Toshiba Netbook NB200

[Dave W]

I take the view that the fewer people use XP, the less the hackers have to gain, so probably don't even try any more.

[The Natural Philosopher]

I'd stick the latest 32 bit linux on it, keep it up to date until 32 bit support runs out, and then runs it till it dies.

Especially if its good enough to watch films on

[tabbypurr]

just not worth replying to is it.

[Brian Reay]

That should run Linux, certainly for the applications you mentioned.

The HDD is more than enough, you need far less and I?ve run systems for special purposes with 40G disks I had laying around.

As for the version, it rather depends. Linux users have their favourites and can be quite passionate about them. I favour Linux Mint and recommend it. I also like Sci Linux but that is more specialised.

You can check the latest version of Linux Mint and the recommended machine required but I?ve certainly run early versions on similar spec machines without problems.

Mint is easy to install, the user interface is similar to Windows, but it tends to run faster on a given machine. I?ve always found it very stable.

Like many versions of Linux, it is based on the Ubuntu distribution.

It comes with Libre Office, which is an excellent office suite compatible with MS Office etc.

[Adrian Caspersz]

You serious?

Running a Mint desktop with browser or multimedia features is going to be painful.

The default Cinnamon desktop on mint is heavy, XCFE would be a better choice.

Linux Mint 19.2 ?Tina? Xfce

and that is a slow 32-bit 2.5 Watt consuming CPU strapped with not much memory, that would ordinarily end up in a mobile phone or tablet.

There are far more capable laptops thrown away daily by businesses that are better installation candidates.

For some of my puppet stuff, I use a small stack of 8 year old Lenovo Core2Duo based laptops with a common docking station (R61, T400, T500...), I get them for less than £50, even £30 - though had to unlock the BIOS on that. They are fast enough to run the latest server windows operating systems, and full bloat Windows 10, never mind about Linux.

[T i m]

<snip>

Well, not for you it isn't because you say anything to 'win' (as has been pointed out elsewhere with your Gimp reply).

I have installed Linux for probably 20+ people now and only two of them are still using it (and only one 'only' using Linux, the other dual boots with Windows). The one that only uses Linux has it on the laptop (I gave him) and the desktop (I originally built for him on XP).

The desktop is down and currently awaiting my attention. He has a habit of forgetting to shut his machines down and just turning them off at the wall and it seems Linux is less tolerant of that than Windows was. The last time he did it I went there and booted from a Linux CD (I left with him) and I think Gparted sorted it (or somesuch). Windows would generally go into Safe mode and I could get him to run and I could connect via Teamviewer and run some diagnostics for him. Not quite so easy from a failed Linux boot and whilst talking a noob though it over the phone.

On one hand, Linux appears to be more robust (especially from malware etc) but from my observation it's mainly because people can't are aren't so inclined to fiddle with it (or if they try, by downloading and installing a Windows app, nothing happens).

A big problem is when it goes wrong there are fewer people about to help fix it.

Cheers, T i m

[T i m]

<snip>

Not all versions of 'Mint' are though (LMDE) as that's directly based on Debian (as is std Mint / Ubuntu (directly and patched ~90%) of course).

Cheers, T i m

[Brian Reay]

Perhaps you need to learn how to do it properly then. It isn?t difficult.

[Brian Reay]

Did I mention he should use a particular desktop?

He isn?t running multi media.

Nor has he got one of the machines offices throw out.

Perhaps you should read the question before trying to be clever.

[The Natural Philosopher]

Any modern distro will struggle a bit on 1GB RAM. Things like web browser eat up half of that instantly. I did manage tio get an Asus netbook to run Mint on 512MB.

Try and get it up to two, and regard it as 'one program at a time'

If you want it faster get an SSD and cionfigure about 4GB as swap. It will stop te machine getting so bogged if it runs out of RAM.

It will be usable, but not a lot of fun on an ATOM.,

I reccomend mint MATE (or Xfce).

If it has a bootable DVD drive download that, burn a DVD, boot from it and see how well the machine responds. If it feels OK clck on install and erase everything on the disk, for that orgasmic feeling of having kicked Bill Gates in the nuts.

[The Natural Philosopher]

Or MATE, Ive run Mate on 512MB and an atom. Gets there in the end.

yes, but that one is still is OK tho.

[dennis]

Installing linux isn't the problem. Its that the people don't want the linux apps.

[dennis]

Of course he is serious, he will be comparing win8 with it as win8 is probably the slowest windows ever. Its like TNP he never compares win10 with linux as its actually less resource hungry and runs better on most machines than mint.

[Brian Reay]

Whether someone likes a particular 'app' is a matter of choice/taste. Some 'swear by' MS Office, others by Libre Office, some by the Mac Office Suite etc.

The OP wanted to run a browser and open spreadsheets. He could do that with Linux using a browser of his choice and Libre Office.

[T i m]

<snip>

Then why did you jump in trying to suggest *I* wasn't 'doing it' properly (apart from that being your MO etc)?

NONE of the people in the count above 'swear by anything' and will use whatever works *and they can work* sufficiently well to do what they want. What they don't want is to spend any more than the minimum amount of time 'Learning Linux' or even an alternative solution, especially *for no reason*.

Or a WP suite of his choice even?

And he may well, until something goes wrong, then who is he going to turn to, *friendly* Linux fanboys like you?

Or what of those Windows only apps that he might just like, let alone need / prefer to run ... make things even more complicated by add WINE or VM's to the mix?

But no, a distro like Mint, if it runs on that hardware in a way that is tolerable to the OP and all he needs is what he has stated, could well be a good use of that Netbook. Well, better than it just sitting unused in the loft.

If he actually wanted to use it for everything (spec considered) he might find W10 would run on it as well as Mint ...

... and be more compatible with the rest of the world, something you Brexiteers should be keen on. ;-)

Cheers, T i m

[The Natural Philosopher]

And there's a choice oif 3 browsers at least - chromium, firefox and Opera...plus some others less well known.

And open office or libre office.

[T i m]

On Sun, 8 Sep 2019 11:51:44 +0100, The Natural Philosopher [e-mail] wrote: <snip>

It's a Netbook, what do you think?

Or install Linux alongside Windows, a much safer / better option (especially in 160GB and to be used as a WP / web terminal).

Until you realise that XP was actually quicker and better (because you can run what you know on it), then he will be going back to Uncle Bill for a big portion of humble pie for no reason.

Even you rely on Windows to do things you can't do any other way (hypocrite).

I wonder what it is that makes people like you ignore things like 80% of the desktop using market are perfectly happy using Windows ... or the 66% who were perfectly happy with us in the EU ... ?

Those majorities are all wrong I'm guessing?

Cheers, T i m

[Brian Reay]

You've gone all irrational, as usual.

[Adrian Caspersz]

No. You missed out, and that's absolutely of no use to the OP missing out vital info like that - and then suggesting I should be censored for being "clever".

We don't know that, but I suspect. most folks might reasonably open up youtube, a social network, email attachments etc...

Better value, this tat he has got possibly would be better recycled or made into a single use thing. Otherwise a possible waste of time.

Oh dear. You are the lunatic suggesting that this could be a usable Mint desktop. LibreOffice?

The OP, if he is still about, might want to chip in here and let us know which direction he could be taking this.

Or I may as well go back to reading Brexit on this group.

Thanks for playing.

[tabbypurr]

another post that's more bs thn the last one