I've used Novatech machines for years.
I generally reckon that good "no-name clones" are the best bet for most
things as they are mostly generic parts with no clever lock-in tricks
like special format memory.
I've had a number of desktops from them and two laptops. The older
laptop now has cracked hinges, though is still together .. I'm just more
gentle with it. The battery is about shot and at UKP90 for a new
battery, it's debatable whether it's worth spending the money. The
machines about 6 or 7 years old, though, so no complaints.
The more recent laptop is also a few years old and has a different hinge
structure that so far has shown no signs of stress. It was the cheapest
of the 15.4" LED-backlight machines when I bought it, and IIRC LED was
pretty new then.
The only problem I can remember running Linux on any of these machines
was on this newer laptop, where the WiFi range was limited, presumably
because the chip control was generic and was not turning up the PA at
longer ranges. I relocated the WiFi hub more sensibly. This machine
dual-boots to Win7 and I've had more problems with the latter.
Novatech's "party line" is that they do not support Linux, though in my
experience, there is more Linux expertise there (support line, anyway),
than they'll publicly admit. If I need advise, I usually open with
something like "I know you don't support Linux, but I wondered if you
had any hints about...".
HTH.
ATB,
Gordon.
--
Gordon Scott www.gscott.co.uk
01256-476547
0794-1958207
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