Re: dse OS-less laptop

[Patrick Dunford]

Nick Rout wrote:

OK immediate thoughts: see product number XC3394 on
http://www.dse.co.nz/
price $1500, not bad. one of the cheaper laptops around. but see below.

transmeta crusoe 1GHz - not the fastest, but should be ok

no floppy (do we care any more?)

cdrw/dvd - great

video - no mention of chipset, it works with linux but is it accelerated?
3d? dse don't say.
NO PCMCIA/CARDBUS mentioned - big bummer.

no firewire - bummer again, they are getting pretty common on laptops

no wireless and nowhere to put any of my pcmcia wireless cards.
usb wireless cards available, but do THEY work with linux? not according
to the dse site.
<quote>Also tested with Linux Mandrake 9.2 & Knoppix 3.3 - please see support section 
for notes on Linux
installation.</quote> - no link to the support section. where is it?
256MB Ram supplied is the max it will take - BIG BUMMER - the one thing
that would compensate for the slower processor is unavailable.
Good move DSE, but why a laptop without all the bits? If you are serious
about selling to linux users, where is the output of lspci -v?
<quote>Keep costs down by supplying & installing your own operating
system</quote>
Seems more like keep costs down by supplying something cut down with
no ability to upgrade the memory, and no ability to use the very good
and cheap collection of available, linux compatible pcmcia gear out
there. I can't see where the no OS discount applies. Add $200 for Win XP
and you are at $1700.00. Add another $200 and you get the acer
travelmate (XC5467) with a 2.5G celeron max 2G ram, 2 pcmcia slots. IR,
a vid chip that will do dri in xfree 4.3, I am left wondering whether
that price difference of $200 isn't in fact the price difference in real
hardare features, and nothing more.
 

Personally, I wouldn't go for it on the strength of it not being a big 
brand name - parts could be hard to come by.