Author Topic: Which buy a new laptop? for 2016  (Read 47192 times)

roberto

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Which buy a new laptop? for 2016
« on: January 13, 2016, 01:50:21 pm »

I wanted to see what will be the current best laptop for use with win7 and OS2.
Now they are almost all 64 bits, this will be a problem?
Better AMD or Intel?
I remember the last thing I bought was an ASUS has worked very well so far, but I fail some keys now. And I remember that when I bought the laptop take a bootable CD which to my friend Alfredo, and check that it worked with OS2. I only fault the sound that I never worked,in os2.
It could not make a bootable demo ECS22 that start and perform a test before buying equipment to verify correct operation of the parties such as network, sound, wifi, and of course the screen.
I understand that the hard disk will not be problem with the Dfsee.
Saludos

Martin Iturbide

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Re: Which buy a new laptop? for 2016
« Reply #1 on: January 13, 2016, 03:22:25 pm »
Hi Roberto.

That the machine/processor is 64bits it is not a problem. A 32bits can run on a 64bits processor, for the majority of PCs I was able to try.

To be honest, I can not know which modern laptop model to recommend, I can only dare to say:
- Check if the BIOS has UEFI legacy mode available. You will need put UEFI on Legacy mode if you want OS/2-eCS to boot.
- I recommend that the machine has V-TX .. or AMD-V, in case you want to run VM's (for example OS/2 as guest on Windows host).

I think you will have  hard time finding a modern Wifi card that is compatible. We really require new drivers about it.
For the moment some idea is to get a laptop that allows you to remove the wifi card and install an older one buying it from ebay. (and that may also be a lottery)

I really hope that this changes in the future with the release of Blue Lion, but that is on 3Q of 2016.

Regards.
Martin Iturbide
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Sergey Posokhov

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Re: Which buy a new laptop? for 2016
« Reply #2 on: January 13, 2016, 04:30:03 pm »
Don't install eCS 2.2, it's better to wait a release from Arca Noae.
I saw, at least:
* memory bugs in Panorama (fixed now),
* more that one JFS partitions decreases performance,
* USB drivers should be updated to the latest version by Lars Erdmann,
* network doesn't compatible with our local provider (so I switched to SafeFire PPP),
etc. etc. etc. etc.

Pete

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Re: Which buy a new laptop? for 2016
« Reply #3 on: January 13, 2016, 04:44:52 pm »
Hi Roberto

The only thing I can think of adding to Martins post is to get a laptop with an Intel WiFi card as current Wifi driver development seems to be targeted at Intel.

You may also want to contact Arca Noae - use the contact Form here https://www.arcanoae.com/contact/ - and ask how soon WiFi support is expected to be available and which Intel cards will be supported by the driver. It may take a few days before you get a reply but at least you will then have the information you need.


Regards

Pete

roberto

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Re: Which buy a new laptop? for 2016
« Reply #4 on: January 13, 2016, 06:46:10 pm »
Don't install eCS 2.2, it's better to wait a release from Arca Noae.
I saw, at least:
* memory bugs in Panorama (fixed now),
* more that one JFS partitions decreases performance,
* USB drivers should be updated to the latest version by Lars Erdmann,
* network doesn't compatible with our local provider (so I switched to SafeFire PPP),
etc. etc. etc. etc.
I do not mean that you install the Ecs22-betaxxx. What I mean is that if I take the CD to the store, with ecs22 and bring it into the laptop can try to start an installation. With new ACPI I have more possibilities, with ecs21. (from experience)
But if you would have a cd with ecs22 boot in demo mode, and you can run a test program sound, wifi, etc .. I know before buying if I gain or not.
saludos and thanks by info.

roberto

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Re: Which buy a new laptop? for 2016
« Reply #5 on: January 13, 2016, 07:01:21 pm »

1- Check if the BIOS has UEFI legacy mode available. You will need put UEFI on Legacy mode if you want OS/2-eCS to boot.

2- I recommend that the machine has V-TX .. or AMD-V, in case you want to run VM's (for example OS/2 as guest on Windows host).

Point 1 HP specifications watching, I see nothing. So it would have to start the bios to see it.

Point 2, If you mean to run a virtual machine, I prefer to install the airboot and install complete systems.

greetings and thanks for your answer

ivan

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Re: Which buy a new laptop? for 2016
« Reply #6 on: January 14, 2016, 02:22:03 am »
I think the first thing you need to do is define what you are looking for.

Screen size and resolution.
Processor speed and number of cores and manufacturer.
Hard disk size, standard or SSD.
Amount of memory.
Keyboard type, with or without separate numeric keypad.

Once you have a general idea of what you want you then need to look at the price - they range, for a reasonable quality build, from about 600€ to about 2800€ with the top end being classed as 'gaming' units.

To find out details of possible models just download the manufacturers operating manual, it will hopefully give some details of what is there and what the bios does although recent trends tend towards telling how to use windows.

Another thing is to look on the manufacturers site for what drivers are available.  If they supply Linux drivers there is a very good chance that OS/2 will install and work.
 

Neil Waldhauer

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Re: Which buy a new laptop? for 2016
« Reply #7 on: January 14, 2016, 03:06:42 pm »
I want to give a different kind of answer, and not totally what the original poster asked.

This is OS/2 World, and so I'm interested in running some kind of OS/2 on a laptop. I am not interested in running Windows, or Mac, or I'd be on a different website. So I'm not really going to install Windows at all.

So, WiFi has to work. These are the newest computers that can run WiFi on OS/2. USB has to work. USB 3.0 is not available, so the computer must have USB 2.0 ports. If you don't want WiFi, then you can use a newer computer.

Here are two computers I use, with commentary on how to buy and install OS/2 on them. I'm an OS/2 consultant, so you can also buy them from me.

http://www.blondeguy.com/computer/hobopeep.html

Hobopeep, a Lenovo W500, is difficult to buy on  eBay. There are four distinct models of W500, and you want the one that has an Intel 5100 WiFi. eBay sellers do not know what chip is in the machine, so you have to buy carefully.

http://www.blondeguy.com/computer/arbopeep.html

Arbopeep, a Lenovo X200, is easy to buy. All X200 have the Intel 5100, and will run WiFi on OS/2.

Once Arca Noae releases a WiFi driver for current laptops, running on a newer machine will be possible. Today, all new Lenovo laptops run the same WiFi chip. This is the chip that Arca Noae is targeting. But, talking to AN, I expect a new driver is a long way off, possibly not in 2016.

I will say from experience that an OS/2 laptop is not 100% great in the real world. WiFi works in airports and cafes for the most part. But WiFi in corporate environments often does not. Corporate WiFi is often a hack job, and works because IT controls all the parts of the solution. Commercial WiFi works because they have to accommodate a wide range of customers.

Tethering works on my tablet, but not on my phone. A fully supported WiFi will improve things a lot.

I'm using eCS 2.2 b 2 and Arca Noae software on both laptops. I do my professional work using the X200 under eCS.
Expert consulting for ArcaOS, OS/2 and eComStation
http://www.blondeguy.com

Eugene Gorbunoff

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Re: Which buy a new laptop? for 2016
« Reply #8 on: January 14, 2016, 04:15:46 pm »
Question to Neil :
* Does X201 work with OS/2?
* Does X200 audio adapter work without problems?

Oxyd

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Re: Which buy a new laptop? for 2016
« Reply #9 on: January 14, 2016, 07:51:27 pm »
Lenovo ThinkPad X220i with eCS 2.2 b2
Audio: It works with uniaud.
Video: 1366x768 works with panorama.
ACPI(driver from distributive): All 4 core (2 hardware and 2 hyperthreading) works fine also work speedstep technology. Sleep does not work. :(
Lan: It works with this driver.
WLAN: Does not work with genmac supported or unsupported mode. :(
Multimedia keys(mute, vol. up/down, mic mute, ThinkVantage): works with win95key, except mic mute and ThinkVantage.
USB: It works fine with default and Lars drivers.
Web camera: Frozen video.
CardBus: Non tested.
UEFI boot: Non tested.
SD/MMC slot: Non tested.

Also this hardware works fine with OS/4 kernels and QS-Init loader. PAE memdisk also work.
Of course security chip, bluetooth and Active Protection System(APS), does not work.

Doug Bissett

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Re: Which buy a new laptop? for 2016
« Reply #10 on: January 15, 2016, 12:55:37 am »
I have two, no longer "current", but not "old" laptops.

One is a Lenovo ThinkPad T510, with 4 GB memory and 500 GB disk. It works pretty well with eC 2.0 and up (eCS 2.2 b2 is easier to install). Sound works (as well as sound ever works in a laptop). the wired NIC (Intel) works (I am now using the Arca Noae E1000b driver, but the older E1000e driver also works). USB (2.0) works. Panorama works well (I chose the 1600x900 screen, which looks great. 1366x768 is way to small). WiFi (a Realtek chip) doesn't work (I am now using a D-Link DIR-506L for WiFi). AMouse works, and the Trackpoint, the Touchpad, and an external mouse all work. I do turn off the Touchpad in the BIOS.

The second is a Lenovo ThinkPad L530 with 4 GB memory and 500 GB disk. This one is an UEFI BIOS, and it works okay, for what I use it for. I needed eCS 2.2 b2, and DFSEE, to get it to install. I also require the QSINIT loader to get more than 512 meg usable. Sound sort of works, with UniaudUpdate1.09.06-2.02.01.zip, and some messing with UMIX. UniaudUpdate-1.09.06-1.09.26.zip won't even load. The "problem" is that it sounds like there is maximum reverb applied, so it echos on, and on. I haven't spent a lot of time with this, because I don't really care if sound works, or not. There is a USB 3.0 adapter, which doesn't work, of course, but the 2 USB 2.0 adapters work well. The wired NIC (Realtek) works with the Arca Noae MMRE driver, as well as with the older R8169 driver. Panorama works well (again, I chose the 1600x900 screen). WiFi (an Intel chip) works to the point that I can use GENMAC to load a driver, but I can find no way to turn on the radio. It does exactly what a wired NIC will do, when there is no cable attached. Again, I use the D-Link DIR-506L for WiFi access. This one also has a built in camera, which works with WebSee. AMouse works, and the Trackpoint, the Touchpad, and an external mouse all work. I would love to turn off the Touchpad in the BIOS, but there is no setting, so I have had to tape a piece of cardboard over the pad, to keep my hands off of it.

Of course, both machines have features that don't work with eCS, but they are not all that useful with windows either.

The bottom line is that you won't know if a system will work, or not, until you try to make it work. It took me about 6 months to get the T510 to go properly, and it took about the same time to get the L530 to go. Of course, it would be a LOT easier if I just wiped windows, but I didn't want to do that. One of the FIRST things to do, is create the recovery DVDs, so you can get back to the way it was when you started. Don't count on a recovery partition, because that may not work after you start messing around with things. FWIW, the eCS demo CD did work with the T510 (with expected omissions), and it did not work with the L530, at all, so you cannot depend on that as a test.

My first choice, between the two, is the T510, mostly because I can turn off the TouchPad.

Quote
ACPI(driver from distributive): All 4 core (2 hardware and 2 hyperthreading) works fine also work speedstep technology

Actually, I would recommend turning hyperthreading off (you are told to do that in the ACPI docs). I used it for a while, and it seemed to work okay, but I did have a few very strange problems that didn't go away until I turned off hyperthreading. It doesn't really do much for OS/2 anyway, and may actually slow the system.

Sergey Posokhov

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Re: Which buy a new laptop? for 2016
« Reply #11 on: January 15, 2016, 01:40:33 am »
Quote
I used it for a while, and it seemed to work okay, but I did have a few very strange problems that didn't go away until I turned off hyperthreading.
Previous versions of Panorama (including a driver in eCS 2.2 beta) has some bugs with memory pointers.
Turning OFF hyper-threading can help but it's better to update a driver (alongside with USB drivers).

roberto

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Re: Which buy a new laptop? for 2016
« Reply #12 on: January 15, 2016, 11:38:45 am »

 it seemed to work okay, but I did have a few very strange problems that didn't go away
Check your config.sys, in special path and libpath, atention to  * ; * separator. Is omited in same cases. And this cause starnge erros in with editors and other.
saludos

Martin Iturbide

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Re: Which buy a new laptop? for 2016
« Reply #13 on: January 15, 2016, 01:00:55 pm »
Hi

I just updated the OS2World Wiki with the information on this thread:
http://www.os2world.com/wiki/index.php/Category:Laptop_Computers

I also tried eComStation on a Thinkpad L420. Compatibility was good, it booted, worked, the strong issues were Wifi and Audio.
Here is what I wrote about it: http://www.os2world.com/wiki/index.php/ThinkPad_L420

I thought that it will be good to also list the "HardwareID" and the driver that works on a table, so the content can also be found when someone looks for the hardwareID of a device and finds out that it works on some computer.

Please remember that everybody can access and edit the wiki (and is also welcome to help) with the same userid and password that is used on OS2world.

Regards
Martin Iturbide
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Doug Bissett

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Re: Which buy a new laptop? for 2016
« Reply #14 on: January 15, 2016, 10:13:50 pm »

 it seemed to work okay, but I did have a few very strange problems that didn't go away
Check your config.sys, in special path and libpath, atention to  * ; * separator. Is omited in same cases. And this cause starnge erros in with editors and other.
saludos

No, it was hyperthreading. Turn it off, no problem. Turn it back on, and odd things started happening again. It is off, and the problems are gone.