Old notebook

stefano

I have a Dell Inspiron 10, which runs on XP, and it's nearly 4 years old. I heard Windows will cease support for XP next year, and was wondering if I should change laptop, or upgrade Windows, or install a different OS.
This forum usually has top advice.

NiftyDigits

Service Tag?

henm2

Just put a good linux based distro on it such as LXLE (the current version supported until 2017), Solydk or Linux Mint.

John_Gray

Does it do what you want? Then just keep using it, presuming you have nothing Desperately Important* on it. It probably wouldn't be powerful enough to take a newer version of Windows.
You could always try cleaning it up a bit to remove unwanted detritus (I think there's a Sticky by "closed" above the usual posts).

When it gets too underpowered for your use, buy a new (or second-hand) one with Windows 7 or maybe - by then - Windows 8.1, or...

* make sure you back important stuff up on additional media, preferably at least two types. This holds true for ANY computing device. Even if it isn't desperately important, still back it up!

NiftyDigits

At a guess , I would say it's the Dell Inspiron 1010 with the Intel Atom Z530 processor. No issue with running a newer OS. The real problem with those machines is that the RAM is not easily upgradeable.

Hopefully one day everyone posting here for help will post more exact details.

stefano

NiftyDigits wrote: »

At a guess , I would say it's the Dell Inspiron 1010 with the Intel Atom Z530 processor. No issue with running a newer OS. The real problem with those machines is that the RAM is not easily upgradeable.

Hopefully one day everyone posting here for help will post more exact details.

You are right, and apology for the incomplete post. My guess is, a small 4yo laptop has probably reached the end of its life. It still does everything I ask of it, albeit slowly.
Would clearing some storage and defragmenting help performance?

NiftyDigits

Where is the Service Tag?

macman

Just do a factory restore or a clean install and it will run like new.
I'm puzzled by a 4 year old machine running XP-that can't be the original OS?

NiftyDigits

Indeed it is...

Gillor

macman wrote: »

I'm puzzled by a 4 year old machine running XP-that can't be the original OS?

Probably is as I have a Samsung NC10 bought new in 2010 which was suplied with XP. If I remember rightly I had a choice between XP and "light" version of Windows 7.

nickbeee

I've used Fedora Core 19 with the LXDE desktop on older laptops (1G memory required). You can run it from either a live cd or a memory stick, and if you're happy with it then there is an installer link to click on the desktop.

Forum won't let me post a link so just search for Fedora spins lxde.