Subject: From: Date:

Re: [ecs] laptop advice req Ingo Pakleppa Sun, 09 Jan 2005 21:48:50 -0800

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Hi Mark,

since you are so specific about the keyboard layout, I think you will
need to go to a local laptop store (I'm sure there is one within 50
miles of nearly any point in the US) and check out if they have any. May
I ask why this is so important?

My guess is that it may be difficult to find a laptop with that specific
keyboard layout; for space reasons, each one is arranged slightly
differently.

You may be better off getting just any random laptop and using an
external keyboard.

If you want to do Linux development, one thing to look for is whether
the laptop will run well with Linux. Most do, but there often are one or
a few features that aren't supported, for instance, suspend, battery
monitoring, etc.

And finally, you may want to compare a bit more expensive laptops, too.
I just had to buy a new one myself, and had the choice of buying an HP
for $900 or another for $1000. The main difference was the memory - and
upgrading the $900 one would have cost around $200, making the more
expensive one the better bargain in the end.

Ingo

On Sun, 2005-01-09 at 14:16, Mark Gilmore wrote:
> Hi all,
> I will soon be buying my 1st laptop (primarily for travel),
> and could use some sage advice on what to buy (or what to look for) and 
> where to buy it.
> A used unit would be fine. Perhaps one of you have one you would like to sell.
> My only qualifiers (so far) are:
>          Keyboard:
>                  *Must* be the standard Logitech layout:
>                          backslash must be above ENTER (below BACKSPACE)
>                          BACKSPACE must be single key above at top right 
> (above backslash)
>          DVDR/CDRW
>          Under $700
> Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated !
> Thanks,
> 
> Mark Gilmore
> http://OmnipotenceSoftware.com

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