I know, I know. Another 'which distro' thread and you probably don't care. Please hear me out I want to build a media computer for my mum for the kitchen to allow her to go on the web, listen to music, podcasts and BBC radio online. I will be using an old laptop which is a Dell C610 which runs Windows 2000 very slowly at the moment. It's a P3, 256Mb, 20Gb hard drive. I don't think hard drive space will be that important, as I'd like to play most stuff across the network from her main computer (Running Windows XP). Like I say, at the moment this laptop is slow - it probably takes around 5 minutes to boot up from cold. Requirements Wireless networking via a d-link USB stick (I presume I can just get drivers for this?) Compatible with aforementioned Dell laptop (with as few issues as possible please!) - Need sound, network, USB at least. It will probably be on a permanent power supply though, so battery management isn't that important I guess Good, easy to use networking - Allowing playing/viewing of stuff over the network SIMPLY (mostly audio and pictures, no video). Preferably using Windows workgroups (SAMBA?). Internet - Firefox I guess? Email Fast boot-up time - or if possible a low-power sleep state (like on my Mac laptop if possible!) Generally quick. No need for flashy, good-looking distros that will slow the (already very slow) computer down. Not Required: Office apps Games DVD playback (CD-drive only) Also: Simple media player requests - I don't mind it being reasonably complicated to set up, but once setup it should ideally allow a simple way of browsing albums/songs, and if possible CD ripping (though this is not essential). Even WMP is a bit too complicated for her, with the library/now playing tabs... Just MP3 required. I have an xbox running XBMC - the interface on that would be perfect - very simple to select an album based on folders over the network. In case you didn't get the picture - SIMPLE IS KEY! I don't mind a bit of setting up, but I am relatively noobish in terms of linux - though not for lack of trying! (In the past, I've tried Ubuntu, SuSe, Fedora and Knoppix, none of which have worked properly. All had issues I couldn't sort out ). Any suggestions? Thanks in advance
OK, I can't argue with that Thanks I've just had a thought - Will it work with the trackpad that's on the laptop? Also: the BBC streams are real media I think - do I need real player for linux or will that play with something else? Is real player for linux any less hideous than it is on Windows?
I recon the trackpad will work... Touchpads usually do, so I think trackpads will too... I use Gentoo, and on my system adding realplayer to mplayer is just a matter of adding a use flag... Probably on debian it's just installing a library
I wonder why 2000 is running so slow. I dual boot 2000 and debian+fluxbox on my p2 366mhz with 192mb of ram and 2000 runs just fine, fast and agile. Makes a perfect little machine to keep by my bed and surf the web/listen to music. If linux becomes too hard for your mother to learn you could always just go with a fresh install of 2000 which schould work just fine.
My Dell C400 has very similar specs to your C610, but it runs Windows XP very easily. Linux will be a great solution, but there must be a problem with your current installation of Windows 2000 for it to be running slowly.
Yeah I do agree re the slowness - I'm sure it's just full of the stuff that computer-illiterate people have on their computers that slow it down. There may also be issues with obtaining the Windows disk since it was bought from her previous employer and I can't find it. I quite want to try and do a Linux project though - also I think when finished it *should* be both faster and simpler than a windows install, right?
