[TriLUG] your favorite lowish cost thin laptop

Cristóbal Palmer cmp at cmpalmer.org
Mon Jan 17 22:42:15 EST 2011


On Mon, Jan 17, 2011 at 7:55 AM, Mark Kempster <mark at kempster.org> wrote:
>
> I ran across a dell 'vostro v130' which seems like a fairly reasonable
> option ($430, ships with ubuntu) but I'm not sure about the single
> cpu. I'd prefer to purchase either a no-os or a linux distro (to avoid
> paying for a windows license that I won't use), but System76 is a bit
> beyond my price point.

I'd like to just say a couple of things about windows license price
and total laptop price right quick.

1) I've never had my hands on a laptop costing under $700 that I would
use as an everyday laptop. I've seen netbooks under that price point,
but I need more horsepower than that. For my quotidian needs, $1200 is
actually currently on the low end of what I would find reasonable for
a new machine. Refurb is another matter.

2) About Windows.... Dell sells Ubuntu, but they learned the hard way
that if they make their Linux option the cheapest option for a given
hardware configuration, they'll end up with cheapskates who buy it
just to save a buck and then complain bitterly when they can't figure
out how to use it. They're not alone in discovering this. The moral
here is that you should expect to pay a premium for no OS or for
Linux. This is the keep-the-dodos-away premium. It sucks, but there
you have it.

Cheers,
-- 
Cristóbal M. Palmer
ibiblio.org systems
UNC Chapel Hill



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