Leadership By Numbers

Jumping to a Linux laptop just doesn't have the daring and challenge, as it did a few years ago. Those were the days with goofy win-modem drivers, erratic NIC interfaces and so-so video support. Those struggles were Homeric in scale--but I'm glad that today's Linux has solid desktop choices. My favorites for a Linux distro are Ubuntu, RedHat/Fedora, and SuSE (in order of my preference). So, even though my final desktop installation will be Ubuntu, if a vendor has pre-installed SuSE or RedHat, I'll consider that an acceptable promise of Linux compatibility. That said, how did my final contestants fare?




First one voted off the island was Lenovo. Their laptops have been the preferred choice of most Linux users for many years. The Thinkpads were originally IBM, and have always had a strong tech following, with lots of Linux support forums. When Lenovo began producing the Thinkpads under their own name, they continued to provide a consumer option for Linux. In fact, this last summer, my daughter purchased a T61 with SuSE on it for her college use.




It works flawlessly, and I even configured it for a twin-head display. Too bad that Lenovo has quietly dropped Linux as a consumer choice. Linux is no longer an operating system (OS) option on their site. Dropping Lenovo from my top picks was a tough decision, because that X200 is an amazing laptop.



But, I'm looking for a vendor that can supply a Linux-oriented solution. Without clear vendor support, I'm not 100% confident that the hardware I order will always take a full Linux installation without some significant tuning. Besides, as Linux is becoming more and more mainstream, I'd like to be able to point others to a full-solution, major vendor. With Lenovo's Linux patronage on the wane, I began looking elsewhere.



My next consideration was to go with an Apple MacBook. After rejecting Lenovo for not supporting Linux, even glancing at Apple's seductive MacBooks must seem to be an act of apostasy. But, I also support Apple systems at work and home (my son is in art school, which mandated a MacBook Pro). It's also the only client OS that cannot be run in a VM on a different host. I can run Windows XP/Vista in a VM for Linux, and vice-a-versa, but not for OS X. Apple only licenses OS X to run on Apple hardware.



On its own merits, OS X is a beautiful OS and its roots in BSD makes it very Linux/GNU friendly. For instance, I can open a Macintosh "ssh -X" session to a Linux server and run something like gnome-server-monitor to see its resource usage. Many professionals have set their MacBooks to triple-boot: OS X, Linux, and Windows. You can even go further and sign up as an Apple developer, and use their gcc tool to recompile almost any Linux/GNU program to run on OS X. All of this Mac-ish-Linux integration creates an attractive pairing.



But, there are still some drawbacks to accepting an Apple solution. First off, Apple is not providing a Linux system, just a Linux-friendly hardware platform. I have no guarantees that anything is going to work right, and I'll be left to the Linux open-source community for any support issues.



Even considering a dual-boot configuration has a down-side. Apple doesn't trouble itself in keeping its own OS backwards compatible with older systems. Compared to other vendors, Apple has a shorter OS duration for most of its releases. On the other hand, I've installed Ubuntu 8.04 (Xubuntu) on PII workstations, which gives current Linux distributions an 11 year span of support. There is no possibility for me to apply the latest version of OS X on an 11 year old Macintosh. For instance, OS X 10.5 isn't supported for PowerPC G4 Macs that use processors running slower than 867 MHz.



I really did think hard about a MacBook. Gorgeous screens. A solid unit carved out of a single aluminum block. The newest models are even a better deal, and the software for video and photographic work is unparalleled. Most of our executives use a MacBook as do many of our top programmers. Holding a MacBook put me back in High School; I'm trying on a Letter Jacket and running with the cool kids. And then, I woke up.



I vetoed any Apple solution for a completely different reason than my original intent. I'm not just trying to ferret out the best laptop, as I sift through a tremendous amount of possibilities. I'm looking for my perfect Linux laptop. When I stopped and paused, holding up the virtues of a MacBook to the light, I found its its eliteness unappealing. Technical excellence is always to be applauded, but Apple is a market force, with a particular business model that favors the well-heeled.



There aren't any downstream picks for Apple's ironware; it's expensive, it's always been expensive, and I expect their momentum to keep on turning out very select equipment on the higher price end. Apple makes great products, and I believe them to be a good value, but they are always costly. I can't imagine Apple ever offering an equivalent to Wal-Mart's $200 Ubuntu Everex or an Asus EEE PC. Even my company will never mandate Apple as a corporate-wide standard. I suspect some of its business appeal is simply as a differentiator for who-is-whom. James Bond would be as comfortable holding a MacBook, as an American Express Titanium Centurion credit card, or a glass of Johnny Walker "Blue."



My investigation for the Right Notebook turned into an existential challenge: my choice is going to decide who I want to be. As I turn this change of events over in my mind, I came to realize that my selection is a meditation on more than just who I want to be; it's also defining who I want to be with. So, I had to take a breath and think. You know what ? I know who My People are, and they don't live in cloud-city.



I'm looking for open-source solutions. My People are fixed-income relatives, or the staff and children of the Nyumbani.org children's residence, and My People includes all of my professional peers who are trying to do-more-with-less. Open-source isn't just about low-cost, for me it's also about Intellectual Property and community involvement.



In the end I chose a Dell computer. Yep. I passed over a Thinkpad X200, as well as a MacBook Pro for a Dell. "Dude ! You're getting a Dell," was ringing in my ears as I kept mulling over my choice. But, not only was I able to convince myself that Dell is the best Linux laptop provider with impressive hardware, I was also able to find that Dell supports two different ways to build a Linux laptop. Both modes offer good deals, and one is surprisingly so.



Why Dell ?



Despite their stodgy image, they do have some clean, well designed, and sleek laptops. I chose the XPS m1330, its feature set is vast and the screen size, at 13 inches, is not too small and still easy to transport.
Dell doesn't push a Linux alternative, but they don't hide it either. There is almost always a link for 'Open Source' somewhere on every page that displays their various laptops or workstations. Or, go directly to http://www.dell.com/ubuntu.

• Dell's installed Ubuntu is polished, and includes commercial codecs.
  
• There is a dedicated Ubuntuforum.org category for Dell.
  
• Dell has a dedicated Linux forum.
  
• Dell provides a Ubuntu Personal Package Archive (PPA).
  
• Dell has a wiki which hosts a Ubuntu DVD ISO that includes the configuration and drivers for their systems.
  
• Finally, Dell has actually contributed to the Linux kernel ! Computerworld identifies Dell's DKMS (Dynamic Kernel Module Support) as one of the top five reasons to be excited about the latest Ubuntu release (8.10).
  

Now that I settled on a Dell (specificially, the XPS m1330), it was time to figure out the best way to purchase it.




I could have selected the pre-configured Dell. I think the Ubuntu XPS m1330 is a terrific deal. Sure, some of the options are limited. For instance, black is the only color and there is only one CPU choice. Realistically, though, the complete package is quite a value and includes a huge 7,200 RPM SATA hard drive. I didn't choose the pre-configured Dell, but I would not have any hesitation in recommending it.



My reluctance to embrace the pre-configured XPS is due to my desire to have a laptop that will last as long as did my Thinkpad R51e. On my Thinkpad, I actually went though three different wi-fi stages: A, B and G. I need to future-proof my laptop as much as possible and avoid retiring one network technology after another . . . which means I want my laptop to include 802.11n wireless networking. Also, I'm cheap and willing to look at the refurbished units. So, I began to scour the Dell Outlet site. Warning ! Alert ! You are going to find some amazing deals, so don't even think about looking at their refurbished units until you have locked your credit-card in a drawer. I found a tremendously inexpensive XPS m1330, ready for me to upgrade to Ubuntu.



Am I happy with my choice ? Is everything working right ? Was it simple to set up ? Yes. Yes. Yes.



The refurbished unit looks like new. The Dell Ubuntu DVD ISO installed 8.04.1 flawlessly, wiping out the original Microsoft Vista. Everything has worked as expected, and I'm having a blast with "my" perfect Linux laptop.