Need to find a new laptop to install Linux Mint on

John_Gray

debitcardmayhem wrote: »

67 ain't that old , it's all in the mind:eek: I too am "old"

Not merely a silver surfer, but a Golden Surfer!

fenlander_uk

Tarambor wrote: »

Get on Ebay and buy yourself a Lenovo Thinkpad T420 or T430. Bombproof laptops that were £1000 new with good Linux compatibility.

There are a lot of well-specc'd refurb Thinkpads on Amazon, too. I'm sure they're cheaper on Ebay, but users report very good resolution of problems after purchase with Amazon.

agrinnall wrote: »

Not sure what your fear of Win 10 is based on, my suggestion would be to forget all about Linux and buy a laptop with Win 10 already installed and just use it like a normal person would.

I feel your pain, OP. I have a few more years on me than you do, so maybe our perspective is a little different from some of these youngsters. In the last year I switched both my laptops from Windows to Mint. True, one's an old machine that was running Vista but the other is a fairly recent Lenovo. I also have a media pc which is still on W10 for a variety of reasons. I live in constant anticipation of the day when, like Doctor Who, W10 will decide to regenerate and come out as something I don't recognise and have to learn to live with all over again. In fact, Doctor Who is remarkably stable compared to Windows... Mint, on the other hand just keeps on doing its job without hassle or aggravation or bloat - and without reporting my every move to the great global Marketing Department. Go for it, I say.

agrinnall

fenlander_uk wrote: »

I live in constant anticipation of the day when, like Doctor Who, W10 will decide to regenerate and come out as something I don't recognise and have to learn to live with all over again.

Microsoft have stated that 10 is the last version of Windows they will ever release.

https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2015/may/11/windows-10-last-version-microsoft

fenlander_uk

agrinnall wrote: »

Microsoft have stated that 10 is the last version of Windows they will ever release.

https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2015/may/11/windows-10-last-version-microsoft

Right. Nowadays they just call them 'updates'.

Skymist

It' just taken me 45 mins to log in!!!!!:eek::mad::mad::mad::eek:

Many thanks for all your replies.


@JJ Egan...I’m as anti Google as I am MS, and not into buying or using a tablet.




@rorrism….I didn’t say I wanted an OS free machine, just one that would “allow” a Linux install, as talked about here:-


https://www.askwoody.com/forums/topic/circling-the-tank/




@WAYT….I know Windows is supported till January 2020, and was hoping my Laptop would too...but it didn’t!


@debitcardmayhem…..:)


@I have spoken…...


@Tarambor…. EXCELLENT advice, Thank you! I’ve had a quick peak and there are some seemingly great deals!


@agrinnall….. each to their own! Maybe I’m just not a normal person...as far as MS and their intrusions go!


@GunJack… Thank you


@ThemeOne….Yeh, that’s worth thinking about! Right now, my 5535 is all set up with everything that I want...Skype, f.lux etc. , and just keeping my fingers crossed it and it’s backlight continue to work. I did connect it, via a VGA cable to a small TV, and it was fine, and the bumf on LM18.1 says that one screen can be blanked out with this version of the OS, so that might be a longterm solution, without having to spend a single penny! I also still have an old, functioning Starbook netbook..although I’ve been locked out of the BIOS for forgetting the password(don’t think I even had one!). But it is set up to boot from a CD first, then the HD, so I could always install a Linux OS on there, although it only has a very small HD. But I do have a 3TB external HD to hoard stuff on!


@John Gray...



@fenlander_uk….what can I say but “ Yuh get me!!!!

S

[Deleted User]

Nothing to be feared using a Linux distro in this day and age, especially when it comes to normal stuff like web browsing, social media, documents, pictures, music, video, etc. Just like using Windows, won't need any extra knowledge for this stuff. Not sure if Skype is supported as I don't use Skype, but other video calling options are available if not.

Or just reinstall Windows 7 which is still supported until 2020. It's up to you if you want Windows 10 but me personally I have held off it due to all the info Microsoft collects on you and sends up to their servers. Not to mention the who desktop seems to be geared towards trying to get you to purchase "Apps" from their App Store.

[Deleted User]

agrinnall wrote: »

Not sure what your fear of Win 10 is based on, my suggestion would be to forget all about Linux and buy a laptop with Win 10 already installed and just use it like a normal person would.

Because it's not normal to use anything but Windows?

ThemeOne

Deleted_User wrote: »

Because it's not normal to use anything but Windows?

I think you need some sort of interest in IT to like using Linux - which perhaps is not normal, but who cares ...

And I say that as an enthusiastic Linux user myself - it has helped me learn so much, and also to understand Windows better.

agrinnall

ThemeOne wrote: »

I think you need some sort of interest in IT to like using Linux - which perhaps is not normal, but who cares

Exactly, I worked in IT from 1981 to 2008, using operating systems from MS-DOS to IBM ESA and many in between, and I have used Linux in the past, but when I'm sat at home using my laptop I don't want to be trying to remember Linux commands so I use an OS that makes things simple for the user, in my case Windows, and I use W10 because in my experience it is quicker and more capable than previous versions.

forgotmyname

I have windows 10 and you would be easily mistake it for windows 7.

It looks just like windows in fact.

Start button bottom left, then my quick launch icons (not pinned icons) then the space where my open programs/browsers are listed (not grouped) and then over to the clock and a MUCH larger show desktop button.

Just need to resize my START button it looks a little odd with the taskbar taking up 2 rows.


This, cropped the width down to make it easier to view for those with smaller monitors.