From owner-freebsd-mobile@FreeBSD.ORG Thu Jan 6 22:46:25 2005 Return-Path: Delivered-To: freebsd-mobile@freebsd.org Received: from mx1.FreeBSD.org (mx1.freebsd.org [216.136.204.125]) by hub.freebsd.org (Postfix) with ESMTP id 761DC16A4CE; Thu, 6 Jan 2005 22:46:25 +0000 (GMT) Received: from freebsd3.cimlogic.com.au (adsl-20-121.swiftdsl.com.au [218.214.20.121]) by mx1.FreeBSD.org (Postfix) with ESMTP id 90E1043D46; Thu, 6 Jan 2005 22:46:24 +0000 (GMT) (envelope-from jb@cimlogic.com.au) Received: by freebsd3.cimlogic.com.au (Postfix, from userid 102) id 7B7846A9BF; Fri, 7 Jan 2005 09:46:23 +1100 (EST) Date: Fri, 7 Jan 2005 09:46:23 +1100 From: John Birrell To: Greg 'groggy' Lehey Message-ID: <20050106224623.GA55403@freebsd3.cimlogic.com.au> References: <20050105062243.GO53273@wantadilla.lemis.com> Mime-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii Content-Disposition: inline In-Reply-To: <20050105062243.GO53273@wantadilla.lemis.com> User-Agent: Mutt/1.4.2.1i cc: FreeBSD Questions cc: FreeBSD mobile Mailing List Subject: Re: Experience with Dell Inspiron 1150 laptop? X-BeenThere: freebsd-mobile@freebsd.org X-Mailman-Version: 2.1.1 Precedence: list List-Id: Mobile computing with FreeBSD List-Unsubscribe: , List-Archive: List-Post: List-Help: List-Subscribe: , X-List-Received-Date: Thu, 06 Jan 2005 22:46:25 -0000 On Wed, Jan 05, 2005 at 04:52:43PM +1030, Greg 'groggy' Lehey wrote: > I'm thinking of buying a Dell Inspiron 1150 laptop. I have a number > of Dells, and on the whole I'm happy, but I've had "issues" before. > Can anybody who has one of these machines (1150 only, please) tell me > good or bad things about it? Have you been able to get the internal > wireless card to work? I have an 1150 and it works great with RELENG_5 for me. I don't have the version with the internal wireless though. I use the bfe (Broadcom BCM4401) ethernet. No problems with that. If you get one, go straight to Dell's support site and get the latest bios. I had to do that before X would work. There have been a few bios updates and my 1150 was shipped with an out-dated bios which I thought lacked attention to detail by Dell when they build the machines to order in Malaysia. I got a CD R/W and DVD R and that works fine. USB2.0 ports function well as does sound. Whenever I watch videos, I choose to use the 1150 for that. Obviously the winmodem doesn't work with FreeBSD. That's the only device that isn't recognised during boot. Once thing I really like about it is being able to set the bios to boot via the ethernet port. That makes net-booting FreeBSD for driver development a breeze. I run RELENG_5 installed on the hard disk and net-boot to CURRENT. If I remember correctly, it took me about 10 minutes to get XP off it and FreeBSD on. -- John Birrell