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View Full Version : i'm rebuilding a notebook pc--a thinkpad x61--for amateur radio use. win7 or linux?


n6hcm
02-16-2013, 09:11 PM
and, if linux, which one?
KC2UGV
02-16-2013, 09:55 PM
I would go with Linux, and specifically, Ubuntu, since it's a convertible laptop. Ubuntu has the touch drivers and screen rotation drivers + new touch enhanced UI.
NQ6U
02-16-2013, 09:56 PM
What exactly are you going to use it for? Logging and digital modes or rig control?
n6hcm
02-16-2013, 10:44 PM
I would go with Linux, and specifically, Ubuntu, since it's a convertible laptop. Ubuntu has the touch drivers and screen rotation drivers + new touch enhanced UI.

it's not a convertible laptop (only some x61s are)
n6hcm
02-16-2013, 10:45 PM
potentially all 3.
n6hcm
02-16-2013, 10:46 PM
(right now it has windows 8 .... )
KJ3N
02-17-2013, 12:10 AM
(right now it has windows 8 .... )

:yuck:
NQ6U
02-17-2013, 12:40 AM
potentially all 3.

Okay, speaking strictly from my own experience (and as much as it pains me to say so) I'd go with Win 7, then. I have not been as successful getting rig control working properly under Linux has I have with Windows.

Of course, you are far more knowledgeable about the deep inner workings of computers than I am so you may have better luck.
n6hcm
02-17-2013, 12:53 AM
I'm thinking that one will be a base layer and the other will run inside a virtual machine ... I'm almost tempted to keep the windows 8 but for some reason it won't activate and i'm not willing to mess with it.
n6hcm
02-17-2013, 12:54 AM
but ... which linux for amateur radio?
W3WN
02-19-2013, 12:21 PM
(right now it has windows 8 .... ):yuck::yuck::yuck:

Win 7 if you need to run Windows apps, and if there are the appropriate drivers available for it.

I think Win 8 is a disaster, unless you happen to have a touch screen... and most PC users don't. I can understand why they wanted to "unify" the desktops, but they didn't bother with any intermediary steps, and have forced a touch-screen oriented interface onto a non-touch world. Smooth move, exlax...
W4GPL
02-19-2013, 12:24 PM
Fedora has excellent amateur radio support. There's a large SIG in the Fedora Project for ham radio.. well over 20 package maintainers..

http://fedoraproject.org/wiki/AmateurRadio
KC2UGV
02-19-2013, 12:41 PM
Fedora has excellent amateur radio support. There's a large SIG in the Fedora Project for ham radio.. well over 20 package maintainers..

Agreed here. Debian has a ham radio branch, but I think only some of the maintainers from Fedora cross-maintain for Debian stable.