old laptop...messy windowsME...wondering if Linux would be better??

[chinadoll]

I have an old laptop Compaq Presario 1245...and have originally win 98 and upgraded it to winMe when it came out....well now it is just causing me so many problems that I am wondering if Linux would be a good move...could I wipe this computer clean and then install linux....am not very techie....is ithis a good move?

[JoshPerkins]

Ifn you get a Linux disk, then sure, if you want everything that isn't Linux comaptible wiped off. Hoever, I think you can download the Linux operatiny system as www.linux.com.

[fo3nix]

What do you use your computer for?

GNU/Linux (some distributions anyway) can be great, but sometimes you do need to know some stuff that windows and other OS's don't expect you to know. If you do try a distribution, then I'd strongly recommend Ubuntu. It's the most user-friendly of the ones out right now:
http://www.ubuntu.com/

Just make sure you backup all your important stuff before installing it.

Josh: Linux is the name of a kernel, which is what your link is to. Confusingly, most people also erroneously call the entire operating system 'Linux' too, when in fact it should be called GNU/Linux. This is because it's the GNU system, that happens to be using Linux as a kernel.

[chinadoll]

thanks for ur advice...I am reading that there is a system that comes on a bootable cd and u just pop it in and it lets u use the laptop... i think it is a version of Linux ....would probably be very interested in that...do u have info on this?

[fo3nix]

http://www.knoppix.org/

I think what you're talking about are 'live CDs', such as knoppix. These let you boot into that flavour of GNU/Linux from the CD drive, play about with it, and then restart and take the CD out and be straight back into windows.

They're good for playing about with, and seeing what GNU/Linux is like, but it's not the same as actually installing it on your hard drive.

[chinadoll]

thanks for ur reply...if it did get the disc and put it in the drive and let it boot up ...would I be able to use one of the programs on it to connect to the intenet (soley using the software on the cd/dvd disc?

[fo3nix]

If you have broadband fairly simply connected, yes. It'll have a browser, probably either Firefox or Konquerer.

If you connect with a wireless network or dial-up or go through a proxy server or router or something, it may take a few extra minutes to set up. Just give it a go: by default your hard drive is probably not writable to it, so you can't really do any damage, just play about with it.

[chinadoll]

thanks for ur advice ....will try it out over the next while...

[chinadoll]

I found a computer magazine yesterday with a dvd with 8G B of Linux applications... mandriva and other live cds... on the dvd ...how do i get them to work .... there isnt any instructions.... have burned the mandriva onto cd but i just sits in the cd drive and doesnt auto start.... is there something I am missing ?