Posted on 03/03/2013 5:17:13 PM PST by Lexinom
Try google “Lenovo malware”....they are cheaper for a reason. Whether the malware is put there on purpose or not, it’s up to debate.
MSI is Taiwanese (as opposed to ChiCom). I have not had experience with MSI laptop components, but the last 6 desktops I built have MSI motherboards, as will the next one that I am accumulating parts for now.
You get rid of Unity and replace it with XFCE. Problem solved.
FYI, it was John Walker who sold the submarine secrets.
Toshiba sold dual use machine tools necessary for the propeller blades.
I think the machine tools were on the prohibited not for sale list, but then without the knowledge that John Walker provided, these tools were useless.
You can do pretty much anything with Linux nowadays.
Yes, this machine is running a solid-state drive, and has since 2009. The main problem with them is a limit on the # of reads/writes per memory location. It's like metal fatigue with a 300,000 or so limit on state changes. Speed, yes, but I sure miss my headroom.
Your piqué at Apple is misplaced. Apple continued to support and even sell the 6502 family of computers all the way until 1994. . . a product life of 17 years before finally discontinuing the line. The makers of the 6502 processor only supported 16 bit and never truly did the true pathway upgrades that would allow movement into a 32 bit addressing. Apple went far beyond any other company in supporting an old archaic system and provided means of shifting both software and users to their new platform.
As to your claim that Linux powers Macs, you are wrong. It does not. Macs are fully certified Unix. . . not that ersatz clean room copy of it called Linux. Macs can run Linux in virtual machines. I do.
For those who are recommending ASUS laptops, most of them are manufactured in the same Foxconn plants that make the Apple MacBooks. ASUS manufactures many of Apple's logic boards under contract. They are among the best.
The tools weren’t “useless”. They were needed to create the final product, OR to do the R&D to fill in the blanks of whatever the commies didn’t know yet. That’s why there were laws in place that Toshiba knowingly broke, and it was an act of treason for them to do so, Walker or no Walker.
Advice...... concern about China is irrelevant.
Politics and purchasing smart don’t mix
- Your right on the Linux and drivers. Amazing the availability of stuff. I would still suggest finding out what components they are using so you know there are drivers and you don't get stuck.
- Ask to see a picture of the board design. If you can't fix something easily or they are using nonubiquitous parts you are going to be at their mercy when problems arise (one of the great selling points for the Acer). If it looks like a design you can't easily fix, try and decipher what is their real turn around time on warranty work or what is the cost when out of warranty.
I have been lucky enough to have access to the technical people at one of the big data array storage companies. They do a lot of testing on SSDs before they commit to using anything. They are using the Samsung 840 series. They didn't give me their actual failure numbers but told me the failure points on the amount of read/writes are multiples of what Samsung publishes.
Pretty cool you are going through this much effort to buy American. From a practical business point, it is hard to commit someone else's business to 'American' principles when the shiite hits the fan. Most people are freaked when their computer doesn't work for 2 hours. Of course history doesn't repeat itself and there will never be another Pearl Harbor.
From a practical point, I ran out of options of trying to buy nonChinese products when IBM stopped making drives in Hungry. For some reason I am thinking that was around 2002.
My other option is, in fact, the Acer. It's relatively Linux-friendly, and your revelation that they are relatively simple compared to other designs makes them desireable. It scored well in my test this evening at Micro Center.
For sheer design, Lenovo Thinkpad wins hands-down (credit goes to IBM, of course). Solid keyboard, no-nonsense mien... But I won't buy from a company that ships with spyware that relays data to the ChiComs and whose name sounds like a Soviet general secretary, no matter who appealing their slave-labor-built product.
Asus seems a solidly-built product as well, but apparently features BIOS locks that marry it to Windows 8, a nightmare I'd prefer to avoid.
True, all laptops use components from all over the globe, but I'll support American firms if they can come close on price - even if it's a little higher - because of the long-term ramifications.
Irrelevant?
We get most of our hardware through a small independent company that basic only sells to consultants. They also will repair out of warranty products. Took in a friend's kid's Asus that had power issues. It was of course the power connector to the motherboard. The part was $4, labor $120. The Acer would cost maybe $50.
If you don't mind, let me know what config you get and how it prices out with Lotus. Do get the third generation Core series. It is a much better chipset and much longer battery life. If you would like, I can ask which one our hardware guy recommends (I don't pay that much attention to series numbers any more since they are changing so quickly now.)
Also, let me know what you think of them after a few months. It would be cool to find something made in the US, unfortunately we are not in the position to take risks with other peoples businesses.
Hopefully you can get Lotus not to charge you for the Win keycode. They maybe under licensing restrictions that force them to charge for the keycode, however.
Does Asus solder their power jack connectors directly to the motherboards? Sony Vaio does not (but they still have issues).
Yes, I am thinking Acer as a fallback if we can’t get the deal done with Lotus (which is a bundle deal including another computer as well). There’s a floor model on clearance that includes the touch screen.
Hoping Lotus comes through, though. If they can meet or come close to our price point, that’ll be quite a success story. Maybe Lotus could become the official Freeper laptop! :)
I checked my inbox before posting this, and... nothing...
If Lotus PC is representative of American companies then American companies DESERVE to fail.
Maybe you stand vindicated, Mr. Bert, per #95...
You are correct, Sony is the only large brand with a nonsoldered connector. Buying Sony has very few advantages for expensive hardware. Their video/screen are usually much better than most laptops. They are not easy to work on and expensive if you have to buy parts. They used to be more proprietary and, I would imagine, have difficulty getting Linux drivers. Since we aren't buying them, I haven't paid any attention to this issue.
Asus' connector design is particularly weak. My hardware guy then went on a tirade about Asus and their only good products are their motherboards. I can't remember off the top of my head which brands but some of the brands are horribly designed power connectors, as well. I don't think you could give me a HP/Compaq. Not a big fan of Dells either.
I may have been wrong on which generation for laptop processors. Intel may only be on Two and not the Third like on the desktops. Anyways, their is huge increase in performance between generations.
Uhhhhhhh...the dilemma of buying American. I held out until about 2002ish.
Lotus has come back and so I retract my earlier comments. Looks like we may be close to a deal. I’d much rather they have our money... They are a little more but highly regarded based on the reviews I’ve seen, and Linux-friendly (they build what you ask for). They can knock the price down for no Windows license so apparently are not stuck in a Micro$oft contract.
A wealth of info here. I’ll remember all of this.
(The beer’s on me!)
Cool on the no Win tag fee!
let me know how things progress.
Did they say which screen they are using? and who else is using that same glass? Most of the glass used to come out of three factories.
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