Feedback on Acer laptop w. Linux

[Boaz Rymland]

On Sun, 30 Aug 2009 10:06:43 +0300, Oron Peled <oron at actcom.co.il> wrote:
> On Sunday, 30 בAugust 2009 07:52:18 Boaz Rymland wrote:
>> ... or, go "for sure" on the Linux pre-installed ones.
> 
> Just a general warning (don't know if it applies to this specific model).
> Many devices on the market with Linux pre-installed have some binary
> components that make them worthless -- install your own version and
> many important features will stop working.

and isn't there a way, if it can be generalized at all, to: get a linux
preinstalled laptop, install your own linux, then install the manufacturer
packages/updates separately? Alternatively, can one, with little effort,
collect those binaries from his pre-installed linux prior to installing
other linux and put them on the new installation? (I guess this can be
done, but the question is how much resources are needed to fully move all).

Thanks,
Boaz.

> 
> As an example you can take all netbooks with Intel GMA-500 graphics
chipset
> 
> (Poulsbo) which needs binary blobs to function. AFAIK, many of Dell's
> netbooks
> are equipped with this chipset, so although they are pre-installed with
> Ubuntu
> your install/upgrade options are very restricted.
> 
> This is an example of really bad move from Intel who otherwise has
> excellent
> free software support for its hardware.