Another linux convert

[Steve_H80]

A friend of mine was having all sorts of problems with his old Windows 10 laptop.
He's not the slightest bit techy. On a computer he uses a web browser to access email, Facebook etc and writes the occasional letter or spreadsheet using some office software.
Something like Chrome might have done, but he also has a large collection of documents and photographs he wants access to locally (not on the cloud).
We agreed to try him with Linux Mint.
Linux installed, all his old documents available and a webrowser set up with the regular shortcuts he wants.
So far he's as happy as the proverbial pig.

That's another computer saved from landfill!

[wombleh]

The IT industry is terrible for sustainability, more profit in forcing obsolescence to sell more boxes and then greenwashing it.

Good to hear the kit is reused, can get a lot of life out of stuff with Linux on. My tip for a laptop would be to investigate whether something like TLP can manage the battery charging, that can give years extra before the battery loses capacity, especially if it’s plugged into the mains a lot, charging and sitting at 100% is really bad for them. May not work on all models though.

[the-norseman]

I've been on Linux since 2002 first used a distro called Lindows which was terrible.

Have tried all the distros since, currently using Fedora again, I used it back in 2008 when it was Fedora Core.

[megaphone]

I use Mint on old kit, works well, easy for Windows users to navigate.

[carl_w]

megaphone said:

I use Mint on old kit, works well, easy for Windows users to navigate.

Also check out ElementaryOS which has very minimal hardware requirements, or ZorinOS.

There's also one that is an almost exact replica of Windows XP. Q4OS I think it is.

[Hedobot]

I do like Arch distros for old hardware.

Does seem so much leaner.

Moving most things over to linux now, MS just seems so bloaty

[ARH]

The only reason I use windows these days is for Fusion 360 which i have still not found a properly workable solution for running it in Linux.

Running linux for the last 5 years has also given me the excuse to not fixed other people broken windows machines, "sorry I don't use windows so can't help"