3.1.1.
Hardware compatibility basics
Up one level
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Linux is compatible with most PC hardware and can be installed to almost any system. For me it was as easy as installing Windows 95/98/Me. The hardware compatibility list just seems to keep growing.
If you have a laptop PC, check Linux on Laptops for
installation pointers by brand and model.
My recommendation for desktop PC hardware is "Just be conservative":
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SCSI rather than IDE for work, IDE/ATAPI HD for private use.
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IDE/ATAPI CD-ROM (or CD-RW).
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PCI rather than ISA, especially for the network card (NIC).
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Use a cheap NIC. Tulip for PCI, NE2000 for ISA are good.
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Avoid PCMCIA (notebook) as your first Linux install.
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No USB keyboard, mouse, ... unless you want a challenge.
If you have a slow machine, yanking out the hard drive and plugging it into another faster machine for installation is a good idea.
