OT: Upgrading to Newer Laptop

[Rolf Turner]

On 10/06/13 06:58, Robert Holtzman wrote:
> On Sat, Oct 05, 2013 at 12:05:14PM +1300, Rolf Turner wrote:
>
>        .......snip.......
>
>> P. S.  Based on my experience, ***don't*** buy a Toshiba!
> Want to expand on that? My stepdaughter has a satellite that I'm
> thinking of taking over and installing one of the linux distros.
>
>
>

Well, I just had endless frustration in respect of the WiFi interface 
which was vital to me.
After a bit of struggle I found an email address that purported to be 
for Linux support
for Toshiba machines.  I got all excited and sent email to that address, 
and after a couple
of days got a reply saying no, we don't support Linux.  Which I thought 
was pretty crappy.

Anyhow, apparently Toshiba keep things so secret that it's essentially 
impossible for the
free software community to build drivers which will work with Toshiba's 
WiFi interface.
I had more endless frustration, but eventually found out that there 
exist USB WiFi devices
that will dodge around the problem.  (Some such devices will work with 
Linux systems and
some won't.)  I first tried an ASUS device which purported to have Linux 
support, but turned
out to be essentially useless.  Then I was lent an Engenius EUB 9801 
device which *did*
work.  (This particular item has been discontinued by Engenius, but has 
been replaced
by something else.  Can't remember the designation, and have no idea if 
this "replacement"
actually works with Linux.)  Then I bought a device from 
thinkpenguin.com, and they
guaranteed by email that it would work, and indeed it did.

I had also bought a Logitech cordless mouse along with my Toshiba --- 
and *that* wouldn't
work initially (under Linux).  It would work if I booted <expletive 
deleted> Windoze, but.
However with my latest re-install of Fedora (17) the Logitech mouse 
works fine.  Don't know
if the problem was really down to Toshiba or if it was just down to 
Logitech, but whatever
it was, Fedora seems to have solved the problem.

     cheers,

     Rolf Turner
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