dial up compatability with Linux

auntyro

I'm contemplating getting my Mum "on line" at the tender age of 70. Know which netbook I would get - Acer Aspire one running Linux. She's with talk talk for phone calls but unfortunately the cheap broadband offer they do doesn't cover where she lives. As she's completely new to computing I don't want to commit her to anything too expensive or with a long tie in. On MSE have found Zaggle which offers a £6.99/month for dial up for 60 hours a month - plenty of time. My query is that the technical stuff says it runs on Windows 98 or later or Apple. Would it run on Linux

macman

If she's on a Market 3 exchange, you could get her Plusnet broadband for £5.99 pm, or O2 broadband for £7.34 pm if you register an O2 mobile (contract or PAYG) against that address (this rate applies long as you are on an LLU exchange).
And spare her the frustration of dial up.
Either of the broadband connections will run via a wireless router, and a router should work fine on Linux as they are platform independent.

Santiago_3

Plusnet products require an 18 month contract for new customers

macman

Santiago wrote: »

Plusnet products require an 18 month contract for new customers

I wouldn't normally recommend anyone to a 18m contract, but at that price (if she is on a market 3 exchange) it's probably worth it (£107 for the full contract term).

smcaul

Or zen.co.uk do a home package from about £17 a month, and that is a monthly contract - ok there is a set up fee as well. But to be honest I think she would use it more if on BB, dial up is so slow that people get bored of waiting for it and then don't use the internet as a result, give them a quick connection and they use it far more. This is from experience of setting up many, many BB connections for silver surfers in my village.