[tlinux-users:08844] Re: Official Linux support (Was: P105-9722 issues..)

On Jan 30, 2008 6:56 AM, bestonnet <[email protected]> wrote:
> Probably a little bit off-topic.
> --- Thomas Charron <[email protected]> wrote:
> >  Utter and total lack of followup support.  Even this
> > mailing list, I see no support coming from Toshiba, just
> > users of the list.
> Pretty much every laptop maker will only officially support
> the software that came with the computer (and any Vista
> express downgrades that may be offered) and if you want to
> use anything else you are on your own.

  This would only be valid if they actually supported the released
software.  For instance, the P105-9722 ships(ed) with Windows XP.
There is currently no updates to say, the graphics drivers so that
they actually function without known bugs.  Many capabilities are
limited do to limited support.

> If you want support from the seller for running Linux on a
> laptop then you will need to find someone that will sell
> you a laptop with a Linux distribution pre-installed (there
> are companies that take major brand laptops and put Linux
> on them and there are a few no name companies that sell
> generic laptops with Linux on them).  It's not just Linux,
> those running *BSD, BeOS or even a version of Windows
> different to what came with their laptop (or even a hacked
> version of MacOS X) are in the same situation as we are all
> in.

  But do use the 'Linux Support' site to infer Linux support, which as
we've seen, is left up to the users of the list.

> Widespread market demand (i.e. major purchasing decisions
> being decided upon Linux support) is really about the only
> thing that will change that (remember than Toshiba is a
> business and that if providing support for Linux users
> costs them money without bringing them any extra users then
> they aren't going to be willing to pay much for it, that's
> why we get a web site and mailing list run by people who
> probably have other things to do and are doing the
> administration of the web site and mailing list when they
> have time available).

  Unfortunately, the cost is negligible when the kernel development
team offers free development efforts.

> >   Some specifications for older laptops was released at
> > http://linux.toshiba-dme.co.jp/linux/index.htm to their
> > defense.
> They still seem to be using those in some of their recent
> laptops (though not all, probably nothing in the consumer models).

  The P105-9xxx wasn't considered a 'consumer model'.  It was the
first laptop Toshiba released with the higher end nVidia 7900 series
video cards at a 2k price point.  But I suppose their definitions of
internal target audiences may differ from their marketing depertments.

-- 
-- Thomas