[TriLUG] Macbook Curious

[Joseph S. Tate]

On Mon, May 16, 2011 at 4:47 PM, John Brier <johnbrier at gmail.com> wrote:

> I don't have a thinkpad but I do have an Asus U3S with intel graphics
> and wireless and it works great in Linux
> It actually did come with selectable graphics (nvidia for
> "performance") and while I can use it to play UT2004 and
> Counter-Strike 1.6 I rarely use that feature.
>
>
My problem with Selectable graphics is that the Display Port (DVI port on
the docking station) is not wired to the Intel video on the motherboard, so
to get a digital video feed to an external monitor, I have to be booted with
the BIOS set to the ATI video.  But when on the go, the ATI chipset runs the
battery down at about double the rate when booted with the BIOS set to the
Intel video.  So I do a lot of rebooting.  Add insult to injury by the ATI
chipset exercising a kernel bug that makes it unable to go to sleep
reliably, and I'm tearing my hair out if I forget to reboot before I undock.

Since I never need the video "performance", I'll just skip Switchable
Graphics next time.

-- 
Joseph Tate
Personal e-mail: jtate AT dragonstrider DOT com
Web: http://www.dragonstrider.com