I can tell you what notebook NOT to buy: compaq presario 700ea. Although fast and powerful, it comes fully prepared for windows (with xp already installed in my case), but when trying to install Suse 7.3, for two months couldn't configure the modem (conexant) or the soundcard (analogue devices), right the most important part I needed. After loosing lots of time, eventually lost also all patience, and so until now I've been working with xp. But I was able in linux to run PD nicely - and faster than xp- if it had any sound, it would have been perfect. There is a website named linux-on-laptop (or something similar), which lists how the owners conifgured their laptops in linux. From my experience, the rule seems to be the more the computer is configured to windows, the less the components (soundcard and modem) will be configurable in linux - although there exist linux drivers for most of them, not all are yet working fine. It is better to check carefully the components (and the brand) and make sure that everything is linux-compatible (some vendors sell with linux already installed, that might be also good).

(By the way, if anybody else has a similar system who is working, could it give me some pointers on how to set mine up?)

João Miguel Pais

PS: another bad thing about this notebook, that maybe might apply to notebooks in general: due to the space being so small, when trying to listen a cd with headphones one hears also the mechanism at work (on some musics is nice, but on most not)

----- Original Message ----- From: "claudio" c.scozzafava@tin.it To: pd-list@iem.kug.ac.at Sent: Sunday, June 16, 2002 5:23 PM Subject: [PD] Notebook and PD... an advice

Hi, I'm using Pd under Linux, and for pratical matter I would like install PD on a notebook. Reading in some forum I've pondered the idea that notebook are not good for audio despite the power in terms of memory and processor. If someone works with a notebook Could help me to choose a model that work well with PD under Linux? Ciao Claudio