On Fri, Oct 10, 2003 at 11:19:37AM +0100, abs@mono.org wrote:
> 	I'm looking for a replacement for a Compaq EVO N800w (P4 2.2Ghz,
> 	1600x1200, ran quite well under NetBSD, but a little unreliable
> 	and not a very good keyboard - its back with the supplier for
> 	the fourth time this year and I they've given me a refund :)
> 
> 	Screen res (>=1400x1050), battery, and keyboard are important,
> 	touhpoint much preferred over pad.
> 
> 	Always liked thinkpads, and the Centrino based T41 looks quite
> 	nice. Expensive for the spec... but that is Thinkpads.

Things that you must remember when buying Centrino laptops:

	* They might have an Intel MiniPCI wireless builtin, that
	  isn't supported by NetBSD (nor by any other open source
	  OS, I think.. they're not giving out the specs)
	* If it has an intel i8xx graphics chipset, then you might
	  bump into the problem where the VESA BIOS on it does
	  not know the native resolution of the laptop screen.

	  The XFree86 i810 driver needs the BIOS to set modes.
	  So your screen may be 1400x1050, but the BIOS doesn't
	  list that, leaving you with 1280x1024 which, not being
	  the screen's native resolution, doesn't look so great.

	  A driver for Windows that pokes the hardware directly will be
	  packaged with the laptop, so Windows won't have the
	  problem.

- Frank