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On 7/22/2011 9:53 PM, CJoeB wrote: |
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> Because this will be a new computer and I may essentially void the |
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> warranty if I alter the pre-configuration, I seriously thought about |
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> leaving the status quo and putting up with Windows 7. However, I would |
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> lose practically as much as losing my first born! I would have to put |
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> up with all the things that bug me about Windows and I wouldn't have all |
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> the programs that I love in Linux. |
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If you are truly concerned about the warranty issue then you |
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would, of course, want to have someone read the actual |
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warrant paperwork that you have. However, typically the only |
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way to void a hardware warranty is to tamper with the hardware. |
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If you replace Windows with Linux on a new PC, you will may |
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lose any free technical support (for software, drivers, etc( |
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you may be entitled to as long as you continue to run this |
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"unsupported" condition. But if you actually have faulty |
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hardware, they aren't going to refuse to replace or repair |
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it just because you installed software. Plus, Dell in |
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particular "supports" Linux in a marginally useful way on |
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some of their laptops, so they do have self-help information |
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that would be relevant to you on their site. |
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In the worst case, if you needed to ship your machine back |
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to the manufacturer for repairs, you should receive a set of |
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restore media with any new PC that would allow you to put |
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your system back to factory default, and make your |
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manufacturer more than satisfied. |
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> What would you recommend that I used for the iso an stage 3? As a |
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> reminder my computer is a Dell XPS 8300 with an Intel Core -i7-2600 |
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> processor. I'm a little confused between the choices x86 (which seems |
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> to only apply to Pentium 4 systems and only utilizes 32-bit processing), |
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> amd64 and ia64. |
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"x86" is the name for 32-bit PC processor architecture, such |
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as the older Pentium family, that has been around for |
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decades. (They originally had Intel model numbers like 8086, |
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80386, 80486, etc.) Very few new PCs are x86 natively, but |
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they will run programs that are meant for x86 machines. This |
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one will "work" on your Core i7 but is probably not the best |
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choice. |
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"amd64" is the name for the 64-bit PC processor |
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architecture, like the Intel Core family processor you have. |
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This is what you'll want to get for your machine. (It's |
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called "amd64" in Gentoo because it was originally produced |
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by AMD, but Intel and AMD's current 64-bit processors are |
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compatible and run the same software. Other operating |
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systems call this "x64", but it's the same exact hardware.) |
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An x64-based CPU will run x86 programs, but for a |
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source-based distribution like Gentoo there isn't really |
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much benefit to doing so. |
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"ia64" is an older and mostly-obsolete Intel attempt at |
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64-bit processing that was completely incompatible with x86, |
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and came and went very quickly. You can ignore it. |
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