Qualifying a laptop using an OSx86 Live DVD

[the_uman]

Hi,

 

A friend wants to buy a lower-cost (ughh Windows) laptop from a local store.

 

I'd like to quickly check whether it can run OSx86, especially after seeing my niece's horrible experience with Vista. I tried convincing him to buy a MacBook, but he has some dislike for Macs.

 

Anyway, I thought if I could quickly check if it runs OSx86 using a live DVD, then I could "OK" the purchase, and work on converting him. (Especially if I refuse to sort out his machine after it gets hosed )

 

So the thought is, if OSx86 doesn't boot or something doesn't work, then I could tell him to return the laptop, and I wouldn't have changed anything on the laptop.

 

Who knows, a Live DVD with some scripting could be used as a QuickCheck tool-- reporting what subsystems work, and what doesn't. Something like that could be a boon to newbies who don't have the time or inclination to build their own OSx86 box.

 

uman

[Hagar]

I've used kismus for a rough-&-ready test of laptops, it doesn't have much in the way of a test suite, but it can give a basic yea/nay on whether it will boot & run.

[the_uman]

I've used kismus for a rough-&-ready test of laptops, it doesn't have much in the way of a test suite, but it can give a basic yea/nay on whether it will boot & run.

 

Thanks. I'll take a look. It would be neat if the Live DVDs advance to the state you see in Linux. Many of the Linux distros boot a complete image (not just one that's optimized for recovery) with apps and all.