Brads Electronic Projects Forum

The majority of these are Linux but not all.

http://www.datamation.com/open-source/5 ... -xp-1.html

You can also run Linux Mint from a thumb drive and you can still keep Windows XP. You don't have to install or alter your operating system.

Second, Mint is free and even the latest version, Mint 16 Petra, can work on almost any XP system you already have in house. All Linux Mint needs to run is an x86 processor; 512 MBs of RAM (albeit you'll be happier with 1GB); 5 GBs of disk space; a graphics card that can handle 800×600 resolution; and a CD/DVD drive or USB port. That's it.

Next, you don't have to commit to Mint. You can try it before installing it by using a live USB thumb-drive.

To do this, you just need to download Mint and install it on an USB drive with at least 8GBs of room. With that drive, you can boot your XP box to Mint and give it a try without making any permanent changes to your PC.

http://www.zdnet.com/why-linux-mint-is- ... 000027858/

Perhaps ten years ago, I bought a used computer from a man who was selling them as a home business, and he included Red Hat Linux. I had never heard of it but was glad that it looked like an alternative to Windows and to expensive Mac was coming. It seemed shrouded in mystery though and I never did anything with it; but then when I was in a Fry's Electronics a few years later, I saw the Linspire (Linux) OS for sale. I still did not grab it up, but soon after bought another computer (which I'm using right now) with Linspire pre-loaded and no Windows or other Microsoft software on it at all. It was only $180 brand new for the pre-loaded computer, and additional software was free at the Linspire software center. Everything just worked. It was wonderful. Soon after however, Xandros bought Linspire and did not continue support, and Ubuntu seemed to be emerging as the desktop leader in Linux, so I put that on, which was free, and also has tens of thousands of free software titles. I re-boot a couple of times a year, only when updates require it. (Most don't.) I have never had a virus or malware problem, even without antivirus, I never have to de-frag, I've never had to re-install things to make them work again (like I had to frequently with Windows), and it doesn't slow down. I can put it on other computers without Big Brother telling me I have to pay for another license. Although Linux has not been 100% smooth-sailing, it brought an immediate end to 90% of my computer problems. I told my boss I won't use Windows again, not even to save my job. It's not worth my health, as it had me angry with the computer all the time and ready to throw it out the window. I did not lose my job, and the other engineer then got into Linux and likes it immensely. Our son works in IT consulting and computer networking and maintaining servers and so on, and says Linux makes his job much easier.

I must say I'm not crazy about Ubuntu's changes a couple of years ago. I have version 10.04 on this computer, and have not updated because I have 12.10 on the laptop and after a year and a half, I still can't find things on it! Please, Ubuntu, go back to the user interface you had on 10.04!

Garth wrote:Perhaps ten years ago, I bought a used computer from a man who was selling them as a home business, and he included Red Hat Linux. I had never heard of it but was glad that it looked like an alternative to Windows and to expensive Mac was coming.

It is just a shame to recycle a perfectly good computer just because the next version of Windows comes out and the old hardware won't support the changes.

Linux Mint or other versions of Linux are an alternative that users can learn to save some money and keep their functioning computer.

nice post Chuck.

In-fact, I just downloaded both linux mint and ubuntu just last week. I used to use Ubuntu a few years ago, I think it was version 10.04 just as you were saying Garth. I enjoyed using it very much but then something made me move away from it. I think it had something to do with programming microcontrollers.

Anyway, I now have linux mint running in a virtual environment and it is a joy to use, very fast, not memory hungry and basically does what most computer users would need straight out of the box without installing extra software.

I also have windows 3.1 and windows 8 in a virtual environment and I have to say that out of those two, windows 3.1 has a nicer looking interface!