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| Thread: Should I install Linux? |  This thread is pages long: 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 · NEXT» |
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mvassilev
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posted February 07, 2009 05:22 PM |
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Should I install Linux?
My computer is kind of slow. I have Windows XP.
My computer specs:
1.2 GHz Pentium III
256 Mb RAM
20 GB hard drive
Should I install Linux? What do I do about compatibility with stuff like Word, Excel, and games?
And what about the interface? Being used to XP, which version of Linux should I get?
And how is it performance-wise?
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Asheera
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posted February 07, 2009 05:28 PM |
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Edited by Asheera at 17:29, 07 Feb 2009.
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Hmm I was shocked at your low specs, but then I can understand you can get some job done with such a comp as well. BUT:Quote:
20 GB hard drive
How can you live with such small amount of storage?
As for Linux, never tried it. Sorry I can't help.
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Ednaguy
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posted February 07, 2009 05:29 PM |
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Quote:
What do I do about compatibility with stuff like Word, Excel?
Ubuntu comes with Openoffice. And there's a program that allowes you to use some Windows programs on ubuntu. But that's all I can help you with
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JoonasTo
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posted February 07, 2009 05:29 PM |
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You can forget most games. Some games like Unreal tournaments do work and some older games work through wine but most games can be forgotten.
Performance wise it depends on the version naturally but popular ones are around XP speed minus the registry lag. So around a computer with fresh XP install.
Open Office can do word, excel and powerpoint so no problem there.
KDE versions are closest to windows UI.
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mvassilev
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posted February 07, 2009 05:35 PM |
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Ash:
It's a 5-year old computer that I got from my mom.  And I could buy a new one and that'd be the end of my problems, but I'm saving up money for a car.
As for the storage, that's probably my least important problem. I don't store movies or a lot of mp3s on my computer. But the slow processor, small amount of RAM, and integrated video card are problems.
Ednaguy:
But isn't OpenOffice a lot slower? That's the opposite of what I need.
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TheDeath
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posted February 07, 2009 05:35 PM |
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Edited by TheDeath at 17:35, 07 Feb 2009.
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mvass, I lold at your specs
Those are worse than my crappy laptop (except the RAM which is the same). And my crappy laptop boots in 10 minutes (slow hard disk, 40 GB though).
How can you use XP with such a crappy comp?
NOTE: I would understand if that comp was using a relatively old OS that is designed to run on old hardware (and thus, not bloated like today's OSes ). But you use the bloated XP on it?
Hmm maybe you should get a new comp with that 2000$ after all...
EDIT: cars are a waste of money 
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JoonasTo
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posted February 07, 2009 05:36 PM |
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Yeah Open Office loads forever compared to word.
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mvassilev
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posted February 07, 2009 05:38 PM |
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Quote:
And my crappy laptop boots in 10 minutes (slow hard disk, 40 GB though).
10 minutes? Not 10 seconds? Is that a typo? Because my hard disk is slow too, but my computer loads up in 30 seconds or so.
Quote:
How can you use XP with such a crappy comp?
It's slow, but it works fine unless I'm on the Internet (but my connection is slow as well) or trying to watch any kind of video.
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TheDeath
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posted February 07, 2009 05:39 PM |
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Edited by TheDeath at 17:44, 07 Feb 2009.
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Quote:
Yeah Open Office loads forever compared to word.
What do you expect? It's made by Sun, aka the ones with the Java "tortoise"
@mvass: no typo. The moment your desktop appears on screen is like 1-2 minutes on mine. But then it takes a whole load of time to load all the services and stuff -- I assume you ignore that? (you can look at the HD activity LED)
On my current desktop one, it boots in like 1 minute. It isn't a very good comp either:
Pentium 4 2.4 Ghz (130 nm)
512MB RAM (had 1 GB but one module was broken, there was a thread I made)
GeForce FX5200 128 MB VRAM
160 GB Seagate HD
and 20 GB of harddisk.... mvass, you don't play games, watch movies, or listen to music on it? 
My "programs kit" is around 20 GB alone
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william
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posted February 07, 2009 05:39 PM |
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I'm not gonna laugh at the specs like some have, but I will tell you that you should try Linux. You may even prefer it over Windows Operating Systems.
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mvassilev
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posted February 07, 2009 05:41 PM |
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william
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LummoxLewis
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posted February 07, 2009 05:47 PM |
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Edited by william at 17:47, 07 Feb 2009.
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It should be compatible with your system. I used Linux on a system that had pretty much the same specs except mine had 1.3 GHz. You won't be able to play many games at all, and a lot of the programs that you are used to on Windows will not be compatible on Linux, except Linux do have aleternate programs that you can use instead.
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TheDeath
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posted February 07, 2009 05:50 PM |
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No point in suggesting virtual machines for "compatibility", since you have crappy specs, I guess...
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JoonasTo
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posted February 07, 2009 05:53 PM |
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My old secondary PC was 800MHz, 192MB 133MHz, NVIDIA GEFORCE 3, 6 GB HD.
Booted up in 17 seconds, worked like a charm, played DVD movies without a glitch. Only many open HCs lagged the machine. The teaching here? Learn to customise your windows. 
And definitely buy that car and not some crappy pc that'll be old tomorrow anyways.
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mvassilev
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posted February 07, 2009 05:57 PM |
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So basically I should stick with XP?
Quote:
And definitely buy that car and not some crappy pc that'll be old tomorrow anyways.
But I might end up not needing one (if the college I go to doesn't allow students to drive cars).
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Asheera
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posted February 07, 2009 06:00 PM |
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Quote:
My old secondary PC was 800MHz, 192MB 133MHz, NVIDIA GEFORCE 3, 6 GB HD.
My first PC was 800MHz, 64 MB RAM, some crappy video card (wasn't Nvidia or ATI) with only 8 MB.
But then again it had Windows 98, which is less resource demanding than XP. I remember when I couldn't play NWN with it and so some time later I upgrade it.
And I disagree with the car, what will it help with? I guess most of the time it will stay in your garage. Are you planning to travel a lot or what?
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TheDeath
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posted February 07, 2009 06:17 PM |
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Quote:
And definitely buy that car and not some crappy pc that'll be old tomorrow anyways.
Yeah, and waste money on gasoline and insurance/taxes 
did I mention pollution?
By the way, "waiting" to get a new PC because it'll get "obsolete tomorrow" is the dumbest idea I ever heard. You might either just "wait forever until it breaks", or simply your comp can't handle many of the stuff which you might be able with a better one (speaking about hard disk space mainly). Then want, all of a sudden, you get an ultra-comp (compared to your old one) and do what? The 'transition' (i.e to fill up that space or put your comp to its potential) will take so long that it'll be obsolete before you even finish the transition only.
Or with a camera then. Nah, don't take pictures -- wait forever to get one, it will be obsolete anyway. Or with cellphones: don't get one, it'll be obsolete!
Oops, you just made a picture with your camera! Hey, there's a better one on the market! Scrap that pic, it's obsolete in quality! Wait before taking further pictures, because even if you buy the new camera, it'll still be obsolete soon!
Yup better get that car! (sarcasm)
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mvassilev
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posted February 07, 2009 06:29 PM |
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The first PC I've ever used had an Intel 286 processor. Don't know about the RAM and hard drive, but I'm sure it was also pretty low. Then I used a computer with a Pentium Pro processor. It felt like a big improvement.  Then I used one with 400 MHz and an 8 MB Voodoo video card - I used that one for a while. Then I used my family's new computer - 2.7 GHz, 1 GB RAM, 40 GB hard drive, 256 MB some kind of ATI video card (a PCI [not PCI-E] one). But this laptop is the first computer that is actually mine.
And I'd use the car to drive around town, of course.
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veco
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posted February 07, 2009 06:30 PM |
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Quote:
My first PC was 800MHz, 64 MB RAM, some crappy video card (wasn't Nvidia or ATI) with only 8 MB.
My first was Pentium 75MHz with 1GB hard drive (don't remember other specs)
I was 8yo and I could boot HoMM3 on it! Even though minimum spec were 133MHz
You could make and eat a sandwhich while entering the castle, ah now I start remembering those everlasting hotseat sessions
back on topic:
I had Linux for umm two weeks and while it work slightly better than Win I couldn't work with my favorite programs so I went back to XP.
You'll have to find out for yourself.
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TheDeath
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posted February 07, 2009 06:36 PM |
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I bet it was a huge improvement over the 286, because the 286 is 16-bit processor. Only after the 386 and beyond are they 32-bit. (Pentium is 586, Pentium Pro 686, technically...)
Mvass, you were 8 years old. Let's make that 10 years before, 1998 (we're too early in 2009 to count). In 1998, 286 weren't that common at all...
Quote:
And I'd use the car to drive around town, of course.
With all the traffic here, it's faster to go by subway
Don't you have public transport there in the US?
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