| Whats the easiest distro for an WinXP user? I have a laptop here that has XP Pro on it but the hard drive is dead and has been replace but the thing what makes it interesting is the laptop has no Windows product keys on it.
So for a complete noob, which distro is the most similar to XP or the most easy to use?
I want it to be the most simple as possible. I personally would just toss Xubuntu on and 'get used to it'. |
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 graysonfPremium,MVM
join:1999-07-16
Fort Lauderdale, FL | Linux Mint is probably the most popular right now.
But your question is probably impossible to answer. You will get many recommendations. |
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 aa2k
join:2000-10-06
Damascus, MD | reply to robman50
I personally like LinuxMint (»linuxmint.com/)
Download the iso, burn it to cd/dvd or usb flash drive. You can use this little program to create the usb dirve ( »unetbootin.sourceforge.net/ ), boot from it and try it without installing, if you like it then click on install.. same is true for the other distros, I'd try a few and see which one you like better (Ubuntu, Xubuntu, Fedora, etc)... too many to chose from.. may choices... |
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| reply to robman50
I haves Mint before and it's a nice OS.
Oh I forgot to mention that the laptop is not mine. Some one gave it to me to fix but since I can not put Windows back on I am thinking of an free OS like choosing the *nix route. |
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andyrossPremium,MVM
join:2003-05-04
Schaumburg, IL | reply to aa2k
I've been playing around with Ubuntu on and off for awhile. I was using an old computer (P3-1000), but recently switched to using a VM on my main Windows computer (Q6600). After finding 12.10 was unusable due to the 3D emulation, I put in 12.04, which is usable. Ubuntu uses the Unity interface by default, which takes a little getting used to.
I looked at the Mint website, but there are a zillion variations to download (Cinnamon, KDE, Mate, XFce). I didn't see any real documentation as to what is the real differences, beyond what I assume is the interface used. |
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grunze510
join:2009-02-14
Cote Saint-Luc, QC
kudos:1 | said by andyross:I looked at the Mint website, but there are a zillion variations to download (Cinnamon, KDE, Mate, XFce). I didn't see any real documentation as to what is the real differences, beyond what I assume is the interface used. The differences are the interfaces and some applications. Mint's main versions are Cinnamon and MATE. MATE is a fork of GNOME 2.32, and I don't think they've changed anything in it other than the application names. Cinnamon is a fork of Gnome Shell that tries to bring back the feel of GNOME 2.x .
If you don't understand anything I just said, then just try Cinnamon. Although, if you want to run it in a virtual machine, then you MIGHT have similar graphics problems to those on Ubuntu 12.10 (I'm assuming you installed the guest additions). Otherwise, try MATE since that doesn't require graphics acceleration. |
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 Bill_MIBill In MichiganPremium,MVM
join:2001-01-03
Royal Oak, MI
kudos:1
 ·WOW Internet and..
·Comcast
| reply to robman50
As a WinXP "Classic" desktop user at work I recommend these:
Linux Mint 13 or 14 MATE edition (13 is Long Term Support LTS, 14 is not).
Xubuntu 12.04 LTS (and I wasn't influenced by your post  )
IMHO, the best for a WinXP user would be Ubuntu 10.04 LTS but it is end of life April 2013.
One big suggestion. Run them live first! Get a real good look before you install. |
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| On my old IBM T60 I have Xubuntu and I let it upgrade when ever it wants. I like it because it makes XP look like an snail. lol |
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| For the longest time, I had two Pentium II machines running at 550Mhz and 192MB ram with FreeBSD as my desktop machines and retired them to server status only when a Windows user "upgraded" and gave me their "old" box. |
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 Bry
join:2008-12-31
Canada | reply to robman50
I wouldn't recommend forcing another OS on someone, you should talk to them about the licensing predicament and see what they're willing to do.
-Bry.
--
Sometimes I'm rude, this is known. |
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Reviews:
·Suddenlink
| reply to robman50
Check out Zorin OS...
"Zorin OS is an Ubuntu-based Linux distribution designed especially for newcomers to Linux. It has a Windows-like graphical user interface and many programs similar to those found in Windows. Zorin OS also comes with an application that lets users run many Windows programs. The distribution's ultimate goal is to provide a Linux alternative to Windows and let Windows users enjoy all the features of Linux without complications." |
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andyrossPremium,MVM
join:2003-05-04
Schaumburg, IL | said by BryanC1968:Zorin OS also comes with an application that lets users run many Windows programs. Sounds like it just comes with WINE pre-installed? |
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| reply to robman50
I have been running Linux mint for quite a while, I will recommend it also. |
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| reply to robman50
Switched from Windoze to Kubuntu several years ago. Like Kubuntu over Suse or Fedora due to the more simplistic app updates and system configuration capabilities.
In the end the choice is really a personal preference. |
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Stumbles
join:2002-12-17
Port Saint Lucie, FL | reply to robman50
Try »www.pclinuxos.com/ . The "MiniMe" is the one I use the most. |
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andyrossPremium,MVM
join:2003-05-04
Schaumburg, IL | reply to robman50
I downloaded and am trying out Linux Mint 13 MATE in a VM under Windows. Looks nice, and is much closer to Windows in how it works than Ubuntu's Unity interface. Even nicer, even though I downloaded Mint 13, there is a backport option available that updates some of the features to match Mint 14, but you still have LTS status. Even nicer, even the live test and install support the Oracle VirtualBox guest additions, and they are active in the fully installed version without having to separately install it like Ubuntu. |
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grunze510
join:2009-02-14
Cote Saint-Luc, QC
kudos:1 | reply to Stumbles
The PCLOS website says the KDE MiniMe version isn't recommended for beginners, but the KDE full version is. Just saying. |
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 kingdome74Emotionally UnavailablePremium
join:2002-03-27
Syracuse, NY
kudos:2
 ·Verizon FiOS
·RoadRunner Cable
| reply to robman50
I'll toss another vote in for Mint. Since 2000 I've used all kinds of Linux but I could never find one that could work every aspect of what I need a Windows machine to do. In June I tried Mint and I like it so much I rarely boot to Windows. Should you decide to use Mint make use of the Software Manager where you can search for all manner of programing that will, for the most part, install itself which makes using Linux fairly simple and fun. One big hurdle that pushes Linux into the mainstream is Flash and Shockwave are now usable. For an experiment I sat my wife down and told her to do everything she does on a computer. She had zero problems and she's not very tech savvy (but I love her anyway).
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#5 Orange won a tough, tough game down in Arkansas. Great game for our new kids to play like Coleman. Next up on Monday 12/3 Eastern Michigan.
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| Mint with Cinnamon is the obvious choice as long as the comp can cut the cheese. Otherwise, LUbuntu might not be a bad idea.
Personally I'm running LMDE with XFCE but I wouldn't recommend that to a n00b as a primary desktop OS setup. |
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| reply to grunze510
And I'll throw another vote for KDE. My 70+ years old mom uses it without any problems. |
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