http://www.viewpoints.com/aboutme/bashley Fri, 21 Dec 2007 19:05:10 GMT Reviews by bashley http://www.viewpoints.com/Acer-5520-Aspire-Laptop-review-7ec5 <br/>Sorry about the typo, it should be 'Aspire' but I didn't notice it until too late.<br/><br/>We got this machine at a discount because Vista wouldn't boot. No problem, because the intent was to put linux on it and use it for a traveling machine. We tried a number of linux distributions including running from live CDs, ultimately settling on slackware -- the only one that would start and run reliably. <br/><br/>The wifi chipset is considered to be linux friendly, but it required a LOT of tinkering over a week to get it running. Still haven't got sound working, but probably will sooner or later. Only important if we want to watch movies on the road, an unlikely happenstance.<br/><br/>It has a glossy screen, which is highly undesirable if you plan on using it outside. Difficult to find matte screens, though, so this is no worse than any other laptop.<br/><br/>The machine itself has lots of nice features -- which are probably shared by a lot of other laptop machines. I would like to see a more robust connection to the AC power...... Fri, 21 Dec 2007 19:05:10 GMT http://www.viewpoints.com/Acer-5520-Aspire-Laptop-review-7ec5 bashley 4 http://www.viewpoints.com/Hewlett-Packard-desktop-computers-review-00330 We purchased an HP notebook computer on sale with the intent of putting linux on it and using it as a travel computer -- wireless connectivity was essential.  It turns out that most HP notebooks use a proprietary wireless chipset, the manufacturer of which refuses to provide essential information for the construction of drivers under linux.  We restored the computer to virginity with the recovery DVDs we had made (FIRST THING TO DO no matter what you intend to do with the machine) and returned it.<br/><br/>It was a fine machine otherwise, except for the shiny screen which is absolutely useless outdoors, just not suitable for the intended purpose.  Broadcom is the provider of the wireless chipset.  They should be ashamed of themselves.<br/>... Thu, 13 Dec 2007 19:22:47 GMT http://www.viewpoints.com/Hewlett-Packard-desktop-computers-review-00330 bashley 2