HP Disables VT On Some Intel Laptops

snoukka writes "I just bought a new HP nx9420 laptop in order to use it with Linux, XEN, and windows on XEN. I was very disappointed when I noticed that the processor had this feature but VT is disabled in BIOS by HP and cannot be enabled! Disabled!? It's like buying a car with turbo and finding out after buying it that this turbo 'feature' was disabled." The forum thread goes back to last August and is still live. The latest post from an HP rep indicates that new firmware for the nx9420 should be available later this week in which the ability to switch on VT is enabled. It's not clear whether other HP products, in which VT was also disabled, will also get new firmware.

But will they charge $4.99?

[tepples]

But will HP have to charge $4.99 for the VT compatible firmware in order to comply with the Sarbanes-Oxley Act [slashdot.org]?

It'll be fixed...

[hobo sapiens]

...just in time for you to play Duke Nukem Forever!

Re:VT?

[posterlogo]

Agreed. Virtual Terminal? Viral Technology? Vindictive Tomato? Cuz if it was the tomato, I'm not sure I'd want that re-enabled.

Vaginal Trauma

[Anonymous Coward]

I gave VT to my wife... ;)

Re:VT?

[astrosmash]

Very Terse.

I know just how you feel

[MillionthMonkey]

I was born with two perfectly good nipples, each of which is perfectly capable of producing milk, but the feature was disabled with a few androgens.

Re:But will they charge $4.99?

[BSAtHome]

No, no, just read the last posts in the thread... They will charge $499,- for it because they are waiting for Vista. Maybe they need to bundle it with the Bios?

Re:VT?

[Darth Android]

There's domains beside slashdot's?!?

Re:VT?

[Shatrat]

Victoria Telpiscorei [aaanime.net]

Re:Not surprised...

[maxwell demon]

If you buy a car with AC (FIY not all cars are equiped with AC in Eurtope - just FYI) do you expect that you can turn it on? :)

Why would I buy a car with Anonymous Coward? :-)

Re:I know just how you feel

[Cousin Scuzzy]

I was born with two perfectly good nipples, each of which is perfectly capable of producing milk, but the feature was disabled with a few androgens.

Ah, I get it now. VT = Vestigial Teat, right?

Re:VT?

[wile_e_wonka]

I browse through sites like /. on a daily basis and I always come across these half-assed posts.

Well, if it's bothering you to such a high degree, I should tell you--you don't have to browse Slashdot everyday. You could go to a similar site with stricter content requirements. Or, you could supply Slashdot with higher quality content yourself. Or, make a couple bucks starting your own Slashdot competitor, but advertise it as being "Better than Slashdot, because we have English majors on staff who throw out badly written posts." I'm afraid, though, with so many computer-oriented people interested the the Slashdot material, you aren't likely to find many who actually care about badly written content. Just a lot of people complaining as if they really care...but still checking the site out on a daily basis....

Re:Vaginal Trauma

[adam.dorsey]

<GENERIC COMMENT ABOUT SLASHDOTTERS NOT GETTING LAID>

Wouldn't you have to move out of Mom's basement to have a wife?

</GENERIC COMMENT ABOUT SLASHDOTTERS NOT GETTING LAID>

found it, on the "ascii" man page

[r00t]

VT is the vertical tab.

Octal: 013
Decimal: 11
Hex: 0x0B
C escape: \v

It's the Control-K character.

When sent to the console, it seems to go down a line or two.

I can't see much use for VT.

Re:But will they charge $4.99?

[iminplaya]

They will charge $499,- for it because they are waiting for Vista.

Beats the hell out of the $699 they would have to charge for Linux.