[techtalk] light laptops for linux?

[Telsa Gwynne]

On Wed, Apr 25, 2001 at 09:54:16AM -0400 or thereabouts, Molly Tomlinson wrote:
> Does anyone have a recommendation for a good, slim laptop? I will be 
> taking it on a cross-US bike trip this summer; small and light will be 
> my primary concerns. :) I'd like something reasonably powered - I will 
> be doing photo work - but given the choice, I'd take light over fast. 
> 
> Right now I'm looking at the Sony Vaio R505 "SuperSlim" series and the 
> Dell Inspiron 2100. Anyone have experience running Linux on either of 
> these (or similar) beasties?

I have a Sony PCG-SR1K (which in the US is a "5K", not a "1K", cos
Everything Is Bigger or something, I expect :)). It is indeed dinky
and light (the accoutrements such as power supply are heavier than
the laptop) and it runs Linux fine. I described my experiences with
it the last time this thread came up on this list :)

http://www.linux.org.uk/pipermail/techtalk/2000-October/thread.html
http://www.linux.org.uk/pipermail/techtalk/2000-October/002095.html

Dell Inspirons and Vaios come up a lot in that thread, actually.

The only things I would add since sending my original message:
    o It turns out that adding extra RAM is very easy indeed on
my Vaio, (and I'd already denied myself support by installing
the warranty so invalidating the guarantee by letting the dear 
one open it up wasn't a major concern :))
    o I still have not located extra batteries which fit that model,
and I sent that email in October. If the batteries are not the 
standard sort, get extra ones when you get the laptop. Don't assume
you can get them later.
    o There is a winmodem in it. I didn't even bother trying to get
that to work because it had an pcmica slot and I had an ethernet card.

Telsa