"macbook pro"

conor.hogan.2

So I am thinking of going full on Ubuntu (or possibly another Distro) and I currently have a Macbook Pro.

What would be the recommendations for a laptop that is Macbook Pro-esque?

It does not have to be flashy it just has to be sturdy essentially and be of equal power and HDD drive etc.

niallb

Is there an obstacle to just installing linux on the Macbook Pro?
It'll be a good match in terms of power and diskspace :-)
Just make sure to get the amd64+mac copy of the installer disc.

Copy the osx install to an external drive first using something like superduper if you're concerned you might banjax it and want to go back to osx alone.

If you have the space dumping to an external drive, booting from that to repartition the internal drive and then restoring to a smaller partition to leave room for linux is a good plan of action for a dual boot. Alternatively, you could experiment with installing osx into a virtual machine on the macbook pro - it is still valid to say it's running on apple hardware and virtualbox at least will pass through to the apple hardware enough to satisfy the system checks.

drunkmonkey

Will it work on Bootcamp or you could just run it as a Virtual Machine.

conor.hogan.2

niallb wrote: »

Is there an obstacle to just installing linux on the Macbook Pro?
It'll be a good match in terms of power and diskspace :-)
Just make sure to get the amd64+mac copy of the installer disc.

Copy the osx install to an external drive first using something like superduper if you're concerned you might banjax it and want to go back to osx alone.

If you have the space dumping to an external drive, booting from that to repartition the internal drive and then restoring to a smaller partition to leave room for linux is a good plan of action for a dual boot. Alternatively, you could experiment with installing osx into a virtual machine on the macbook pro - it is still valid to say it's running on apple hardware and virtualbox at least will pass through to the apple hardware enough to satisfy the system checks.

No, once I get a new HDD I will be installing it on this laptop. But I will be getting a new laptop in the future essentially when this one fails.

So I am essentially just looking to the future. I already have Ubuntu in Virtualbox and am looking to dualboot I just do not have the HDD size to do that yet.

drunkmonkey wrote: »

Will it work on Bootcamp or you could just run it as a Virtual Machine.

It currently works fine in Virtualbox (actually have the latest release of Ubuntu in one and 10.04 in another) and you can dual boot with Bootcamp from what I have read.

I am just seeing for the future what is the current best bet laptop of the same build quality of a Macbook Pro to see if I will but that or will I have to spend 1200+ on a Macbook Pro next time.

niallb

conor.hogan.2 wrote: »

No, once I get a new HDD I will be installing it on this laptop. But I will be getting a new laptop in the future essentially when this one fails.

So I am essentially just looking to the future. I already have Ubuntu in Virtualbox and am looking to dualboot I just do not have the HDD size to do that yet.

I got the same problem with my iMac - iMac8,1 - as it only has a 250GB internal drive and replacing the drive requires a glazing company and a really low heat emiting drive if you don't want to ruin your screen.

I was trying to fit a double boot on it for a year or two for the odd time I needed osx, but eventually I migrated osx to a partition on an external 2TB firewire drive, and it runs fine from there if I need it.
The 250 gig is now loads of space for ubuntu, especially considering I have the rest of the 2TB drive attached if necessary.

conor.hogan.2

niallb wrote: »

I got the same problem with my iMac - iMac8,1 - as it only has a 250GB internal drive and replacing the drive requires a glazing company and a really low heat emiting drive if you don't want to ruin your screen.

I was trying to fit a double boot on it for a year or two for the odd time I needed osx, but eventually I migrated osx to a partition on an external 2TB firewire drive, and it runs fine from there if I need it.
The 250 gig is now loads of space for ubuntu, especially considering I have the rest of the 2TB drive attached if necessary.

Thanks. But I do not want to be running an OS off my 1TB external. Plus I need a bigger internal as it is getting low on space (several times) currently and I only have OSX installed besides a few VMs.

croo

I just read today that dell are going to target developers with a linux laptop
http://bartongeorge.net/2012/05/07/introducing-project-sputnik-developer-laptop/

I have a thinkpad myself that I like very much.

Johnboy1951

croo wrote: »

I just read today that dell are going to target developers with a linux laptop
http://bartongeorge.net/2012/05/07/introducing-project-sputnik-developer-laptop/

I have a thinkpad myself that I like very much.

blinking pricey thing that ..... 1500 for an i7 4GB ...

conor.hogan.2

croo wrote: »

I just read today that dell are going to target developers with a linux laptop
http://bartongeorge.net/2012/05/07/introducing-project-sputnik-developer-laptop/

I have a thinkpad myself that I like very much.

Cheers.

It is the same price as the MBP, so a bit too expensive still.

Johnboy1951 wrote: »

blinking pricey thing that ..... 1500 for an i7 4GB ...

It looks like the actually scouted Apples prices. As this is very very similar to the MBP 13" higher end model.

drunkmonkey

conor.hogan.2 wrote: »

I am just seeing for the future what is the current best bet laptop of the same build quality of a Macbook Pro to see if I will but that or will I have to spend 1200+ on a Macbook Pro next time.

I don't think anything has the build quality of the mac book pro, I spent way too much on my last one but I said to myself if laptops don't change completely over the next 10 years i'll keep it that long, my first mac book pro was nearly 8 years old when I sold it, It was 5 years old when I bough it and I kept it nearly 3 years. If you want a top end dell it'll still cost you an arm and a leg.
Get your head around bootcamp, and you can have every os, I've windows 7 on my bootcamp for those times when I just needs windows.

conor.hogan.2

drunkmonkey wrote: »

I don't think anything has the build quality of the mac book pro, I spent way too much on my last one but I said to myself if laptops don't change completely over the next 10 years i'll keep it that long, my first mac book pro was nearly 8 years old when I sold it, It was 5 years old when I bough it and I kept it nearly 3 years. If you want a top end dell it'll still cost you an arm and a leg.
Get your head around bootcamp, and you can have every os, I've windows 7 on my bootcamp for those times when I just needs windows.

My head is 100% around bootcamp. I have Windows7 installed on another Macbook (older) in the house and have several VMs in Virtualbox.

I am not against getting a MBP again in the future just looking if I can get a similar machine that is significantly cheaper.

It has to be cheaper because with a MBP I can still use and develop for OSX which is a big benefit even if I switch to Ubuntu full time.

niallb

conor.hogan.2 wrote: »

Thanks. But I do not want to be running an OS off my 1TB external. Plus I need a bigger internal as it is getting low on space (several times) currently and I only have OSX installed besides a few VMs.

My suggestion was more to just dump it off the internal while you're running ubuntu, leaving you the choice to restore it as it was or to a smaller partition rather than consider it a day to day runner. I was actually amazed at how well OSX ran from the external drive when I booted it to repartition the internal drive, but then I'm also running it over firewire rather than USB, and have no ongoing need for it.

It raises another option though: could you swap the drive from the external enclosure into the macbook and put the current internal drive into the enclosure instead? I know I can be a bit obsessive about trying to get the best out of what's already on the desk before purchasing new equipment, but it's another thing to consider (unless of course the external is a 3.5").
What spec macbook pro is it?

croo

conor.hogan.2 wrote: »

Cheers.

It is the same price as the MBP, so a bit too expensive still.

Originally Posted by Johnboy1951 View Post
blinking pricey thing that ..... 1500 for an i7 4GB ...

It looks like the actually scouted Apples prices. As this is very very similar to the MBP 13" higher end model.

I didn't even see the price. I just thought it interesting that Dell were targeting developers with their mbp.

I am always somewhat surprised that so many foss people are such mbp fans. Not that they are not lovely machines - just that apple is not exactly an "open" company

Reading the article it sounds like they had to do a lot of work to get the system functional, which is a surprise because before the thinkpad I had a dell... a Latitude E6400 I think it was. Everything on it worked out of the box too (on ubuntu).

conor.hogan.2

niallb wrote: »

My suggestion was more to just dump it off the internal while you're running ubuntu, leaving you the choice to restore it as it was or to a smaller partition rather than consider it a day to day runner. I was actually amazed at how well OSX ran from the external drive when I booted it to repartition the internal drive, but then I'm also running it over firewire rather than USB, and have no ongoing need for it.

It raises another option though: could you swap the drive from the external enclosure into the macbook and put the current internal drive into the enclosure instead? I know I can be a bit obsessive about trying to get the best out of what's already on the desk before purchasing new equipment, but it's another thing to consider (unless of course the external is a 3.5").
What spec macbook pro is it?

You could swap the two but not the one I have, it is massive.

It is the 13" 2.4GHZ Core 2 Duo

croo wrote: »

I didn't even see the price. I just thought it interesting that Dell were targeting developers with their mbp.

I am always somewhat surprised that so many foss people are such mbp fans. Not that they are not lovely machines - just that apple is not exactly an "open" company

Reading the article it sounds like they had to do a lot of work to get the system functional, which is a surprise because before the thinkpad I had a dell... a Latitude E6400 I think it was. Everything on it worked out of the box too (on ubuntu).

Very few things are truly open. (cough Java cough and even Ubuntu and it not being a "democracy")

It is a very interesting idea but unless that price drops drastically I do not see how I could justify buying it.

conor.hogan.2

Does anyone have any more recommendations for the most "MBP-esque" laptop out there?