Review: System 76 Darter Laptop

For the past six months, I have been reading at the Ubuntu Forums about System76, a company that pre-installs the Ubuntu operating system on laptop and desktop systems. An opportunity arose to purchase a System76 computer after I decided that my parents current laptop, a Compaq Presario (AMD 1.5 Ghz, 512 Mb, ATI graphics, 20 Gb hard disk) running Ubuntu 6.06, needed to be replaced. A Darter seemed like a perfect fit as it is lightweight, stylish, and runs a familiar operating system.

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Published in

Full Circle Magazine

· 1 year ago

Written by Alan M. Hood

System76 Darter Laptop Specifications

CPU - Intel Core 2 Duo: Core 2 Duo T7200 2.0GHz 4MB 667F
RAM - 1.5 GB DDR2 667 MHz (1 x 1 GB + 1 x 512 MB)
Hard Drive - 80 GB 5400 RPM *
Graphics - Intel GMA 950 224 MB Integrated Graphics
Screen - 13.3” Widescreen WXGA (1280X800)
Sound - Intel High Definition Audio
Networking -10/100(LAN)
Wireless - Intel 802.11 abg & Bluetooth
Card Reader - 4 in 1 Card Reader
CD ROM Drive - CD R, CD RW, DVD R and DVD DL
Expansion - PCI Express Card Slot (34/54)
Ports - VGA, 3x USB 2.0, Mic In, Headphone Out, FireWire 1394B, S-Video
Battery - 6 Cell Lithium Ion
Dimensions - 12.4" x 8.9" x 1.24" (W x D x H)
Weight - 4.3 lbs

* Upgraded component

Darter Component Selection and Ordering

I didn't order the default Darter from System76. Instead, I upgraded the Darter with a faster processor, more RAM, and larger hard drive capacity (see specifications above). The system was ordered on Friday, April 20, 2007. Ordering was simple and straightforward through the System76 website (www.system76.com) and shortly after I submitted the order, I received an email that the Darter would ship in five business days. System76 kept their word and it shipped on time. Because I selected a shipping address that differed from the billing address, I had to verify that the shipping address was correct. I spoke to Carl at System76 and he made sure that the order went to manufacturing the same day. If that wasn't enough, Carl was kind enough to upgrade my shipping from ground to 2-day at no charge.

Right on schedule, the system arrived on Monday, April 30, 2007. When the Darter arrived, I was taken a little bit by surprise by the box in which it was shipped. The box had nothing on the outside except for the ship-to sticker. The other notable item about the machine was its smaller than expected size (note the 8.5”x11” sheet of paper in the picture). The components were packed tight with cardboard inserts (no packing peanuts, paper, or other environmentally unfriendly materials), and the laptop itself was packed in a smaller box inside the shipping box. Included in the shipment were the Darter laptop, battery, two CDs (manual and Windows Drivers), carrying case, Intel Core2 Duo pamphlet, power cord, power transformer, an instruction sheet and a thank you letter. The carrying case feels well padded, good quality, and has numerous pockets.

Quality

I have used laptops that were high quality workhorses, as well as those that felt cheap throw away machines. So, how does the System76 Darter compare? Quite well actually. The lid is plastic but not flimsy. The hinge that attaches the lid to the base is sturdy. The speakers are tinny and not overly loud, even when sound is set to the maximum level. For normal use in a relatively quiet room, the sound level, when maxed, is plenty loud enough, however if the sound needs to be increased, then dedicated speakers will do the trick. The keyboard is not clicky, but, it has good tactile feel. The keys on the keyboard are surprisingly large which will please users with wide fingers. The two plastic silver buttons of the mouse pad feel a bit too clicky though. The system runs quiet, which will be very pleasing to my mom as the fan on her laptop is noisy. The only significant noise that the system makes is when the hard drive becomes active. I like the button that releases the lid, it is secure yet easy to push. Overall, despite the low quality speakers, I give the quality of the Darter high marks.

Hardware Compatibility: Hardware that Works Out-of-The Box

The out-of-the-box experience has been quite good, but not perfect. The top four components (wireless, graphics chip, display, and mouse pad) were of the most concern because these components tend to give users, including myself, the most trouble when installing Ubuntu on a custom built machine. I just about fell over after I turned the Darter on for the first time and the network manager immediately detected the wireless networks in my area. Equally impressive was the fact that 3D video was working without intervention, which meant setting up Desktop Effects was simple. I was pleased to find that the Intel GMA 950 chipset to be powerful enough for Desktop Effects (Compiz or Beryl). I was equally pleased to find that the display was working exactly as advertised (resolution of 1280x800) right out of the box (zero intervention on my part).

Hardware that Partially Works

There were some hardware compatibility issues with the Darter. Some of them were fixed after a driver update, but not all. The devices that were initially partially functional, and later fixed, were the optical drive and microphone. When the system first arrived there were other problems as well, the Darter would freeze up which was traced to inserting a non-blank CD disk into the optical drive the CPU would spike every few seconds (Fig. 3). The microphone jack also didn't work at first. After consulting with System76 technical support by email, phone, and the forum, a fix could not be provided immediately, but the problems were resolved with a driver update a few weeks later.

Two hardware components that remain partially functional are the keyboard Fn keys and the 4-in-1 card reader. Not all of the Fn keys work on the Darter, such as the two Fn keys for dimming/brightening the screen and the LCD/Monitor switcher. The Fn key that puts the system in suspend mode will activate suspend; however, the system will not awaken from suspend mode. All of the other Fn keys (i.e., wireless, mail, web browser, LCD blank, mouse pad on/off, and volume) work properly. The 4-in-1 card reader works with SD cards, but not with Memory Stick Pro (Sony products) or Multimedia Cards (MMC). Because devices that use these removable media can connect to the Darter via a USB dongle, and SD cards are so prevalent, this is likely to be a minor annoyance for most users.

Hardware that Does Not Work

The power management features of the Darter are not very good. The only power saving feature that works reliably is blanking the screen, since neither suspend nor hibernate work well enough. Properly working power management has been an issue with Linux distributions for some time and, admittedly, resolving the issue is complex. I was hoping that this would be a non-issue by ordering a Darter, but unfortunately, the Darter is not immune to power management troubles.

Service and Support

System76 service has been very good, beginning with purchasing all the way to resolving hardware issues. Because my order didn't go immediately to manufacturing, Carl at System76 upgraded the shipping to 2-day air without additional cost. I contacted System76 technical support using email, phone and the forums. System76 responded to all three forms of communication in a timely manner. Responses to my tech support email were received within 24 hours. When I called their tech support phone number, I didn't get through to a person immediately. However, I was not put on hold, but rather, I was instructed to leave a message. A System76 tech support representative (Tom) called within an hour or two and we discussed the hardware issues described above at length and the best course of action. System76 tech support was just as responsive to forum posts, i.e., within 24 hours. I was particularly impressed with this forum reply message “Dang it! I thought I had it nailed there.” - thomasaaron (System76 Support Representative).

Comments from Two Windows-Only Users

During the time I was writing this review article, I had an opportunity to share the Darter with two Windows users that had never used a Linux distribution. The first Windows user was a friend that came to visit and is a Windows Power User (WPU). I offered my friend the Darter to use for the Internet, checking web-based email, and whatever else he needed. He accepted the offer and used the Darter over the weekend. He made several comments about the machine that stood out.

He remarked that the Darter is responsive, fast, and quiet. He also mentioned that the gray lettering on the keys of the keyboard was too light resulting in a difficult time in pecking at the keys with his index finger. Because I am a touch typist, I hadn't considered that this could be an issue for some users. The Darter became particularly useful to him for testing his two USB thumb drives after we went golfing and his pull-cart rolled into a pond. He found that the Darter served him well in testing the thumb drives the next day.

The second Windows user was a co-worker and not a WPU. He agreed to take the Darter home for an evening after I told him about the cool eye-candy. He returned the next day and the first thing he mentioned was the 3D cube. The cube really stood out as a useful feature because of the perceived value of having additional workspaces. He said that he had no problem in creating an Open Office Writer document and saving it. Overall, he found the system to be easy to use. Similar to the WPU, my co-worker was also impressed with the speed of the Darter and its performance.

Conclusion and Rating

After using the Darter for the past five weeks, I conclude that the Darter would be an excellent laptop for anyone wanting a laptop for web surfing, email, office work, etc. It is fast and has plenty of graphics power to run Desktop Effects. My worries about the Intel GMA 950 not being powerful enough to run fancy 3D desktop effects (Compiz or Beryl) have vanished completely. The power of this Darter not only makes itself apparent with running 3D eye candy, but also for running every day applications, which launch within seconds. The entire system is very nimble and responsive. The Darter also is impressive with its light weight, low noise, and large keys on the keyboard.

Because I didn't have to worry about compatibility issues with several hardware components that typically plague users that do a self-install on a laptop, ordering the Darter with Ubuntu Feisty Fawn (7.04) pre-installed has my made life simpler. Some hardware issues were still present initially, most of which were resolved by reporting the hardware issue and waiting for a driver update. Although Darter hardware compatibility isn't flawless, it is pretty darn close and the few that remain (i.e., Fn keys, 4-in-1 card reader, and power management), are minor for this reviewer.

Summary

The Darter with the Intel Core 2 Duo T7200 CPU and 1.5 Gb RAM is a great performing system, which is simple to use thanks to the Ubuntu Feisty Fawn operating system.