As others colleagues have posted, you can download a demo of Pianoteq and try on both the laptop and notebook and judge for yourself which one is better. For testing purposes, you can load  some good quality piano midi files and listen with the various instruments that are available.

Pianoteq will work with any keyboard that supports midi connections, the recent ones only need an available USB port! Please note that this is a critical piece of the puzzle: the action of the keyboard is very, VERY important... try to get at least, one with graded weighted keys. The better the keyboard the better you'll sound... and Pianoteq really takes advantage of it.

There are other solutions, of course, like sampled pianos  or other lightweight piano VSTs but I honestly think that Pianoteq is the best one; its the closest thing that you can get to a physical piano!
Plus the user interface and license model are unmatched, "period"!

Feel free to post if you need more help.

Best regards!

I got a Casio Privia PX100 now! My friend kindly got it me from ebay and I will pay her back when I have a paid job again. It is in excellent condition.

I had a look at the Linux distros, I would prefer to keep my netbook on Mint as I love Mint.

I need to get a midi- usb cable then I will try out the free pianoteq version and see how it works.

Of course you can download the Pianoteq demo and try it on your computers.   Even with no keyboard connected you can play midi files.   Also, I recommend using an audio-oriented Linux distro with Pianoteq such as AVLinux or kxstudio.  For a more info on this and other linux audio issues see:
http://www.libremusicproduction.com/

Thanks. I just realised it is the local LUG meeting this Wednesday, so I will go along and take my netbook and ask them some questions. Those guys are expert Linux users!

If the keyboard have MIDI connection, yes pianoteq will work.
How good will work also depends of the quaity of your laptop, and the quality of the sensors you keyboard use to transmit MIDI signals.

Thanks for the reply!

I would be using my Dell netbook as the laptop is on older windows one that I put Linux onto ( which I use downstairs for you tube and typing etc, the Dell I use for travel, watching you tube under the duvet etc, it also has no disc drive, so the laptop I watch DVDs on).

I've got pretty much everything on both computers- Audacity, VLC, sound recorder etc.

Dell runs on Mint and laptop on Peppermint.

I love the sound of fortepianos (and historical temperaments) and I am hugely impressed with the sound of the pianoteq Kremsegg collection. I am listening to the Streicher (Schubert) as I type this.I can honestly say that if I had not known this was pianoteq I would have thought someone was playing a live Striecher. It sounds fantastic!

I apologise for my lack of technical knowledge- this is all new to me!

I have a laptop and a netbook- both running on Linux- and I am glad to see pianoteq works with Linux. I am on a Linux users forum, so I expect they can help me with any technical things I am not sure of.

What I'd like to ask is- will pianoteq work on any digital piano?

I am a beginner on piano, and not well off so I would be getting a second hand digital piano, or perhaps a Chase one as they are around the £300 mark.

Good to meet you all.