Xubuntu. Give life back to that old computer

I have 4 computers in my house, one in the kitchen that the kids use, a laptop in the living room, one in my bedroom, and one out in the garage. They are all networked together using a wireless network. None of these computers are particularly new, the one in the garage is a 1 GHZ P3 with 256 MB of RAM, it also is running on Xubuntu Linux. (Click this link for an explanation of Linux). I'm writing this article on the computer in the garage. I normally use this computer to listen to music on Pandora while I'm working on some garage project like fixing the car, but today it gets to help me write this article.

The garage computer originally ran Windows 98 that is no longer support by Microsoft; Win 98 no longer gets security updates or support. Xubuntu is a free open source version of Ubuntu Linux and runs lean and mean on this machine. It gets necessary updates, and comes pre-installed with many free, modern, open source software packages like the AbiWord word processor and the Gnumeric spreadsheet program. Both programs can open and save various formats including Microsoft formats. The installation includes many other standard types of programs that would be used on a Windows or MAC machine, for instance CD/DVD burning and playing programs, and games. Other packages can be downloaded and installed with the easy to use software installer.

The disk image can be downloaded here for free or you can get a CD sent to you for about 4 bucks. The disk image can be burned onto a CD with ImgBurn. If you want to just play with Xubuntu you can have the  computer boot directly off of the installation CD without changing anything about your Windows installation. Another option is to have the computer dual bootable to either operating system. Xubuntu can help you set that up.

One thing I found amazing is how easy it is to install. Windows seems to take all day to set up a computer having to find drivers from disks and the internet to get the computer to work correctly. My experience with Xubuntu has been load it up and everything works with no need to load virus protection software. I was even surprised to see my old Dlink wireless network card working perfectly. I'm not saying everyone will have the same experience I had but it is fun to boot off of the CD for the first time and see a completely different computer staring at you. 

So have fun making that clunker work again, or exploring a whole new operating system for free.

Dan