Hardware:

• VGA: Intel X3100
• Audio: Intel 82801H HDA (ICH8 Family), builtin microphone
• Modem: Conexant
• Ethernet: Broadcom NetLink BCM5787M Gigabit Ethernet
• Wireless: Intel PRO/Wireless 3945abg Network Connection
• Special Keys: FN keys, volume control, hotkeys (wireless, bluetooth & two editable keys), euro sign, dollar sign
• Misc: Card Reader, Bluetooth, InfraRed

What Works:

I really love it when everything just works, and with Aspire 5720, everything really does, well atleast all the important stuff anyway. VGA, audio, ethernet, FN keys, volume control, wireless, bluetooth and power saving options (hibernate and suspend) works out of the box.

What Doesn’t Work:

• Modem: Unfortunately, soft-modems are still a weak point for linux, though, fewer and fewer people use dialup connections now, so, it’s not much of a problem. If you really want a driver, you can get it from linuxant.com, for a suitable price ofcourse.
• Programmable Hot keys: These hot keys don’t work out of the box, and I couldn’t find any way to make them work in my quick google search.

Couldn’t Try Completely:

• Wireless: Intel PRO/Wireless 3945abg is fully supported in linux, and according to many reports works out of the box in ubuntu but I wasn’t able to check that because my wireless router is out of order.
• InfraRed: I don’t have any infrared device, so, didn’t check it either.

Conclusion:

I don’t have vast experience with notebooks, I have only tried a few, but out of these all Acer Aspire 5720 offers most hardware compatibility with linux. So, if you are looking for a nice laptop to use with linux, I would definately vote for this machine.

First of all, a little about hardware:

• VGA: Intel X3100 – chipset: Intel Mobile GL960
• Audio: Intel 82801H HDA (ICH8 Family)
• Modem: Conexant HDAUDIO SoftV92 Data Fax Modem with SmartCP
• Ethernet: Marvell Technologies 88E8039
• Wireless: Atheros AR5007EG (most probably)
• Misc: Builtin Card Readers (SD/MMC/Express Card/Sony Memory Stick)

Works:

• Audio: Works out of the box.
• VGA: Works out of the box
• Ethernet: Works out of the box, it uses “sky2″ module, so, if it doesn’t work in your distro, make sure it is loaded.
• Card Readers: Works out of the box, Only tried with SD card, but I assume others should work too.
• Wireless: Atheros AR5007EG drivers are available from madwifi, but they are quite new, and currently they are not available in any distro that I know of. You can manually install the new/patched madwifi drivers.
  Step-by-step instructions are provided at ubuntu forums. Ubuntu users can follow it step-by-step, others can look at it to get the general idea.
  ubuntu forums guide doesn’t seem to be available any more, you can follow this guide.
• LCD Brightness: You will need xbacklight (a command-line only program) to change the LCD brightness. You can change brightness using the following command:
  xbacklight -set X

  where X is any value from 0 – 100, if that doesn’t work, then run

  xrandr --output LVDS --set BACKLIGHT_CONTROL native

  and then try again. Hopefully this will work now. For future, you can add the xrandr line in your ~/.profile file (that is .profile file in your home directory), so, that you won’t have to run it yourself after every login.

Doesn’t Work:

• Modem: Drivers for conexant are available from linuxant.com for “a modest price”. I don’t really need modem so, I never tried hard looking for open source drivers but the quick google search didn’t return any satisfactory results.
• Keys: FN keys, S1 and AV Mode.

I am still trying to get the keys to work, if you have any idea, please let me know.

Ubuntu 8.10 Update:

• FN Keys: FN Keys work out of the box with Ubuntu 8.10 / Intrepid Ibex. Though after kernel update, brightness keys stop to work, but if you run
  xrandr

  command mentioned above, they start working fine. Easiest solution is to set this command to run at startup so, you don’t have to worry about it anymore.