[Cialug] Specs for a VM machine?

[David Champion]

My current laptop is a Dell Latitude D620, which isn't made any more. 
There's a new line of Latitudes (the E series) that are really nice 
looking. Also the XPS M1330 is pretty sweet if you want a small portable 
laptop - has an optional nVidia 8400M GS video card.

The main issues I'd look for in whatever your getting is:
- make sure it has a usable video card. If you want to do anything 
graphically intensive, the integrated Intel chipset doesn't cut it.
- make sure the wired ethernet network and wireless are supported. Dell 
sometimes give an option of getting a "Dell" wireless, or an Intel 
wireless chipset. I got the Intel chipset.

Another pointer... if you're looking to save some money on the initial 
purchase, don't skimp on non-upgradable things like the CPU in a laptop. 
Get it with a smaller amount of RAM and a smaller HD, you can easily add 
those later, and probably for a lot less money. I recently bumped mine 
up to 4gb or RAM and a 250gb HD for under $70.

-dc

Randle Boyd wrote:
> Dave, what laptop do you own?  I am hoping, or should I say my wife is 
> pushing me, to cut back on the physical boxes and  go virtual in the 
> near future.  I was think of maybe a base of Ubuntu or Fedora, then a 
> virtual Widows, a Linux beta release or two, and perhaps Haiku.
>
> Cheers,
> Randle