Noise and heat were acceptable. It was cooler than my heat producing Lenovo T60 anyway.

As for the video card, it says: Nvidia Geforce 8400m dedicated video with 256 MB ram

I don’t have the machine anymore to be able to run any commands on it, but performance is acceptable for a laptop this size.

Thanks a lot.

Please note that our purpose is not to go head-to-head with Dell. We are simply one option. If you like Dell, go for it. Some of our good friends work in the upper echelons at Dell. We don’t even have upper management, so, not much of a competition.

We’re thrilled to hear you’re comparing prices but our focus is quality, not price. We are not aiming to undercut anybody. If we can keep our “just works” standard and be in the same ballpark as a mega-corp like Dell, fantastic!

With that said, Linux’s job isn’t to undercut the competition. It’s to offer a software platform where you have total freedom. Where you can run WHAT you want and are not at the control of Microsoft, Dell, Intel, HP, Oracle or anyone else. That’s the idea of Open Software. You don’t like how something works on Linux? You can go and change it if you have the skill. You have the source and can look at it. Microsoft won’t let the Vista or XP source EVER see the light of day and if something is broke, there’s almost no chance of it getting fixed if there’s money involved.

Linux users can be frugal, but they can also have something to stand for. Using Linux isn’t always about looking for the best price. It isn’t always about undercutting the competition.

Mitchell: I will agree, it sounds nutty to not want a Windows key on the laptop. The people who are like that are staunch open source users who don’t want ANYTHING Microsoft. It’s what that Windows symbol stands for that they don’t like. I can respect someone who stands up for what they believe in. With that said, if you want to use Windows, go ahead. You have the right!

I spec’ed out a Dell XPS M1330 with Ubuntu on it from Dell’s site:
http://configure.us.dell.com/dellstore/config.aspx?c=us&cs=19&l=en&oc=DYCWTU1&s=dhs

Specs are as follows:
Tuxedo Black
Intel® Core™ 2 Duo Processor T7250 (2.0GHz/800Mhz FSB, 2MB Cache)
Ubuntu Linux version 7.10 with DVD Playback
Standard Display with 2.0 Megapixel Webcam
2GB Shared Dual Channel DDR2 SDRAM at 667MHz
Size: 160GB SATA Hard Drive (5400RPM)
CD/DVD burner (DVD+/-RW Drive)
128MB NVIDIA® GeForce™ 8400M GS
Intel® 3945 802.11a/g Mini-card
Built-in Bluetooth capability (2.0 EDR)
56Whr Lithium Ion Battery (6 cell)
High Definition Audio 2.0

This comes out to 1299; you can up the ram to 4GB for 100 dollars, keeping the price at just 1399. FYI, the Ubuntu machine starts at $949.

I’ve only had good results and service from Dell in the past. I personally prefer the M1330′s form factor as well.

And I don’t want to meet someone who is that concerned about having a “Win” key on their laptop, sounds a bit wacky to me

I would still buy from ZaReason because I want to support a company who is doing business the way I want to see companies do business. They support ONLY FOSS and will never work with Microsoft.i

SYSTEM COLOR: Tuxedo Black
PROCESSOR: Intel® Core™ 2 Duo T7250 (2MB cache/2GHz/800Mhz FSB)
OS: Genuine Windows Vista® Home Premium Edition
LCD AND CAMERA: Standard Display with 2.0 Megapixel Webcam
MEMORY: 3GB Shared Dual Channel DDR2 SDRAM at 667MHz
HARD DRIVE: 160GB SATA Hard Drive (7200RPM) Free Fall Sensor
OPTICAL DRIVE: CD/DVD burner (DVD+/-RW Drive)
VIDEO CARD: 128MB NVIDIA® GeForce™ 8400M GS
WIRELESS: Intel Next-Gen Wireless-N Mini-card
BLUETOOTH: Built-in Bluetooth capability (2.0 EDR)
BATTERY: 56Whr Lithium Ion Battery (6 cell)

That works out at just under $1500. Honestly, I’d rather go with a brand name, especially considering it’s about the same price ($6 cheaper in fact). If you don’t want Vista, I’ve read about people calling Dell and returning it for a refund, thus reducing the price even further. And Dell have ridiculous deals on all the time, so it just seems like a no brainer to me.