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One of the things you hear a lot is that Macs “just work.” As nicely described in this article, Linux “just works” just as well if you only run it on hardware it was designed to run on. I would like to take the post one step further, though. I would recommend that new Linux users, perhaps after testing out the Live CD for a bit, should actually buy a computer with Linux pre-installed.
Buying a new computer is, of course, a huge jump for a lot of people, but it comes with many advantages. For one thing, you don’t have to worry about actually installing the operating system and there is no risk of accidentally losing data. The real reason, though, is that all of the hardware is known to work well with Linux.
Of course, wouldn’t it be easier to just look up what hardware works and make sure that all of your existing hardware is OK? Even if you are going to buy a new computer, why restrict yourself to the Linux choices? The problem is that there is no simple and easy way of verifying that all your hardware works. The only exception to this might be a live CD. If the live CD, after extensive use shows absolutely no problems, you’re probably fine. If, however, some problem occurs, it is often hard to track it down. The worst is when you simply experience crashes. Most likely that is due to some hardware fault or incompatibility, but what piece do you blame?
While this is not an ideal situation, a new user is most likely to get the best experience with Linux if he or she starts with a fresh, new computer that comes pre-install with Linux.
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One should buy a new computer with GNU/Linux pre-installed if, and only if, he was about buying a new one. Unlike Windows or Mac, GNU/Linux runs natively on way more hardware (one needs to find the correct drivers for Windows or purchase Apple hardware for Mac.) That being said, if the model you’re looking for doesn’t come with GNU/Linux pre-installed, you can contact the manufacturer or check its documentation to see if it’s GNU/Linux certified. For example, many models of HP Business line are certified SUSE or Red Hat, even if they don’t come pre-installed with them in your area. If you use a different distribution, knowing that this hardware set is compatible with another one dramatically raises to chances of a perfect experience.
For novices, this is really good advice. The initial “experience” will dictate if people stick with Linux or not. Another advice, if the person is not afraid to put some components together, is to assemble the computer because you usually get a better system for a lot less money. You can usually research what components run under Linux without any issues. I have purchased wireless cards, dvd drives, graphic card, etc. and so far have had zero issues. As long as you do the research, you should be fine.
Yep. If your hardware is supported, Linux is as “it just works” as a Mac. If it isn’t, your life is pain.
If you’re not buying preinstalled, then making sure your hardware is supported is essential. All-Intel chipsets, as one kernel developer (who doesn’t work for Intel) advised.
Some models work really well. I’m typing this on an HP Compaq 6710b which dual-boots XP and Ubuntu 8.10. Doing the same tasks (Firefox 3.1 and music playing) on the same machine in the different operating systems – the battery lasts 3-3.5 hours in Linux and 2 hours in Windows. :-O I blame the crappy McAfee antivirus … but it’s not like an antivirus is optional.
Providing a few links to pre-installed GNU/Linux PC manufacturers would also add a ‘path forward’ to the post.
Actually, that would be very good advice if not one big ‘but’.
Unfortunately, some manufacturers that sell computers with Linux pre-installed do not care that hardware runs Linux well; they see it just as “selling pc for people to put pirated windows on”. Before buying, you must check that manufacturer is not from this group.
Before buying my last laptop, I was ready to do what you just said, because I was tired of dealing with problems of compatibility between my old Dell b120 with the Belkin N1 express card. But after doing some research I ended buying an Acer Extensa 4420-5963 for more than $200 less than the equivalent with Ubuntu, lucky me when I installed ubuntu 8.04 with wubi everything worked out off the box. Now I upgrade to Ubuntu Studio with AWM and I’m the happiest guy in the world.
I’m all for pre-installed linux, but really I’ve had very, very few problems with hardware. The only exception being wireless cards, and some bizarre capture cards that no normal person has anyway.