From owner-freebsd-mobile@FreeBSD.ORG Thu Oct 26 04:35:47 2006 Return-Path: X-Original-To: freebsd-mobile@freebsd.org 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 5CD8516A403 for ; Thu, 26 Oct 2006 04:35:47 +0000 (UTC) (envelope-from dougb@FreeBSD.org) Received: from mail2.fluidhosting.com (mx21.fluidhosting.com [204.14.89.4]) by mx1.FreeBSD.org (Postfix) with SMTP id AB64C43D4C for ; Thu, 26 Oct 2006 04:35:42 +0000 (GMT) (envelope-from dougb@FreeBSD.org) Received: (qmail 3523 invoked by uid 399); 26 Oct 2006 04:35:39 -0000 Received: from localhost (HELO ?192.168.0.8?) (dougb@dougbarton.us@127.0.0.1) by localhost with SMTP; 26 Oct 2006 04:35:39 -0000 Message-ID: <45403B16.6010109@FreeBSD.org> Date: Wed, 25 Oct 2006 21:35:34 -0700 From: Doug Barton Organization: http://www.FreeBSD.org/ User-Agent: Thunderbird 1.5.0.7 (Windows/20060909) MIME-Version: 1.0 To: Daniel Eischen References: <453FAAB8.407@FreeBSD.org> <45401B52.5020706@centtech.com> In-Reply-To: Content-Type: text/plain; charset=ISO-8859-1; format=flowed Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit Cc: freebsd-mobile@freebsd.org Subject: Re: Experience with Dell Latitude D620? X-BeenThere: freebsd-mobile@freebsd.org X-Mailman-Version: 2.1.5 Precedence: list List-Id: Mobile computing with FreeBSD List-Unsubscribe: , List-Archive: List-Post: List-Help: List-Subscribe: , X-List-Received-Date: Thu, 26 Oct 2006 04:35:47 -0000 Daniel Eischen wrote: > On Wed, 25 Oct 2006, Eric Anderson wrote: > >> On 10/25/06 13:19, Doug Barton wrote: >>> After a long (and sometimes ugly) ordeal with a few other >>> manufacturers, I finally decided on a Dell Latitude D620, which is >>> sitting here next to me. It has the new Core 2 Duo, and lots of other >>> exciting bells and whistles. :) The only negative so far is the 3945 >>> wireless, but I have an atheros pccard to use in the meantime. >>> >>> I'm wondering what experiences people have with this, gotchas for >>> FreeBSD, etc. I am planning to dual boot windows and -current. I am >>> particularly interested in being able to suspend/resume in freebsd, >>> so if anyone has got that working, please share the secrets. Also, >>> has anyone with a core 2 duo tried running the 64 bit freebsd? >> >> >> Doug - my coworker has lots of Atheros mini-pci express wifi cards >> that he's been selling for cheap. I have been using it instead of the >> included card, and am very happy. You can email him at >> kramer@centtech.com if you want. > > Are you sure they are mini-pci express, not mini-pci? I couldn't > find any Atheros-based mini-pci express cards when I looked just > a few months ago. Yeah, the ones he is selling are pci-express, and using the latest and greatest Atheros a/b/g chip that's available stand-alone (the 5423). I did a lot of research on this topic when I was considering my purchase, and even called Atheros and talked to a very nice guy who knew exactly what I was asking (refreshing in a hardware vendor). The 5424 is _the_ latest and greatest Atheros a/b/g chip, but it's only available to a select few vendors right now, and only as a "built in," not as an OEM part. The Atheros guy I talked to said that the two chips should have pretty similar characteristics, although the newer chip would have better power consumption. PCD Global has a PCI-Express card built from the 5423, but my research gave them mixed reviews. Lenovo also has a card built from that chip that's available as a non-standard option for thinkpads. I didn't do any research on whether it would work in non-thinkpad machines. At that point I kind of gave up and decided to do what I could as a user to help get the 3945 working, since it's almost impossible to buy a laptop nowadays without one of those. But since no one is really interested in making that card work atm, I think I'm going to give Eric's colleague a buzz. :) hth, Doug -- This .signature sanitized for your protection