Comments on: Ubuntu on my Dell 700m FINALLY!

By: Bill

Bill — Wed, 08 Aug 2007 09:11:44 +0000

Here is another compatibility guide for the Dell Inspiron 700m which people may find useful.

By: Mike Dell

Mike Dell — Thu, 22 Feb 2007 04:28:24 +0000

I’m about to make the jump to Ubuntu 6.10 on my 700m. I have used it on desktops just trying it out. As long as I can get the wide screen to work ( which I hear isn’t as hard as it used to be ) I’m going to stick with it.

I will still have just one Windows XP machine only because I have to have a couple of programs that will not run under wine (yet). I am going to resist Vista. Vista looks great but I think Linux will be good enough. As a bonus, I won’t be able to help everyone with their windows computer as I will known nothing about Vista after while.

-mike

By: Brian Pontarelli

Brian Pontarelli — Mon, 12 Feb 2007 20:40:34 +0000

Pewaukee70, this is a very old post and Ubuntu 6.* has fixed this. You only need to install one thing now using this command:

sudo apt-get install 915resolution

I’ll update this post to mention that the instructions above are for 5.*. Don’t drop Linux yet. In fact you might want to try install Feisty Fawn 7.*. It looks to be a huge improvement in the Linux realm.

Also, I think the best way to get into Linux is to first find someone who can give you direct help. This will help initially until you understand some of the ins and outs. Then you can transition to the Ubuntu forums and other places and be a lot more productive.

By: Pewaukee70

Pewaukee70 — Thu, 08 Feb 2007 04:39:23 +0000

Well, ive looked all over the place, including your site here, for exactly HOW to install this. I just cant do it. The reason Ubuntu “should” thrive is for people that dont understand Linux. Sadly, when you start reading a how-to guide, or drown in the Ubuntu forums, people like me are flooded with misinformation, pieces of code we dont understand, methods of sometimes using the terminal window, sometimes not… I just DONT GET IT. when I say I dont get it, I’m told to “read this and this on how Linux works” Well then why do I need Ubuntu if I’m supposed to learn Linux?

The way I can explain this to you is; if I dont know how to drive a car, and you explain in great detail how to adjust the seat, how the ignition works, and so on. I want to get to the store. Typical Ubuntu/Linux speak would say “Then make sure you have a transmission, and shift it and then arrive at your destination” Well, how? Wheres the gear shifter? What gears are there? Whats this clutch for?” I ask the questions I need to, and I’m insulted by half the community “RTFM!” and ignored by the rest. I HATE Microsoft, they literally ripped me off by invalidating my genuine $299 boxed WinXP Pro serial number (long story) and I swore I’d never go back.

Well, after installing Ubuntu and not being able to do anything but look at a stretched-out widescreen, I’m surrendering and buying Windows Vista.

Sorry Ubuntu, you lose again. Maybe in another 16 years Linux might go mainstream for people that can do everything in the world EXCEPT UNDERSTAND CODE. Windows is for people like me, Ubuntu is for people that want to start (and CAN start) learning Linux.

Thanks for trying, Brian. But I just dont know what you’re talking about when you say to get this and that and then install it.

By: tong

tong — Tue, 18 Apr 2006 05:15:07 +0000

Finally, I got widescreen to work. Still trying to figure out how wireless work in FC5. It is not as easy to get softwares in FC5…

By: tong

tong — Tue, 18 Apr 2006 04:08:52 +0000

I installed Fedora Core 5 today. After installation, the first thing I try to do is setting up the widescreen resolution 1280×800. There is option for it, but when I selected it, the actual resolution didn’t change at all. This happened to me when I try Ubuntu as well. Is it just my Dell 700m laptop having this problem…How’s your experience with FC5

By: Brian Pontarelli

Brian Pontarelli — Mon, 17 Apr 2006 16:00:44 +0000

Tong, I just switched over to Fedora Core 5, which has much better support to the Dell 700m. It even allows you to use OpenGL with full acceleration, something that Ubuntu 5.10 does not support. If you are still thinking of Linux on a Dell 700m and up for another install, install Fedora Core 5. I’ll be posting instructions on how to tweak everything for Fedora Core 5 and the Dell 700m today sometime.

By: tong

tong — Mon, 17 Apr 2006 13:35:39 +0000

I have Dell700m laptop as well. I just installed Ubuntu Linux, everything works fine except the screen resolution. I tried your method, but only the refresh rate changes, the resolution is still 1024×768. Please help.

By: BrianElliott

BrianElliott — Wed, 15 Mar 2006 01:58:46 +0000

Repeat after me: MacBook Pro! It’s a hacker’s best friend…

(Also, don’t forgeto mention the use of an obsolete text tome as an ergonomic prop.)