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  • Any laptops compatible with Linux?

Hey guys, are there any available laptops in Lebanon that would work with Linux distros, especially Ubuntu, without having to fix compatibility problems with drivers?
Of course. I believe all dual core laptops with unmodded BIOS do. The new models have the compatibility issues.
The last 3 laptops I bought were from Lebanon. They all run some version of Linux exclusively and almost never had hardware problems. Modern laptops will have better support than the older models, and the more mainstream (Samsung, Sony, HP, Toshiba, Lenovo, Asus, Acer, ...) the better. If you buy something exotic you're taking (a small) risk of running into problems.

The only problem I found so far is with the Nvidia Optimus technology, which is equipping more and more laptops. Nvidia stubbornly refuses to provide Linux drivers for this chip, a move that famously earned them the finger of Linus Torvalds earlier this year.

Note that there is an open source Linux driver for Optimus, it works very well but is not included in the default kernel. I believe you'll have to install it yourself.

How annoying is it really?
My current latest laptop has an Optimus chip inside. The only time I ran into problems, was when I started programming 3D games. I installed Bumblebee and everything went right :)
"Of course. I believe all dual core laptops with unmodded BIOS do. The new models have the compatibility issues."

Thanks for your reply, but I'm planning on buying a new laptop and I want to be sure it works flawlessly with Ubuntu. So I'd like to know if anybody has been able to install Ubuntu on their laptop without encountering problems with drivers. If so what's the brand and model of the
laptop?
From what you guys are saying, almost all laptops should support Ubuntu. But because of my past experiences with installing Ubuntu on two different laptops, I'm afraid of encountering serious problems...So what should I do? Just buy any laptop and try out Ubuntu? Aren't there laptops that support Ubuntu better than others?
1- pick a laptop
2- make a normal search like "Lenovo s100 ubuntu 12.10"
3- make a not working search like "Lenovo s100 ubuntu 12.10 not working"

see what you get and based on that i guess you will have a clearer vission of what problems you might encounter, if any.

About a specific laptop that support ubuntu specifically, i dont know
Almost all computers work with linux and that includes laptops.

The only hardware issues under linux are with wireless adaptors and only some of them.
What I've got so far:

- The more there's Intel inside, the more likely the user won't encounter problems.
- Avoid Broadband network cards
- Avoid switchable graphics
- Avoid cutting-edge machines (new hardware)

http://ubuntuforums.org/forumdisplay.php?f=332 check the first 4 posts

I guess I'll do like rtp said, look for a laptop available in Lebanese stores, search for posts about the laptop (on ubuntuforums mostly) and see if anybody have had problems with it before.

Thanks for the help.
There used to be a really cool website (if you omit the crappy fonts and overly aggressive ads) that solved this exact problem.

Unfortunately it's been inactive for years.
I was looking for the same thing today. As mentioned before, most mainstream modern models should work fine but keep an eye for the ones with switchable graphics especially Sony VAIOs(C series in my case), I face some problems with it from time to time especially when connecting another monitor.

Another thing to look for is to check if the CPU supports virtualization as that would be very useful in enhancing the experience while running Windows(and others) from within a VM right from your Linux box.

One nice brand I came across is one known as System 76, there guys sell their own brand of laptops and desktops with Ubuntu pre-installed and guaranteed to work out of the box and have the best performance on their hardware. Also their prices are a bit cheaper, their designs are nice and very neat and simple. But most probably they don't exist here.

Other than that, I'd recommend Lennovo think pads. they're powerful, durable and most of them support Ubuntu totally out of the box based on what I've read.
CodingFreak wroteWhat I've got so far:

- The more there's Intel inside, the more likely the user won't encounter problems.
- Avoid Broadband network cards
- Avoid switchable graphics
- Avoid cutting-edge machines (new hardware)

http://ubuntuforums.org/forumdisplay.php?f=332 check the first 4 posts

I guess I'll do like rtp said, look for a laptop available in Lebanese stores, search for posts about the laptop (on ubuntuforums mostly) and see if anybody have had problems with it before.

Thanks for the help.
Broadcom you mean :)
They are crap btw under Windows too.
What the advantage of having a linux os?
Romario wroteWhat the advantage of having a linux os?
Freedom ;)
+ Sony E series are 100% compatible...
Romario wroteWhat the advantage of having a linux os?
Here's the stupid short answer. Read it and click through different icons to hear the standard arguments.

The truth is, of course, more complicated than that. Linux isn't "better", it's just different. Although modern Linux desktops look a lot like MacOSX and/or Windows, it's a fundamentally different OS.

What is Linux good at?
Here are some examples of tasks Linux is "better" at (also, anyone claiming familiarity with Linux should be able to do this easily):
  • Find the five folders in a given directory consuming the most space.
  • Report duplicate MP3s (by file contents, not file name) on a computer.
  • Take a list of names whose first and last names have been lower-cased, and properly recapitalize them.
  • Find all words in English that have x as their second letter, and n as their second-to-last.
  • Directly route your microphone input over the network to another computer's speaker.
  • Replace all spaces in a filename with underscore for a given directory.
  • Report the last ten errant accesses to the web server coming from a specific IP address.
Who should try Linux?
Basically, everyone should. But I believe you'd be particularly enjoying your Linux experience if:
  • You're a programmer. This is the most important one. Linux (and its parent Unix) was made by programmers for programmers. If you're a developer, you'll feel right at home.
  • You're curious about software. Linux does a better job than others at showing you how it works inside. (Because of their commercial nature, MacOSX and Windows have a tendency to hide things).
  • You're versatile. Of course, if you only want something on your laptop to browse the internet and run a couple of apps, then MacOSX and Windows are fine. But if you have different needs, then Linux is the perfect match. It runs on all sorts of hardware you can imagine, from mobile phones and tablets, to mini PC, cars, supercomputers, routers, and other exotic things. To this day, no OS has ever supported as much hardware as Linux does.
  • You're a minimalist. Antoine de St Exupery once said: "Perfection is achieved, not when there is nothing more to add, but when there is nothing left to take away.". If you enjoy running super light software on your machine, Linux will help you do this. A lot.
What is Linux bad at?
  • Gaming is weak. There are some games available, but they suck in comparison to what's available on Windows.
  • Supporting the latest hardware component. This is a lot less true today than it was 10 years ago. But some problems with Nvidia and other webcam/printer manufacturers still exist. (But if you're not afraid of getting your hands dirty, there's nothing you cannot fix).
  • Running your particular software. If there's one software you absolutely need and it doesn't offer a Linux version, you'll have a hard time running it on your Linux box.
That's all I can think of right now. These 3 lists are far from complete. If you're already familiar with Linux, feel free to add your own account.
Ayman, there are also Dells that come with Ubuntu pre-installed, one of them was the Dell Vostro 2520. But the shipping from the US to Lebanon would add nearly 400$ to the initial price...

Thanks for correcting me nuclearcat.

Nice lists rahmu :)
What's the difference between a laptop and a desktop? (It's a rhetorical question you don't have to answer)
10 days later
@CodingFreak here is a nice list of all devices that are officially certified by Canonical to run Ubuntu well, many other distros would work too.
5 days later
a month later
My cousin got me a Dell Vostro 2420 with Ubuntu pre-installed from Kuwait for a mere $420 and I'm going to receive it in a few days. Anyway thanks for your help guys, I appreciate :)

Edit: correction, it's a Dell Inspiron N4050 with Ubuntu pre-installed, and it's perfect except for the lack of performance (i3 and 2 GB RAM).