I am looking into getting a laptop for school.
It doesn't have to be anything super fast. While I NEED windows for school, i would like to DUAL BOOT windows and osx (like how I have it done right now on my PC).

I looked at the wiki and theres quite a bit of info. I basically gave up once i reached 3/4 of the page of 10.4.6 when i realized I wasn't really able to absorb the information and model numbers.

So here I am....

What is the best, most supported laptop one can get to run windows and osx on?

I really don't care if its super fast laptop or not...as long as I have full support (including QE/CI).

Any model numbers and additional info would be great!

Thanks.

Have you thought about getting a macbook.

Just buy a macbook. I've compared the macbooks with other notebooks for like a month and I found out that macbooks have the best value and perfect for students.

Besides, you'll get no hassle in getting OSX and Windows on the same machine. I've thought about buying a pc laptop and install osx86, however, since it's laptop, there is a definite driver hell and you can't just uninstall a component and interchange it with a component that works with osx86.

i'd agree - macbook all the way. especially now the c2d ones are out, you can either pick up one of those, or go for a refurb cd one.

with the new bootcamp drivers allowing two-finger right click and scrolling, it kicks ass.

macbook dude, go for it.

Macbooks are soooooooooo expensive tho. I really do want a macbook..but can't afford one.

I spent all my $$$ on my G5

I dont regret spending $3000 on the G5 tho...i love it.

So i was thinking of picking up a used 5-600 laptop and osx'ing it.

you know what i mean?

You can get a nice iBook for that price. PowerPC Apples went downhill in eBay price after the Intel switch.

The downside (imo) of the macbook though is that 13" screen.

I personally would very much like to know if any of the current crop of big box retailer laptops will run OSX nicely. There are a number of 17" widescreen core 2 duo's out there in the $1000-$1400 range, about what you might spend on a macbook... And like the original OP, I tried the HCL in the wiki but it is pretty tough to get anything definitive, particularly with the various releases and ever changing model numbers.

Yeah, that's what I thought too. But if you think about it, those machines probably won't last for another year (2 years at most), especially keeping up with software system requirements these days. Getting a better notebook or macbook would give you at least 2 years till you graduate.

If you still want to get 5 - 600 laptop, I heard HP NC6000 would be a good choice for OSX86.

I just want to make sure I make one suggestion here as what laptop NOT to get. Do not buy anything that uses the ATI x200 video chipset. You will never be able to get it working with QE/CI. I know its tempting because most of the "budget" laptops use this video. There has been on ongoing effort to get QE/CI functional but while just about every other ATI and nVidia chipset has at least some functionality it seems to be impossible with the x200. The best you can hope for is simple dynamic resolution change.

thanks for all the input guys!

the NC6000 seems OK.

They are going on ebay used for like $400-500. This perfect!


I may want to chill out a little and get IBM quality. But I will need to save up a little more b/w tuition and other expensis. The IBM z60T seems to have good support also! but @ 1100$...i might as well get a macbook

Stay away from X200 Series

Due to :-

1. Crappy OpenGL Support - bah , even on linux ......and windows. Its crap overall...However , for DirectX based games , I am stunned with the performance

2. OSX freezes - when you unplug , plug , adjust the brightness with it =cause its very lame ....

Watch out for wireless , make sure its not Intel WiFi card as well

I'm running on an HP Pavilion zd8000.

everything works on 10.4.7, wifi works out of the box, dvd burning etc works great.

for full 3d you need to do the following:

QE/CI requires 2 patches:
Callisto : Build 003 (fixed), May 27, 2006
http://omni.starchaser.org/callisto/?downl...VNlBTNWMAxgAz4=
and
ATIRadeon9700 hack
http://forum.insanelymac.com/index.php?sho...ity+radeon+x600


sleep, however, does not work... goes to sleep.... but the screen doesn't wake up.
(I don't think anyone has gotten sleep to work on their laptops yet.)


you can find a zd8000 really cheap on ebay.

I have just installed 10.4.6 on my Dell Inspison 1200 and everything is working nearly totaly perfectly, even sleep! The only thing that is bothering me now is the cardbus slot does not reset when the laptop comes out of sleep.

I fully intended to buy a Macbook and then I tried one in an Apple store in Portland Oregon, and a couple in other Apple stores across the US. The screen is very much on the small side and bright enough but the leading edge of the case, which is to say where your palms occasionaly meet the top edge of the case, is sharp. A sharp, hard edge. What on earth is that about? Also, the track pad, though obviously used by a lot of visitors steadily passing through the Apple stores, doesn't appear to wear well; it goes shiny.

Edit: I should add for the benefit of others that though the keyboard on the Macbook looks suspect, like something a touch typist wouldn't be caught dead attempting to type on, it is in fact rather good, with a decent tactile feel, as opposed to the kind of soggy/spongy keyboard that you find on any number of cheap/midrange laptops. Certainly it's not in the same league as an IBM laptop but it turns out to be an unxpected plus. I read that the facia scratches easily but... if you buy a Mac you're probably someone who looks after things.

I wanted so much to drool over the Macbook and get one but in the end of the day I decided against it. Possibly it is tough as boots but it also looks a bit flimsy, cheap build. I too am quite drawn to the idea of buying another copy of the Tiger operating system and putting the hackintosh version on the hard drive of a non Mac laptop. Not ideal and it depresses me a bit but Apple need to reach some kind of deal with Dell, or whoever, and sell their operating system to other manufactures who then build their laptops to a set specification - with the option to easily upgrade parts, something that Apple are notoriously bad at doing, which draws a great many people to make Hackintoshes.

Yes, it makes sense to get one but I for one am not sold on that model.

I have a Dell Inspiron 5150 (2.8 ghz sse2) with the 1450 wireless and the go5200 video. Everything is currently working with 10.4.8 and the 8.8.1 kernel

http://reviews.cnet.com/Lenovo_C100_1_50GH...7-31750372.html

my lenovo 3000 C100 seems quite good with OS X, everything that i have tested works, only memory card reader and PC card slot are still untested. other components like bluetooth, wifi, QE/CI, battery meter, sleep, sound, DVD burning work. and it's battery is damn good for that money: my record is little more than 5 hours.

1.5Ghz Celeron M, 512mb ram, 80gb hdd, broadcom wifi and bluetooth, DVD-Ram/RW drive, 2.8kg, etc

it costs around 700$

thanks for the input everyone!
i also heard the hp pavillon 8000 series was really good

If you don't mind old/second hand model, maybe you can consider Dell Latitude D610. All except onboard LAN and PCMCIA slot work out of the box (onboard LAN does work, but will make the system abit unstable...).