Linux Or Windows? Help! - Need help on deciding which is best for an old laptop for girlfriend

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Linux Or Windows? Help! - Need help on deciding which is best for an old laptop for girlfriend

Danny
Id say get a whole lot more RAM and install XP.

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beeseven
Installing RAM in a laptop is not nearly as easy as installing RAM in a desktop. It probably doesn't have enough processing power to be useful, either, and XP would probably take up a good percent of the space on that computer.

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Panzer
A 500MHz computer even with 128,256 or 512+mb of RAM isnt going to cut the mustard for Windows XP. Windows 98 is solid, get AVG Free edition and spybot search and destroy.

If you dont want to use Openoffice of Microsoft office just download a text client, theres plenty of good ones out there.

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killerbichon
Try using a super lightweight linux like DamnSmallLinux (www.damnsmalllinux.org) You can make a CD that you can boot from and easily use it to get that machine up and running.

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travis
QUOTE(FLaKes @ Sep 6 2006, 11:15 PM) *

My girlfriend and her sister just got this laptop because their parents bought a new one. They are going to use it to do homework, messenger and look up the internet. They gave it to me so that I can fix it because it has windows 98 and it is really slow. If I would like to install windows xp on it I would have to get another 64 megs of ram, otherwise it would be running on lower than recommended but still accepted by xp.

I then thought about using Linux, but right now there are so many distributions that I dont know which one I should try, and even if I should try it. I dont know if there is some sort of program that can work like messenger for linux. I know there is open office though. I dont know if there will be the drivers for it either.

Do you think I should buy ram for it and install windows xp? Or should I try Linux and just give them a guide on the basic programs they would use?

Another plus for installing linux would be that it would sort of be free of more viruses compared to windows. Ive already told them not to open suspicious mail or files, but sometimes a virus ends up in the pc when I check it.
blink.gif The specifications of the laptop:

amd k6 500 mhz
64 mb of ram
4 gb of disc space
Thanks in advance for any advice given. smile.gif


definitely Linux its light safe and you can do nearly anything with it.... even if you
have the slowest computer on earth... wink.gif

 

 

 


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nocom
I suggest to try Knoppix live ,and if work fine install
For low memory laptop try Knoppix 3.4

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mixxoys
I actually would go with linux, probly Puppy linux or Damn small linux, or try Ubuntu if shes new to linux. Damn small linux and Puppy linux are very fast and effiecient for surfing the web and etc. But if shes new to linux you might wanna get her a book, seriously, linux can be realy hard on someone whos new to it and can't get any support.

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