# macbook support.

## Angrychile

How good is the support of gentoo for a MacBook? How good is the support for the multitouch, and other hardware?

I'm thinking about buying one.

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## d2_racing

It depends on the model you want to buy.

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## Angrychile

I would like to get a macbook pro, but they are expensive  :Smile:  I think looking on the wiki, there's more info on that model.

How is it for the macbook? Can you give more details, if you aren't too busy...

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## d2_racing

MacBook pro are something, they seems to be pretty good and the steel case is a must too.

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## EatMeerkats

I wouldn't recommend a MacBook Pro if you're mainly interested in running Gentoo.  Multi-touch with the Synaptics driver doesn't work correctly, so click and drag must be performed by using 1 finger (can't use your thumb to click and another finger to drag).  There is another driver in development at http://ubuntuforums.org/showthread.php?t=1334696, but mouse movement wasn't very smooth as of a couple of months ago.  You will also lose the ability to use switchable graphics, so you will be stuck with the discrete GPU at all times, killing battery life and greatly increasing heat output.

In short, Linux on a MacBook Pro is great if you use it as a (portable) desktop replacement and set the laptop on a table and use an external mouse.  It makes for a terrible laptop, though.  Windows has the same GPU/battery life issues, although the touchpad is mostly usable with Apple's boot camp drivers (still doesn't feel nearly as nice as it does in OS X).  If you want to run OS X, get a MacBook Pro.  If you want to run Windows/Linux, get something else. (Written on my late 2008 MacBook Pro)

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## d2_racing

Yeah, in that case, Thinkpad work pretty good on Linux.

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## cach0rr0

they do make Thinkpads with multi-touch support as well, last I looked. 

Can get one of infinitely superior spec for much cheaper, and it's a superior build quality to boot.

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## d2_racing

Indeed, a Thinkpad for the price of a MacBook will have more power and better hardware for the same price.

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## Angrychile

Yeah, other than the cuteness of having a mac, I'd think a thinkpad would be better, huh.

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## Angrychile

...and they're just as expensive. I'm not sure what you guys were getting at  :Razz: 

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## EatMeerkats

 *Angrychile wrote:*   

> ...and they're just as expensive. I'm not sure what you guys were getting at 

 

I agree with the ThinkPad recommendations… I just got an X201 2 days ago for $900 + tax with a 2.53 GHz i5, 4 GB RAM, and a 500 GB hard drive (7200 rpm).  That's 1/3 the price of my MacBook Pro, and a bit less than what you'd pay for a MacBook (and much faster).  It runs Gentoo flawlessly, with the exception of the fingerprint reader, which isn't supported.  Having middle-click for copy and paste in X11 is fantastic!

Good deals for ThinkPads can be had at http://www.lenovo.com/spp (if you're a shareholder  :Wink: ), or though links on Visa and MasterCard's sites.  There are usually special coupons available that make certain models cheaper (I got 10% off my X201).  There's another pretty nice deal on X201 right now though the SPP site — coupon code USXSAVE10X0812 for 10% off.  You can get a 2.66 GHz i7, 4 GB RAM, and 320 GB hard drive (7200 rpm) for $955 + tax.  Do not buy directly from lenovo.com unless you want to pay full price.  Of course, this is all assuming you're in the US  :Smile: 

P.S. My MacBook Pro has one dead USB port, an optical drive that doesn't work with burnable media (most commercial CD/DVDs still work), and had a bulged battery that prevented the bottom from shutting completely flush until I got it replaced last week.  It's going in for warranty repairs next week, for sure.  I also have a ThinkPad T41 from 2003 that went in for warranty service for a noisy fan and USB ports that only worked at USB 1.1 speeds once.  Sadly, the fan on it just died this morning, but it has been amazing for almost 7 years.  ThinkPad > MacBook, hands down.

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