Laptop and Notebook Manufacturers - Linux Compatibility Status

This is an overview of more than 150 laptop and notebook manufacturers and their current Linux support status. Unfortunately even in this times of Linux success, support by laptop manufacturers is seldom, or if provided not much helpful. Though the marketing departments of some major manufacturers have announced Linux support for their laptops, it was often not developed or silently dropped. Here is a history of blurb, rumours, vaporware and false alarms concerning Linux laptops. Because of the rapid development (every manufacturer creates new models almost every three months) and the specific hardware of mobile computer devices (see Linux Mobile Guide - Installing, Maintaining and Tuning of Linux on Mobile Computers), it's important to have current and reliable information about the Linux compatibility of laptops and notebooks. Imagine you have bought such an expensive device and it doesn't work perfectly with your favorite operating system. Therefore the survey is accompanied by hints to Linux laptop certifications, independent Linux laptop and notebook vendors and resellers and how to get rid of the "Microsoft Tax". Besides Linux also other UniXes are mentioned and some hints about laptops with other CPUs than from Intel are included. The survey will be updated constantly.

Note: manufacturer links are pointing to the companies websites, for Linux information on specific models see the right column labelled "more". Some manufacturers don't produce laptops anymore or have ceased to exist, but they are still included in this survey.

Manufacturer	Manufacturer Support	Remarks	Community
4tiitoo			more
4MBO			more
ABS			more
Acer	some models are even (or have been) available with Linux pre-installed		more
Acorn			more
Acturion			more
Actina			more
Advent			more
ADCOADCO			more
Akia			more
Airis			more
AJP			more
Alcam			more
Aldi		see Medion	more
AlienWare			more
Altima			more
Amadeus			more
AmiTech			more
Amrel			more
AMS			more
Angel Computer			more
AOPEN			more
Apple Computer Inc.	no more booting alternative OSs?	PowerPC, 68000 CPUs	more
Applied Data Systems - ADS			more
Ambra			more
Anadem			more
Aquado			more
Arima			more
Aristo			more
ARM			more
Artist			more
Ashton Digital			more
AST			more
ASMobile			more
ASUS	the press	may be purchased without operating system, some models are available with AMD CPU and one model is even available with Linux pre-installed	more
AT&T			more
Austin			more
Averatec		former Sotec	more
Bacoc			more
Baycom			more
BCOM			more
Beijing Peace East Technology - Porient			more
Belinea			more
BenQ			more
Best			more
BlueGear			more
Broadax			more
Bullman			more
Canon			more
Carapelli			more
CASIO			more
CDC			more
Cebop			more
Chaplet Systems			more
Chembook			more
Cherrypal			more
Chicony			more
ChiliGreen			more
ChiTech			more
Clevo			more
Comex			more
Commodore		laptops seem to be out of production	more
Compal		OEM	more
Compaq	sponsoring of Handhelds.org	(fusion with HP in 2002)	more
CompuAdd			more
CTX			more
CyberNet			more
CyberPower			more
CyberStar			more
Daewoo			more
DataCask			more
Datron			more
DEC			more
DELL	DELL, DELL Linux laptop support, the press, some models are even available with Linux pre-installed		more
DevonIT			more
Diablo-Computer			more
Dialogue Technology Corp.			more
Digimate			more
Digital			more
Digitek			more
DiTech			more
Dolch			more
DynaNote			more
Edge			more
EliteGroup Computer Systems - ECS (DE)	available pre-equipped with Thiz Linux, the press	aka ECS	more
Electrovaya			more
Element Computer	pre-equipped with Lycoris Desktop/LX Tablet Edition		more
Elonex			more
ELV			more
eMachines			more
EmperorLinux			more
Emtec	Manufacturer pre-install Linux, Microsoft operating systems are not available for the MIPS-CPU.		more
Enface			more
Enpower			more
EPS			more
			more
Escom			more
EuroCom			more
Everex			more
Evesham		see Hi-Grade	more
Faet			more
Falcon			more
First International Computer, Inc. - FIC			more
Fosa			more
FTec			more
Fujitsu (US)		some models are available with CRUSOE CPU by TransMeta, the press	more
Fujitsu-Siemens	Fujitsu-Siemens		more
FutureCast			more
FutureTech			more
Gateway			more
General Dynamics Itronix			more
GEO Mobile Computer			more
Gericom		see also Targa, some models are available with CRUSOE CPU by TransMeta	more
Getac			more
Giga-Byte			more
Gooroo			more
GreenBell Systems Inc.			more
GRiD Computer Systems Inc.			more
Haier			more
Halikan			more
Hasee			more
Hercules			more
Hi-Grade			more
Hitachi			more
Hitron			more
Hewlett-Packard - HP	HP - Linux Support, IrDA and Wireless LAN support by Jean Tourrilhes - HP Labs, a paper from HP with installation instructions for Linux running on nc4200, tc4200, nc6110, nc6120, nx6110, nx6120, nc6220, nc6230, nc8230, and nx8220 [PDF], the press	some models are even (or have been) available with Linux pre-installed	more
Hewlett-Packard - HP COMPAQ			more
HTC			more
Hunday			more
Hyrican (Schneider)			more
HyperData			more
HyperSonic			more
Lenovo (former IBM)	some ThinkPad models are certified by SuSE, ACP modem (Mwave) drivers, the press, some models are even available with Linux pre-installed		more
Ideaprogress			more
Inetech			more
InsightSolutions	available pre-equipped with LindowsOS		more
Integral			more
Inventec			more
IPC ArchTec			more
iRu			more
Issam			more
			more
Jet			more
Jetta			more
Jewel			more
JVC			more
Kapok			more
KDS			more
Keynux			more
Kontron			more
KTX			more
Lap-Top SuperStore			more
Lifetec			more
Legend (Levono)			more
Lenovo			more
Lemote			more
LG Electronics			more
Lifetec			more
Linare	pre-installed Linux		more
LinComp	pre-installed Linux		more
LinuxCertified	pre-installed Linux		more
Lion			more
Lynx			more
Macom			more
MaxData			more
MaxSelect		manufacturer sells laptops with ALT Linux pre-installed, but at least one TuxMobil visitor states that Linux support is bad	more
MaxTech			more
MBO			more
Mecer			more
Media Markt			more
Medion		see also ASUS	more
Micron PC - MPC			more
Micro\CE			more
MicroPoint			more
MicroStar International - MSI		in Germany Medion owns the trademark MicroStar	more
Mitac			more
Mitsubishi			more
Mitsumi			more
MotionComputing			more
Movita			more
M-Tech			more
MyBook			more
MyNote			more
NATCOMP		see MITAC	more
NatureTech		SPARC CPUs, available with Solaris	more
NCR			more
NEC			more
NeoWare			more
Nexoc			more
Nextcomputing			more
NorhTec			more
NorthGate			more
NoteBookProgress	see IdeaProgress above		more
{#N¬TEBOOKSBILLIGER#}			more
NovaTech			more
National SemiConductor - NSC			more
Oki			more
Olidata			more
Olivetti		laptops seem to be out of production	more
One			more
One Laptop Per Child - OLPC			more
OQO			more
PaceBlade	manufacturer support		more
Packard Bell			more
			more
Palmax			more
Panasonic			more
PeaCock			more
PegoCom			more
Pepper			more
Philips			more
Pico			more
Pioneer Computers Australia			more
PolyWell			more
PowerNoteBooks			more
Prestigio			more
ProMedion			more
ProStar			more
QDI			more
Quanta			more
Quantex			more
R Cubed			more
Ricoh			more
Rockdirect			more
Rockiger			more
RODA			more
RoverBook			more
Rugged Notebooks			more
Sager			more
Samsung			more
Santech			more
SavRow			more
Sceptre			more
Schenker			more
SEH			more
Sharp			more
Shinada			more
Siemens		laptops seem to be out of production, but see Fujitsu-Siemens	more
Siemens-Nixdorf			more
SmartBook		see Issam	more
Smart-Tec			more
Smilebook			more
SonicBlue			more
Sony		some models are available with AMD CPU, some models are available with CRUSOE CPU by TransMeta	more
Sotec			more
StoS			more
Sun MicroSystems			more
Sylvania			more
System76			more
Systemax			more
TabletKiosk			more
Tadpole	the press	x86 as well as SPARC CPUs (Solaris), PA-RISC CPUs (HP-UX) refurbished systems on demand only	more
Targa		see also Gericom	more
Tarox			more
Tatung			more
TheLinuxStore			more
Texas-Instruments - TI		laptops seem to be out of production, but see ACER	more
TidalPower			more
TsingHua TongFang (THTF)			more
Topline			more
Toshiba	Toshiba Linux Support (JP), the press		more
TPG			more
Transmonde			more
Transtec		some models are available with Linux pre-equipped, or without pre-installed OS	more
Tulip			more
Tuxfarm			more
Twinhead			more
UMAX			more
Uniwill			more
UPI			more
Velocity Micro			more
Versiya			more
ViewSonic	pre-installed Linux		more
Viglen			more
Vobis			more
Vodoo			more
vpr Matrix			more
Waibel GmbH			more
Walmart			more
Winbook			more
WiPro			more
Wistron	OEM		more
Wortmann		offered a pre-equipped Linux laptop in Germany in 2001, see also ASUS, the press	more
Xephi			more
Xeron			more
Xplore Technologies	OEM		more
Xybernaut			more
Yakumo			more
ZaReason			more
Zenith Data Systems		laptops seem to be out of production	more
Zepto			more
Zhongke Menglang Electronics - ZKML			more
Zitech			more
Zonbu			more
@Book			more