and Latitudes, and I'm open to Gateway and HP/Compaq as well. I'm obviously not looking for laptops with linux preinstalled, but laptops with 100% compatible hardware. Also, does anybody know what the status is with Bluetooth compatibility in linux? Thanks[[[[

[fancypiper]

Have you checked out the Linux Hardware Compatibility HOWTO (http://www.tldp.org/HOWTO/Hardware-HOWTO/)?

[trilarian]

I recently put Debian Woody on a Dell Inspiron 8200. Only problem I had was getting sound card to work. I believe the problem is fixable, I just need to put the time in to it. I suggest getting NVIDIA video cards as they write their own linux drivers. ATI just started this, but they don't compare yet. Soon though ATI will probally catch up.

[rpcyan]

I took a look at the file, but it is rather antiquated on specific laptops models, primarily discussing 486 laptops. I am looking for compatibility info on the latest mobile Pentium 4 - based laptops.

[Saptech]

Linux on Laptops (http://www.linux-laptop.net/)

[seabass55]

None of my Dell laptops ever have any problems with redhat. Only thing I can think of is it going to "sleep" and not reviving and having to reboot...then again I have that same problem with Winblows.

[endorphinjunkie]

I just got a hp pavilion ze4125. After two weeks I have yet to get any flavor of linux installed. I have tried Mandrake 9.0, Redhat 8.0, Slackware 8.1, and not got past the initial loading without kernel panics occurring. The only thing that loaded and ran without a problem was my Debian demo cd. The kernel panics occur when it looks for the pcmcia hardware and doesn't find it. I got past that using an older boot disk. Then it panics when looking for isapnp stuff. I haven't given up though. It seems that this laptop is so new that linux doesn't have drivers for it yet.

[Timothy L. Miller]

I had an old compaq that I installed several versions of linux on with no problems whatsoever, and my newer compaq seems like everything is supported (haven't really tested everything in linux, since it's my windows laptop).

[L.I. Surfer]

I have a Dell Inspiron 2650

Pentium 4 1.6Ghz
DDR 200 256MB
30Gb HardDrive
Nvidia GeForce2Go 100 8MB DDR
14.1 XGA Screen Max. Res. 1024x768 @ 32bbp

Every Distro I have installed has worked fine. I have Slackware on it now, I love it. It detected my wireless card right away, which the others didn't. The only tweaking I had to do was modify the ram size on someone else's XF86Config file, so X would work. And I still need to find the linux driver for my sound chip. RedHat did it, but slack didn't... Go Dell, Great Support, and Hardware.

[khankell]

RedHat 6.2 on an IBM Thinkpad T20: Almost as easy as falling off a log. I have never had and/or heard of anyone having problems with installing Linux on Thinkpads. Heck, IBM even wrote a driver for their Lucent Winmodems in Thinkpads.

[Timothy L. Miller]

Originally posted by khankell
RedHat 6.2 on an IBM Thinkpad T20: Almost as easy as falling off a log. I have never had and/or heard of anyone having problems with installing Linux on Thinkpads. Heck, IBM even wrote a driver for their Lucent Winmodems in Thinkpads.
Well, I guess that sorta makes sense since they ARE probably the biggest (corporate)supporter of linux out there.