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Linux on the Gateway NV55S17u

The following describes my experience configuring Linux (specifically Ubuntu 11.10) on the Gateway NV55S17u. (This is the laptop that Office Depot sold for $299.99 on Black Friday, 2011.) There are also partial specifications at the end.

What Works

  • Widescreen 1280x768 video
  • Ethernet at 1000 Mbps (1Gbps!)
  • Full Battery life indicator, with warnings and auto-shutdown
  • USB
  • Touchpad, including:
    • multi-touch: two-finger scrolling anywhere on the touchpad
    • tap-to-left-click
    • Dedicated Vertical Scroll Area
  • CD burner
  • Audio
  • Dedicated buttons for audio
All told, this is even better than the last time I installed Linux on a laptop. Virtually everything worked, no tweaking needed to get these things working. Ubuntu rocks again!.

What Doesn't Work

  • Suspend/resume

Power Consumption

The battery lasts about 6 hours at minimum brightness, which is fine for reading when it is dark.

Specifications

Gateway NV55S17u Laptop
  • AMD Dual-Core A4-3300M Processor @1.9GHz, 64-bit
  • 15.6" WXGA (1280x768) LED-Backlit Screen
  • 4 GB DDR3 RAM
  • 320 GB disk space (5400 rpm)
  • 10/100/1000 copper Ethernet
  • DVD Writer
  • 4400 mAh battery
  • WiFi
  • HDMI output
  • SD Card slot

Last modified on 24 Mar 2012 by AO

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