[ILUG] Help Needed New to Linux

[Gavin McCullagh]

Hi,

On Thu, 22 Jan 2009, Sheila Flanagan wrote:

> I recently bought the Lenovo S10 on laptops.ie (this may have been a bad
> decision as now I have no one to speak to directly in relation to 
> software etc.) 

Those look rather nice!

> I specifically bought the laptop to use for internet purposes and I was
> advised that it was one of this best for this purpose. So I believed once
> I received I could go to a service provider such as Vodafone, 3G etc and
> purchase a broadband stick and away we go.  Not as simple as that it
> turns out. As the laptop I purchased runs on Linux I am coming up against
> a brick wall and no service provider appears to be compatible unless its
> running on Windows. 

That's what they tend to say (in order that they don't need to help you),
but actually 3G connections work pretty well with Ubuntu Linux and I
presume most others (Ubuntu is the only one I've tried).  As far as I can
tell, they've probably given you Suse linux.  Does that sound right or can
you tell?

It's certainly something that can be done so don't give up hope.  You might
just need someone with Suse knowledge to assist a little.  If it came to
it, installing ubuntu on it would likely be quite straightforward and that
should definitely work with 3G but that's probably not necessary.

> I am not tech savy at all, therefore all the boards and websites I am
> visiting are just throwing me for six. All I want to do is use the
> internet wirelessly, on the go as soon as possible. Pease can you advise
> what it is I should be doing to enable this - or whether it is possible
> at all. I have no back up support from the seller or the manufacturer.
> Otherwise I will be returning!

Did you ask laptops.ie for advice?  Did they refuse?  That's a bit rough.

Gavin