[ale] eMachines AMD64 notebook

[Vernard Martin]

> bat.  However, I need this laptop to also get me through a Master's
> program, and since I will be probably doing GIS-related work, it is
> quite possible that I may be doing a LOT of compiling and also, I may
> have to slog around a >2GB file every once in a while.  This is what
> pushes me into the 64-bit realm and with no small amount of speed to
> boot.

I don't think that the 64bit cpu won't really do any good for file access and 
compiling unfortunately. At least not proportional to the price gap. 

> ATI Mobility Radeon 9600 - Linux-usable?  Closed driver?
Should work out of the box. Radeon 9600s work on desktop linux boxen.
Assuming the same chipset then it should work.

> 1280 x 800 screen - how sucky?  I can dig the aspect ratio, but not
> because of DVD-watching - it's more a matter of having things like a
> browser window up on one side and an OO window up in the other.

This is a matter of prefernce. I recommend going to a best buy and trying
out a similar widescreen laptop at that resolution to see how you like it.
I personally think that most of them don't have enough reslution in the
vertical direction. I would prefer something like 1440x1024.

> It says "Built-in high-speed wireless networking (802.11g/b-compliant);
> integrated 10/100 Ethernet LAN; V.92 high-speed modem" - can I expect
> that none of these will necessarily work under Linux?  I do plan to use
> the 802.11 part of the time, even if I need to buy a known good PCMCIA
> 802.11 card.  

In almost every case, the wireless chipsets used in laptops are ones that
are supported under linux. Although you might have to use a binary-only
driver. It'll still work but your morals/ethics might possibly be offended.

> "Pointing Device:  Touchpad with vertical scroll zone" - I'm likely to
> pick up a real mouse (awesome if there's a way to do that wirelessly)
> for my laptop but it'd sure be nice if this functioned, especially the
> scroll pad and the tap/double-tap for mouse clicks.

You can pick up a $15 mouse that has a bluetooth enabled USB dongle that
will work just fine. I got mine as CompUSA.
 
> Would I be happier if I got one of the hyperthreading P4s instead, to
> include one with better screen resolution even if it's 4:3 ratio?

Just remember that you can't upgrade your screen on your laptop. Also,
depending on how physically big your laptop is, more resolution might not
be very useful anyway. I could care less if my laptop did 1600x1280 if it
was on a 15" screen. It comes down to what your eyes like.

hope this helps

V
-- 
Vernard Martin - College of Computing - Georgia Institute of Technology
Institute of Nebulous and Collaborative Intelligent Thought Evolution