New Laptop

[#1]

Quote

did think of getting a new HD but at first examination I am not sure how to get inside the laptop

Download the Maintenance & Service Guide from here http://h10025.www1.hp.com/ewfrf/wc/manualCategory?cc=uk&dlc=en&lang=en&lc=en&product=4326183&

[#2]

Quote from: colintivy

I did not know that HP were ceasing making PCs. That explains their "generosity" in offering the discounts. Mine was made in China if that makes any difference. I did see that, on booting up, the laptop ground its way through no less than 74 updates which must indicate that the OS version was installed a long time ago! Win7 seems to major in Eye-Candy" with the result finding out what you want to know is not always intuitive. No doubt I might get used to it. The supplied, minmal documentation certainly does not agree with the actual operation in places which is not helpful. I have failed to find my way to the BIOS Boot Order page to get it to use the DVD drive as the first despite finding the apparent  place which then seems to do nothing. Clever these Chinese. I am getting a bit nervous about installing Ubuntu hearing the noises about the Unity desktop at the  next LTS. Does Mint11 allow much of the old style 'buntu but without that change?

See (for example) http://blogs.computerworld.com/18825/pow_hps_post_pc_plan_purge_pcs?af about HP's plans.

[#3]

RE Mint 11.
As it is based on Ubuntu what you have running at the moment should still work in Mint 11. Turboprint does work as I have used a demo version on my Canon printer.

[#4]

My Missus`s new laptop from Dell, has an "impossible" to remove HDD... it cannot be done by "removing a few panels from the bottom.".. I found out , by searching youtube videos, that it needs to have most of the top panel, and keyboard removed before you can access the HDD...
maybe a good idea to have a look at youtube and see if there is a video guide on how to.....

[#5]

If Dell are doing that then avoid Dell. Any decent laptop should let you get at the RAM and HDD. In future, if I am buying a new laptop I shall certainly check that this is possible.
dick:quote

[#6]

The "version" that I got for my missus, was "ready to go".... no "order this and that bit"... and then wait for 6 weeks for delivery... it was just a "basic basic" laptop. so it (I suppose) was a cheap option on their china build factory.. (or they messed up with that bit of the design, and needed to shift them quick ! ! ! .....

[#7]

Quote from: colintivy

I am getting a bit nervous about installing Ubuntu hearing the noises about the Unity desktop at the  next LTS. Does Mint11 allow much of the old style 'buntu but without that change? How does it compare well with adequate support for external hardware such as my Canon 905D printer and its associated 9005F Scanner? The former is OK using Turbprint2 Pro but Sane does not cope with the latter. Any views?

I would suggest that you use the v10.04 LTS, you don't have to upgrade (you can carry on using v10.04 as long as you want. Many people are still using much earlier versions.

[#8]

Thanks Ellis,
That is food for thought, I might have kept on with 8.04 which was the first one that I used but I was afraid that when the LTS period was up, the updates would cease and something important security-wise might be missed. Now I am a bit reluctant to face up to things that Unity seems to cause dismay in experienced quarters as I have said. I know that some of you are keen to promote the virtues of Mint so I await their comments.

[#9]

Quote

but I was afraid that when the LTS period was up, the updates would cease

They would. Ubuntu 10.04 will be supported until April 2013. I run 10.04 on my three systems for similar reasons to you colintivy, stability and, for the netbook, no Unity. For information, one of my systems was an upgrade from 8.04 and the others were clean installs.

[#10]

WRT Mint.
What do you normally do after installing Ubuntu? Install Flash/mp3 support/DVD playback etc? Then just install Mint and it has all that OOB. Don't like the Mint Menu, right click on the menu and remove it and re-add the "old" ones.Done.
Me I switched to Mint several years ago when I had "issues" with Ubuntu (9.04 I think) with my DVD drive. Since then I have not used another distro that I like as much  I had Ubuntu 10.10 netbook remix on my EEE for a COUPLE of days before saying nope back to Mint on it!
All the ppa's for Ubuntu will work in Mint so if something takes my eye I can install it easily. The only real difference is if you try LMDE then you are removed from Ubuntu and into Debian as a base more for the "serious" Linux user. I am toying with putting it on my EEE for a play.

[#11]

Does Mint have any bits missing that are present in Ubuntu - not counting that nasty Unity junk?
For example, can I still run a few KDE programs in Mint?

[#12]

Quote from: colintivy

I am getting a bit nervous about installing Ubuntu hearing the noises about the Unity desktop at the  next LTS. Does Mint11 allow much of the old style 'buntu but without that change?

Mint 11 uses a more recent release of the GNOME 2.x desktop environment you're familiar with from Ubuntu but it isn't an LTS release.
Assuming Ubuntu 10.04 supports all the hardware in your new laptop, you could stick with it until well into 2013.
That would give you plenty of time to observe how Unity and GNOME-Shell have evolved with GNOME 3.x and a better idea of which, if either, appeals to you.
As GNOME 3.x replaces 2.x in the Ubuntu repos it's likely only a matter of time before Mint makes the switch; I'd guess Mint would opt for GNOME-Shell over Unity but both are conceptually similar.

[#13]

Quote from: A

For example, can I still run a few KDE programs in Mint?

Mint is based on Ubuntu; it uses a mix of its own repos (http://packages.linuxmint.com/) and the usual Ubuntu repos.
If the KDE programs you'd want to run are in the repos they can be installed on Mint.

[#14]

I have k3b installed if that’s what you mean by running KDE programs?

[#15]

The exact same one - Gnome has nothing to match it for CD/DVD burning etc.