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    Linux on a 17R (or SE)

    Discussion in 'Dell' started by vvk2, Jul 8, 2012.

  1. vvk2

    vvk2 Notebook Enthusiast

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    Hello. I'm looking for advice on what new laptop to get.

    For the past several years I've been running openSUSE Linux on my Dell Studio 1747 full hd laptop. Everything works like a charm. Alas, my parent's ancient 9400 laptop gave up the ghost, and I will be giving them my 1747 after replacing the harddrive (with another running win7).

    I was hoping to get another full hd 17'' dell Inspiron and continue running Linux on it. Based on preliminary research, this is problematic.

    The only full hd 17'' Inspiron laptop I can find is the 17r SE - which has the Nvidia gt 650m video card - which uses Optimus, which, to put it mildly, is very poorly supported under Linux, and there is no bios switch (like in lenovo thinkpads or dell latitudes) to turn optimus off (and enable either the integrated or the discrete card only.

    If the 17R SE had an option for an AMD card - just like the 15R SE - then this would suit me just fine, as the AMD linux driver "properly" supports switchable graphics.


    So the questions, I guess, are:

    1) How come there is no option for AMD video card in Dell Inspiron 17R SE?
    2) How come there is no option for full HD display with an ordinary 17R?

    In other words, what happened to the famous dell laptop configurability?

    And finally, any other suggestions for an ivy bridge quad core i7/8Gb/full HD 17''/AMD video card laptop?

    Many thanks for any replies.
     
    vvk2, Jul 8, 2012
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  2. c_man

    c_man Notebook Evangelist

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    I'll look into it. This laptop sells with Ubuntu. I wonder how that works as a factory OS option.

    All I need on Linux is for the GPU to show images on the screen. I have tested the 7720SE and it worked without problems.

    The answers to your questions are hard to find. It's all about the money...
     
    c_man, Jul 8, 2012
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  3. vvk2

    vvk2 Notebook Enthusiast

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    Hmm, I cannot find a 17R (nor a 17R SE) configured with Ubuntu on the UK dell site.

    Anyhow, the ordinary 17R is indeed available with just the integrated HD4000 video card, and Linux should install on that just fine. The problem for me is that full hd is not available on the ordinary 17R ...
     
    vvk2, Jul 9, 2012
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  4. vvk2

    vvk2 Notebook Enthusiast

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    vvk2, Jul 12, 2012
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  5. c_man

    c_man Notebook Evangelist

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    Only? That's strange.

    Pinguy also works, tested. Pinguy is my fav "Linux".
     
    c_man, Jul 12, 2012
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