Deciding on OS - Tilted Forum Project Discussion Community

Smackre · 07-10-2009, 07:07 AM

My computer went from working fine to having 97 proccesses running. It had around 30-40 at most b4. Anyways. Id like to put windows 7 on it. Just so I can see how windows 7. But I am unsure weather the specs will handle windows 7.

The specs for the laptop are in my sig. The biggest thing that worries me is the ram. Also The hard drive space.

I may half to just use windows xp.

What do you guys think? Good enough specs for windows 7?

LordEden · 07-10-2009, 07:18 AM

What are you running now? 2000? First off if you have that many processes running at once, I'd recommend running a spyware check first, my favorite is Malware Anti-Spyware and it's free. Install that and AVG Free and do checks on both. Might help you out a bit.

I do not recommend running windows 7 with a gig of RAM. I don't really recommend running winXP with only a gig of RAM. Between your 1.6 ghz proc and that amount of RAM, it will be slow. Most likely unbearably slow.

Run those checks, don't mess with your OS unless you have too.

Smackre · 07-10-2009, 11:14 AM

I have been running xp pro for years with a gig and no troubles. Ive had computers with 256mb of ram with xp and they ran pretty well.

---------- Post added at 07:14 PM ---------- Previous post was at 07:12 PM ----------

Also I Did all kinds of virus scans and ad-aware and spyware blaster. Usually in the middle of the scans it blue screen. Cant startup in safe mode. That blue screens also.

I am ready for a clean install. I just gotta decide on what. If I need to upgrade the ram to 3gb-4gb I will. Does anyone know if the Dell Inspiron 9300 mb supports 3gb-4gb ram?

Martian · 07-10-2009, 11:27 AM

SoDIMMs are cheap. According to this site, your laptop will support 2GB. Spend the $30 on 2 1GB sticks and have at it.

YaWhateva · 07-10-2009, 11:29 AM

I believe the maximum amount of ram is 2GB for an inspiron 9300. 2 GB is more than enough for windows 7 I believe.

You said harddrive space was an issue as well...how big is it?

Smackre · 07-10-2009, 12:01 PM

The HD is only 33gb i think. Which would be a issue seeing how 7 would take up half that. Id like to get a faster HD but thats would be hard to find. I dont need alot of HD space but If I could find a 60 or 80gb It would be fine.

LordEden · 07-10-2009, 12:12 PM

Newegg.com is your friend. Get a HD from there and your memory.

MikeSty · 07-10-2009, 12:53 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by LordEden

I do not recommend running windows 7 with a gig of RAM. I don't really recommend running winXP with only a gig of RAM..

Hmm ... don't think I can agree with that. 512mb should run XP sufficiently, 1GB is plenty unless you're doing heavy gaming and don't want to dip into a page file. I run Win7 on 1GB without any problems but to be fair my 4.5 year old desktop is probably close in power to Smackre's laptop but a bit better.

LordEden · 07-10-2009, 01:06 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by MikeSty

Hmm ... don't think I can agree with that. 512mb should run XP sufficiently, 1GB is plenty unless you're doing heavy gaming and don't want to dip into a page file. I run Win7 on 1GB without any problems but to be fair my 4.5 year old desktop is probably close in power to Smackre's laptop but a bit better.

I said I don't recommend it, I didn't say don't do it. You can run it with a 1 gig of ram, hell I got a pc beside me that has 256 meg with XP pro. Is it enough to run it? Yes. Would I want too? No. That's all I'm saying.

Wyodiver33 · 07-10-2009, 06:27 PM

Smackre, I think Windows 7 would run acceptably well for you, especially if you upgraded the RAM to 2 GB. But as far as the Windows 7 "Aero" eye-candy, well I doubt it would work on an older laptop like you have. But that really doesn't matter. It just won't look quite as nice. And Windows 7 is free until March of 2010 so there's really no risk in trying it out. And if you do upgrade the memory and hard drive and still end up going back to XP, it still will be worth it, as XP will like the upgrades, too.

MikeSty · 07-11-2009, 12:39 PM

Honestly, I'd say the big thing is indeed how much hard drive space Win7 takes up - it will be using almost half of your available space. I'd stick with XP

Understood LordEden. To be fair I tend to run / emphasize lean builds so I guess things are better? But I've never really heard anyone say that 1GB is not recommended for XP. I've always thought 256MB was on the low-end, 512mb was suitable, and then 1GB was beyond adequate.

Flinx · 07-11-2009, 04:37 PM

Without more RAM and a bigger HDD I would not recommend Win7.
Even WinXP would be very sluggish and annoyingly slow.
What I would try is either Linux or FreeBSD, both are getting to be very mature and easy to use. I won't tell you to use gnome or kde cause I don't want to start THAT debate again here.
BTW it might help if we knew just what you tend to use this computer for? Gaming, web, email etc.

Wyodiver33 · 07-11-2009, 10:56 PM

Flinx, believe me, I don't want to get anybody riled up. But come on, telling a Windows Xp user to use Linux, or FreeBSD? Come on, that's like opening a whole other can of worms for the guy.

Then again, I probably should just stay the hell out of everything. Unless boobies are involved. Actually, THAT'S my new policy.

Smackre · 07-12-2009, 01:06 PM

the computer is 90% web surfing. and alittle bit of autocad work. mostly web though. when I first bought it I played everquest on it. that was years ago but now I havnt played any video games in years so.

Flinx · 07-12-2009, 03:10 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Wyodiver33

Flinx, believe me, I don't want to get anybody riled up. But come on, telling a Windows Xp user to use Linux, or FreeBSD? Come on, that's like opening a whole other can of worms for the guy.

Then again, I probably should just stay the hell out of everything. Unless boobies are involved. Actually, THAT'S my new policy.

LOL I can relate to that policy. Theres a version of linux out there that actually looks identical to winxp, it's scary.

Besides I really don't consider a person a techie until they have at least ONE nix box running for a year with at least a 3 month stretch of uptime.

Unless the system is for gaming then a unix os would probably be the best solution.

Consider the Acer Aspire 1, comes in both unix (linpus) an XP flavors. I've run them side by side personally and the nix book just flat out spanked XP. Sure theres a learning curve but trust me with all the help out there in IRC, WWW, local library and probably even here setting up and maintaining a nix box is almost easy these days.

If his HDD was bigger, say 100gig, I'd say dual boot for a few months and then decide which os to nuke. 60 gig to xp, 40gig for unix (linux or bsd) seems much more roomier then what he has now and when the decision of which os to keep just resize the partition.

I don't mind the riled up part myself, keeps the blood flowing through the veins nicely

, but hearing the fanboys debating gnome vs kde gets boring fast was my problem....

tcp · 07-12-2009, 05:15 PM

Isn't Windows 7 on free trial until June 2010? Couldn't hurt to try. I say don't bother upgrading RAM. Hold onto the computer as long as possible while shopping around for a new one online until you find a good deal. Then, of course, put Linux on the old one.

Smackre · 07-13-2009, 09:10 AM

I decided to just DL it and see how it performs. Where do I go to download it? I searched the net and found some links but I figured there was a link from microsoft.

YaWhateva · 07-13-2009, 11:51 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Smackre

I decided to just DL it and see how it performs. Where do I go to download it? I searched the net and found some links but I figured there was a link from microsoft.

Windows 7 Release Candidate

at the bottom you can either choose 32bit or 64bit windows. 32bit is probably what you're looking for

ASU2003 · 07-13-2009, 02:26 PM

I would try Linux Mint. It's been working for me since I switched 15 months ago.

MSD · 07-13-2009, 06:30 PM

I've heard from a few people that Windows 7, after a bit of tweaking, will run faster than XP did at minimum system specs. Vista's reputation will never recover even though it works fine now; the only problem is that OEMs insist on putting it on barebones systems then loading them up with bloatware until it bogs down to the point of uselessness. Linux/Unix? Unless you need to do something Windows can't do, what's the point in giving up convenience and compatibility for daily use?

Flinx · 07-14-2009, 07:45 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by MSD

I've heard from a few people that Windows 7, after a bit of tweaking, will run faster than XP did at minimum system specs. Vista's reputation will never recover even though it works fine now; the only problem is that OEMs insist on putting it on barebones systems then loading them up with bloatware until it bogs down to the point of uselessness. Linux/Unix? Unless you need to do something Windows can't do, what's the point in giving up convenience and compatibility for daily use?

Win7 tweaked is faster then XP in some benchmarks, but for the games I play XP is still faster.

Depends on what your using your system for is what defines compatible. My wife uses her system mostly for web browsing, email, listening to music or watching videos. It has FreeBSD on it, 3.11 I believe. There are many programs out there for what she wants a computer for ,so thats a compatible system in my books.
If your into gaming then no, unix is not really compatible even though Wine and GnuWin32 have come very long way in the last few years.

Because it's running a nix OS I don't have to worry about 99% of the adware/virii out there so I don't have to have a virus checker running all the time, don't have to check for trojans, rootkits, adware/spyware etc. I have her on a limited account and almost nothing she can do will harm the OS or the main installed programs, try that on windows.
To prove a point to a friend of mine I installed FreeBSD on a system, updated it, turned OFF the firewall and used it as a my gateway for 3 months on a rogers cable account. At the end of the test it was virus free, backdoor/trojan free, still had only the accounts and programs I put there myself, basically it was still secure after 3 months without a firewall or virus scanner.

Now as to convenience, again thats a slippery term. I find it very convenient because I do almost no maintenance on her machine. She can still install almost everything she wants without a administer or root account. Mind you when I do have to wander over to her machine it's almost never a click click pause, there you go honey experience but then I enjoy compiling a sweet kernel and doing a build world every 4 or 8 months not everyones cup of tea though.

Smackre · 07-16-2009, 03:10 AM

Well this is alittle off subject. But I would like to post a picture of my task manager on my other computer and you guys tell me if you see anything shady. This computer is running fairly well. When I am multitasking it usuallys has 50-60 processes running. Which seems like alot to me but maybe not.

steveincolumbus · 07-16-2009, 03:45 AM

Try 7 if it don't work then look into new hardware. 7 runs pretty good from what i have seen on old hardware.

tcp · 07-18-2009, 12:08 PM

If you're worried about rogue processes, use HijackThis program to create a log and then post it on a tech forum where people will help you figure out what might be hiding on your computer.

vanblah · 07-20-2009, 09:42 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by MSD

Linux/Unix? Unless you need to do something Windows can't do, what's the point in giving up convenience and compatibility for daily use?

Well, I've been switching over to Ubuntu (Ubuntu Home Page | Ubuntu) on my home systems. My reason? Cost. I'm tired of spending the amount of money I've been spending on updates for Office and trying to keep up with other M$ apps. For what it's worth I only need Word/Excel, a media player and a web browser.

Now on my DAW I am pretty much stuck with Windows XP until support for high-end audio devices gets a little better in *nix.

At work it's a different story of course. We use a mix of Redhat AS and Windows servers. They both do what they need to do with only a few hickups. I add this only to say that I'm not an OS basher ... Mac, Windows, *nix ... they're all fine. For me it comes down to cost at this point.

MSD · 07-22-2009, 12:05 PM

You know what I really hate? Every software company out there thinks they need to run an updater that spends an hour updating their software more frequently than I use it, some sort of monitoring process to give you instant service in case I ever decide to buy and plug in one of their products, and tries to shovel more programs down my throat every time I launch one I already have. No, Apple, I do not want Safari, Mobile Me, and whatever other shit you're pushing today, I want to sync my goddamn iPod, maybe listen to music while I'm at my desk, and close iTunes, at which point all programs associated with the iPod and iTunes should close without having to use the task manager. Hey Adobe, I get 6GB of bandwidth a week before I have to either give IT a good reason to exceed the cap, and I doubt you really need to update CS3 every other day.

What happens when I shut all this shit down and prevent it from starting through system configuration? Start up one program and it's all back the next time I reboot. The only things I want to update themselves are virus scan and Windows. Everyone else go to hell.

Smackre · 07-22-2009, 01:07 PM

Can I RDC threw Ubuntu?

I would like to connect to my other PC so I can run some of my windows only programs. I really dont want to go threw the hassle of making autocad work on Ubuntu. But my CAD computer is on the 1st floor and the laptop is on the 3rd floor.

laconic1 · 07-22-2009, 07:34 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by MSD

You know what I really hate? Every software company out there thinks they need to run an updater that spends an hour updating their software more frequently than I use it, some sort of monitoring process to give you instant service in case I ever decide to buy and plug in one of their products, and tries to shovel more programs down my throat every time I launch one I already have. No, Apple, I do not want Safari, Mobile Me, and whatever other shit you're pushing today, I want to sync my goddamn iPod, maybe listen to music while I'm at my desk, and close iTunes, at which point all programs associated with the iPod and iTunes should close without having to use the task manager. Hey Adobe, I get 6GB of bandwidth a week before I have to either give IT a good reason to exceed the cap, and I doubt you really need to update CS3 every other day.

What happens when I shut all this shit down and prevent it from starting through system configuration? Start up one program and it's all back the next time I reboot. The only things I want to update themselves are virus scan and Windows. Everyone else go to hell.

Bingo. I wouldn't even mind if the updates were small downloads, but when Itunes downloads 84 megs to go from 8.2.0 to 8.2.1 or whatever inconsequential increment that is ridiculous. Whatever happened to the idea of deltas where only the actual changed code is downloaded and updates just the parts that have changed.

Flinx · 07-23-2009, 06:45 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Smackre

Can I RDC threw Ubuntu?

I would like to connect to my other PC so I can run some of my windows only programs. I really dont want to go threw the hassle of making autocad work on Ubuntu. But my CAD computer is on the 1st floor and the laptop is on the 3rd floor.

Yes, you can. I have a nice article on just how to do that I just need to locate it LOL.
Off the top of my head you need to install X-Windows (aka X11) and get a RDP client like remote desktop . Off hand I can't recommend one from personal use as the one I use is for FreeBSD.

LordEden · 07-23-2009, 07:15 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Vigilante

Assuming windows, you use PuTTY to SSH into a *nix box.

Check this link.
http://www.tfproject.org/tfp/tilted-...t-filters.html
This is a how-to I wrote for another site. I just posted it here due to this topic, since some elements of that topic coincide with this one.

Instead of worrying about firefox and port forwarding (this is the local LAN, afterall), just set up the X11 forwarding bit, then run xming on your windows box (you just need to run the program to load the libs, nothing special) and then you can set up a remote X session from the linux box, through PuTTY. You'll have to set up a remote session config as well. I can't remember exactly how I did it, but google will tell you how real fast.

That's what Vigilante posted in another thread about remote controlling a headless linux box.

Smackre · 07-24-2009, 08:52 AM

I wouldnt want to remote control the linux box. I wanted to control the XP box with the linux.

vanblah · 07-24-2009, 10:14 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Smackre

I wouldnt want to remote control the linux box. I wanted to control the XP box with the linux.

From what I remember remote desktop was built into Ubuntu. If not, or it doesn't work, or if you just don't like the built-in remote desktop you can always run VNC.

I also run VirtualBox (VirtualBox) on Ubuntu. I use it with VPN to connect to some of the servers at work (Windows XP license is covered that way). I use the free version of vRD (http://www.visionapp.com/germany/pro...e-desktop.html) to connect.

Smackre · 07-28-2009, 03:08 AM

Thanks Vanblah. Got everything installed and running. Figured out the remote desktop stuff. I am still working on connecting from a XP computer to the ubuntu computer though. I got VNC to load up the desktop but it seems to freeze soon as it loads.

The hardware I have not figured out how to install is tethering with my Blackberry 8830 Alltel. In xp I used Quicklink mobile but I havnt found a way to do that with ubuntu. It might end up being a deal breaker. I travel alot and sometimes thats my only connection to business with.

Also havnt gotten my MCE remote to work yet. Spent afew hours today working on with no luck. I got it to say in the terminal when I hit botton on the remote that I hit each botton. But it wont control any of the media players. So I am still working on that.

Also my PCMCIA bluetooth card is giving me fits to. Ubuntu doesnt seem to even notice its in.

josherjo · 07-28-2009, 06:22 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Smackre

My computer went from working fine to having 97 proccesses running. It had around 30-40 at most b4. Anyways. Id like to put windows 7 on it. Just so I can see how windows 7. But I am unsure weather the specs will handle windows 7.

The specs for the laptop are in my sig. The biggest thing that worries me is the ram. Also The hard drive space.

I may half to just use windows xp.

What do you guys think? Good enough specs for windows 7?

Compared to windows vista windows 7 uses less resources, it should run on your laptop, I would give it a shot, maybe you could setup a dual boot system. 1GB is kinda low yes, is it possible to upgrade it for your particular laptop manufacturer/model? I don't know if 7 comes with the AERO style gui from Vista but turning that off might help. Otherwise XP does everything just fine if you dont plan to invest in a new laptop

vanblah · 07-28-2009, 07:36 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Smackre

Thanks Vanblah. Got everything installed and running. Figured out the remote desktop stuff. I am still working on connecting from a XP computer to the ubuntu computer though. I got VNC to load up the desktop but it seems to freeze soon as it loads.

The hardware I have not figured out how to install is tethering with my Blackberry 8830 Alltel. In xp I used Quicklink mobile but I havnt found a way to do that with ubuntu. It might end up being a deal breaker. I travel alot and sometimes thats my only connection to business with.

Also havnt gotten my MCE remote to work yet. Spent afew hours today working on with no luck. I got it to say in the terminal when I hit botton on the remote that I hit each botton. But it wont control any of the media players. So I am still working on that.

Also my PCMCIA bluetooth card is giving me fits to. Ubuntu doesnt seem to even notice its in.

Yep ... there are always deal-breakers. That's why I still run XP on my DAW. I can't wait for better driver support in Linux (this would be from manufacturers).

Ubuntu forums are a good resource when you're having trouble. Although, sometimes there really is no solution.

Here's the first thread I came across with regard to tethering a blackberry (though not your specific model): Blackberry tether sucess story - Ubuntu Forums

EDIT: I've never tried remoting from XP to Ubuntu ... I'll see if I can get it to work. No promises though.

Smackre · 07-28-2009, 07:55 AM

Ya I read that article you posted. And about 30 others about diffrent phones. It almost seems like you need instruction for the exact version of Ubuntu and exact phone and provider.

So far I am really impressed with it. I mean windows is suppose to be more user friendly. But this was easier to install and change stuff on than windows if you ask me.

vanblah · 07-28-2009, 08:34 AM

Regarding remoting into Ubuntu. The way I handle it at work is by installing Cygwin (Cygwin Information and Installation) on XP and then use a remote X session. It may be more involved than you want to do ... but it's fun. It's really not that difficult and there are numerous recipes for getting it to work (at least for Redhat).

The "downside" to *nix platforms like Ubuntu is that it really is self service (or at best community supported). I put downside in quotes because I really see this as a good thing.

Smackre · 07-28-2009, 11:17 AM

It may be because I have been using computing for years but I found it extremely easy to catch onto ubuntu. So far there hasnt been much of a learning curve. Course I have never really taken any computers to IT people. I usually just ask a few questions on here. Google a few things and there it is.

But I honestly think if someone was starting out without knowing windows or ubuntu then ubuntu would be a easier OS to learn.

07-10-2009, 07:07 AM	#1 (permalink)
Smackre Addict	Deciding on OS My computer went from working fine to having 97 proccesses running. It had around 30-40 at most b4. Anyways. Id like to put windows 7 on it. Just so I can see how windows 7. But I am unsure weather the specs will handle windows 7. The specs for the laptop are in my sig. The biggest thing that worries me is the ram. Also The hard drive space. I may half to just use windows xp. What do you guys think? Good enough specs for windows 7? __________________ Intel® Pentium® M Processor 730 (1.60 GHz/2MB Cache/533MHz FSB) 17 inch UltraSharp™ Wide Screen XGA+ Display 1GB Dual Channel DDR2 SDRAM at 533MHz 2 Dimm 256MB NVIDA® GeForce™ Go 6800

07-10-2009, 11:14 AM	#3 (permalink)
Smackre Addict	I have been running xp pro for years with a gig and no troubles. Ive had computers with 256mb of ram with xp and they ran pretty well. ---------- Post added at 07:14 PM ---------- Previous post was at 07:12 PM ---------- Also I Did all kinds of virus scans and ad-aware and spyware blaster. Usually in the middle of the scans it blue screen. Cant startup in safe mode. That blue screens also. I am ready for a clean install. I just gotta decide on what. If I need to upgrade the ram to 3gb-4gb I will. Does anyone know if the Dell Inspiron 9300 mb supports 3gb-4gb ram? __________________ Intel® Pentium® M Processor 730 (1.60 GHz/2MB Cache/533MHz FSB) 17 inch UltraSharp™ Wide Screen XGA+ Display 1GB Dual Channel DDR2 SDRAM at 533MHz 2 Dimm 256MB NVIDA® GeForce™ Go 6800

07-10-2009, 11:27 AM	#4 (permalink)
Martian Young Crumudgeon Location: Canada	SoDIMMs are cheap. According to this site, your laptop will support 2GB. Spend the $30 on 2 1GB sticks and have at it. __________________ I wake up in the morning more tired than before I slept I get through cryin' and I'm sadder than before I wept I get through thinkin' now, and the thoughts have left my head I get through speakin' and I can't remember, not a word that I said - Ben Harper, Show Me A Little Shame

07-10-2009, 11:29 AM	#5 (permalink)
YaWhateva Friend Location: New Mexico	I believe the maximum amount of ram is 2GB for an inspiron 9300. 2 GB is more than enough for windows 7 I believe. You said harddrive space was an issue as well...how big is it? __________________ “If the Americans go in and overthrow Saddam Hussein and it's clean, he has nothing, I will apologize to the nation, and I will not trust the Bush administration again.” - Bill O'Reilly "This is my United States of Whateva!"

07-10-2009, 12:01 PM	#6 (permalink)
Smackre Addict	The HD is only 33gb i think. Which would be a issue seeing how 7 would take up half that. Id like to get a faster HD but thats would be hard to find. I dont need alot of HD space but If I could find a 60 or 80gb It would be fine. __________________ Intel® Pentium® M Processor 730 (1.60 GHz/2MB Cache/533MHz FSB) 17 inch UltraSharp™ Wide Screen XGA+ Display 1GB Dual Channel DDR2 SDRAM at 533MHz 2 Dimm 256MB NVIDA® GeForce™ Go 6800

07-10-2009, 06:27 PM	#10 (permalink)
Wyodiver33 Just here for the beer. Location: Ft. Lauderdale, Floriduh	Smackre, I think Windows 7 would run acceptably well for you, especially if you upgraded the RAM to 2 GB. But as far as the Windows 7 "Aero" eye-candy, well I doubt it would work on an older laptop like you have. But that really doesn't matter. It just won't look quite as nice. And Windows 7 is free until March of 2010 so there's really no risk in trying it out. And if you do upgrade the memory and hard drive and still end up going back to XP, it still will be worth it, as XP will like the upgrades, too. __________________ I like stuff.

07-11-2009, 12:39 PM	#11 (permalink)
MikeSty The Computer Kid :D Location: 127.0.0.1	Honestly, I'd say the big thing is indeed how much hard drive space Win7 takes up - it will be using almost half of your available space. I'd stick with XP Understood LordEden. To be fair I tend to run / emphasize lean builds so I guess things are better? But I've never really heard anyone say that 1GB is not recommended for XP. I've always thought 256MB was on the low-end, 512mb was suitable, and then 1GB was beyond adequate.

07-11-2009, 04:37 PM	#12 (permalink)
Flinx Tilted Location: Canada	Without more RAM and a bigger HDD I would not recommend Win7. Even WinXP would be very sluggish and annoyingly slow. What I would try is either Linux or FreeBSD, both are getting to be very mature and easy to use. I won't tell you to use gnome or kde cause I don't want to start THAT debate again here. BTW it might help if we knew just what you tend to use this computer for? Gaming, web, email etc.

07-11-2009, 10:56 PM	#13 (permalink)
Wyodiver33 Just here for the beer. Location: Ft. Lauderdale, Floriduh	Flinx, believe me, I don't want to get anybody riled up. But come on, telling a Windows Xp user to use Linux, or FreeBSD? Come on, that's like opening a whole other can of worms for the guy. Then again, I probably should just stay the hell out of everything. Unless boobies are involved. Actually, THAT'S my new policy. __________________ I like stuff.

07-12-2009, 01:06 PM	#14 (permalink)
Smackre Addict	the computer is 90% web surfing. and alittle bit of autocad work. mostly web though. when I first bought it I played everquest on it. that was years ago but now I havnt played any video games in years so. __________________ Intel® Pentium® M Processor 730 (1.60 GHz/2MB Cache/533MHz FSB) 17 inch UltraSharp™ Wide Screen XGA+ Display 1GB Dual Channel DDR2 SDRAM at 533MHz 2 Dimm 256MB NVIDA® GeForce™ Go 6800 Last edited by Smackre; 07-28-2009 at 11:18 AM..

07-12-2009, 05:15 PM	#16 (permalink)
tcp Crazy	Isn't Windows 7 on free trial until June 2010? Couldn't hurt to try. I say don't bother upgrading RAM. Hold onto the computer as long as possible while shopping around for a new one online until you find a good deal. Then, of course, put Linux on the old one.

07-13-2009, 09:10 AM	#17 (permalink)
Smackre Addict	I decided to just DL it and see how it performs. Where do I go to download it? I searched the net and found some links but I figured there was a link from microsoft. __________________ Intel® Pentium® M Processor 730 (1.60 GHz/2MB Cache/533MHz FSB) 17 inch UltraSharp™ Wide Screen XGA+ Display 1GB Dual Channel DDR2 SDRAM at 533MHz 2 Dimm 256MB NVIDA® GeForce™ Go 6800

07-13-2009, 02:26 PM	#19 (permalink)
ASU2003 immoral minority Location: Back in Ohio	I would try Linux Mint. It's been working for me since I switched 15 months ago.

07-13-2009, 06:30 PM	#20 (permalink)
MSD The sky calls to us ... Super Moderator Location: CT	I've heard from a few people that Windows 7, after a bit of tweaking, will run faster than XP did at minimum system specs. Vista's reputation will never recover even though it works fine now; the only problem is that OEMs insist on putting it on barebones systems then loading them up with bloatware until it bogs down to the point of uselessness. Linux/Unix? Unless you need to do something Windows can't do, what's the point in giving up convenience and compatibility for daily use?

07-16-2009, 03:10 AM	#22 (permalink)
Smackre Addict	Well this is alittle off subject. But I would like to post a picture of my task manager on my other computer and you guys tell me if you see anything shady. This computer is running fairly well. When I am multitasking it usuallys has 50-60 processes running. Which seems like alot to me but maybe not. __________________ Intel® Pentium® M Processor 730 (1.60 GHz/2MB Cache/533MHz FSB) 17 inch UltraSharp™ Wide Screen XGA+ Display 1GB Dual Channel DDR2 SDRAM at 533MHz 2 Dimm 256MB NVIDA® GeForce™ Go 6800

07-16-2009, 03:45 AM	#23 (permalink)
steveincolumbus Psycho Location: BFE, Kentucky	Try 7 if it don't work then look into new hardware. 7 runs pretty good from what i have seen on old hardware.

07-18-2009, 12:08 PM	#24 (permalink)
tcp Crazy	If you're worried about rogue processes, use HijackThis program to create a log and then post it on a tech forum where people will help you figure out what might be hiding on your computer.

07-22-2009, 12:05 PM	#26 (permalink)
MSD The sky calls to us ... Super Moderator Location: CT	You know what I really hate? Every software company out there thinks they need to run an updater that spends an hour updating their software more frequently than I use it, some sort of monitoring process to give you instant service in case I ever decide to buy and plug in one of their products, and tries to shovel more programs down my throat every time I launch one I already have. No, Apple, I do not want Safari, Mobile Me, and whatever other shit you're pushing today, I want to sync my goddamn iPod, maybe listen to music while I'm at my desk, and close iTunes, at which point all programs associated with the iPod and iTunes should close without having to use the task manager. Hey Adobe, I get 6GB of bandwidth a week before I have to either give IT a good reason to exceed the cap, and I doubt you really need to update CS3 every other day. What happens when I shut all this shit down and prevent it from starting through system configuration? Start up one program and it's all back the next time I reboot. The only things I want to update themselves are virus scan and Windows. Everyone else go to hell.

07-22-2009, 01:07 PM	#27 (permalink)
Smackre Addict	Can I RDC threw Ubuntu? I would like to connect to my other PC so I can run some of my windows only programs. I really dont want to go threw the hassle of making autocad work on Ubuntu. But my CAD computer is on the 1st floor and the laptop is on the 3rd floor. __________________ Intel® Pentium® M Processor 730 (1.60 GHz/2MB Cache/533MHz FSB) 17 inch UltraSharp™ Wide Screen XGA+ Display 1GB Dual Channel DDR2 SDRAM at 533MHz 2 Dimm 256MB NVIDA® GeForce™ Go 6800 Last edited by Smackre; 07-22-2009 at 05:39 PM..

07-24-2009, 08:52 AM	#31 (permalink)
Smackre Addict	I wouldnt want to remote control the linux box. I wanted to control the XP box with the linux. __________________ Intel® Pentium® M Processor 730 (1.60 GHz/2MB Cache/533MHz FSB) 17 inch UltraSharp™ Wide Screen XGA+ Display 1GB Dual Channel DDR2 SDRAM at 533MHz 2 Dimm 256MB NVIDA® GeForce™ Go 6800

07-28-2009, 03:08 AM	#33 (permalink)
Smackre Addict	Thanks Vanblah. Got everything installed and running. Figured out the remote desktop stuff. I am still working on connecting from a XP computer to the ubuntu computer though. I got VNC to load up the desktop but it seems to freeze soon as it loads. The hardware I have not figured out how to install is tethering with my Blackberry 8830 Alltel. In xp I used Quicklink mobile but I havnt found a way to do that with ubuntu. It might end up being a deal breaker. I travel alot and sometimes thats my only connection to business with. Also havnt gotten my MCE remote to work yet. Spent afew hours today working on with no luck. I got it to say in the terminal when I hit botton on the remote that I hit each botton. But it wont control any of the media players. So I am still working on that. Also my PCMCIA bluetooth card is giving me fits to. Ubuntu doesnt seem to even notice its in. __________________ Intel® Pentium® M Processor 730 (1.60 GHz/2MB Cache/533MHz FSB) 17 inch UltraSharp™ Wide Screen XGA+ Display 1GB Dual Channel DDR2 SDRAM at 533MHz 2 Dimm 256MB NVIDA® GeForce™ Go 6800

07-28-2009, 07:55 AM	#36 (permalink)
Smackre Addict	Ya I read that article you posted. And about 30 others about diffrent phones. It almost seems like you need instruction for the exact version of Ubuntu and exact phone and provider. So far I am really impressed with it. I mean windows is suppose to be more user friendly. But this was easier to install and change stuff on than windows if you ask me. __________________ Intel® Pentium® M Processor 730 (1.60 GHz/2MB Cache/533MHz FSB) 17 inch UltraSharp™ Wide Screen XGA+ Display 1GB Dual Channel DDR2 SDRAM at 533MHz 2 Dimm 256MB NVIDA® GeForce™ Go 6800

07-28-2009, 08:34 AM	#37 (permalink)
vanblah Junkie	Regarding remoting into Ubuntu. The way I handle it at work is by installing Cygwin (Cygwin Information and Installation) on XP and then use a remote X session. It may be more involved than you want to do ... but it's fun. It's really not that difficult and there are numerous recipes for getting it to work (at least for Redhat). The "downside" to *nix platforms like Ubuntu is that it really is self service (or at best community supported). I put downside in quotes because I really see this as a good thing.

07-28-2009, 11:17 AM	#38 (permalink)
Smackre Addict	It may be because I have been using computing for years but I found it extremely easy to catch onto ubuntu. So far there hasnt been much of a learning curve. Course I have never really taken any computers to IT people. I usually just ask a few questions on here. Google a few things and there it is. But I honestly think if someone was starting out without knowing windows or ubuntu then ubuntu would be a easier OS to learn. __________________ Intel® Pentium® M Processor 730 (1.60 GHz/2MB Cache/533MHz FSB) 17 inch UltraSharp™ Wide Screen XGA+ Display 1GB Dual Channel DDR2 SDRAM at 533MHz 2 Dimm 256MB NVIDA® GeForce™ Go 6800