would mint run smoothly

[RollyShed]

...
* Use Windows 7 instead of Windows 10.
...

Why would you recommend an OS that is no longer supported?

Maybe because Win10 kept getting trashed by MS updates? Then it totally failed and reverted to Win7.
The user in this case has used Linux Mint ever since for reliability.

[Nikolai5]

Yes, it will run OK. Or at least you won't notice much difference in reality between Cinnamon, MATE and XFCE.

You'll see people perform benchmarks on them and honestly, the results are usually unremarkable. 4GB isn't a lot these days, but its enough to run Cinnamon.

You don't need to run XFCE on that computer. People like XFCE which fine but that PC has more than enough spec to not have to run it.

[motoryzen]

If you run Cinnamon, just ensure you disable all Window " Effects" . word in quotes is what you search for in cinnamon menu, and you should be good to go enough.

[JerryF]

...
* Use Windows 7 instead of Windows 10.
...

Why would you recommend an OS that is no longer supported?

Maybe because Win10 kept getting trashed by MS updates? Then it totally failed and reverted to Win7.
The user in this case has used Linux Mint ever since for reliability.

Hmm, I've been using Windows 10 since I upgraded from Windows 8 (about 5 years ago) and updates didn't give me a problem. Vista, well that's a whole other story!

[RollyShed]

Hmm, I've been using Windows 10 since I upgraded from Windows 8 (about 5 years ago) and updates didn't give me a problem. Vista, well that's a whole other story!

Updates are sent out in blocks so if you are unfortunate and are in the first block and get trashed, as was happening, you have to put up with it.

2016
http://www.forbes.com/sites/amitchowdhr ... 6f5e3f5388

2018
https://www.forbes.com/sites/kevinmurna ... 14e22f2193

https://www.theverge.com/2018/10/6/1794 ... ate-paused

https://www.windowscentral.com/windows- ... -bug-story

2020
https://www.forbes.com/sites/gordonkell ... 72a3f27a7e

2020
https://www.forbes.com/sites/gordonkell ... 40c9fd5f8f

It was the October 2018 one that meant a change here for a user, changed to Linux Mint, as it had deleted everything on her Windows disk.

[carlcarl]

...
* Use Windows 7 instead of Windows 10.
...

Why would you recommend an OS that is no longer supported?

Because it's less of a resource hog and has fewer privacy problems.

[Pjotr]

...
* Use Windows 7 instead of Windows 10.
...

Why would you recommend an OS that is no longer supported?

Because it's less of a resource hog and has fewer privacy problems.

This is irony, right? Because privacy is the least of your concerns when your operating system has had no security updates for two bloody years.

[Pjotr]

I ran for 12 years on Windows 7 x64 without reinstalling and with updates turned off, and never had problems.

..... as far as you know (smiled the criminals that had taken over your computer without you noticing anything).

But you're right of course. All those security updates for Windows are completely useless and just for fun. They're only issued because the Microsoft devs have nothing better to do and are getting bored stiff.

[Petermint]

All those security updates from Microsoft never fixed any of the basic design faults. They never switched off automatic opening of everything in email. The never removed any of the junk code they inserted into the NT core they claim to use in modern versions of Windows.

If it quacks like a pre NT version of Windows, it is not NT. If it cracks like a pre NT version of Windows, it is not NT. If it crashes like a pre NT version of Windows, it is not NT, just a pretty version of Windows 3.1. Add to that, Microsoft managed to damage NTFS.

One of the reasons I weaned companies off Windows, was the time I wasted sending Microsoft fixes for their software that they applied after they cut the base for the next release. Reporting the same list of repairs across several releases was a waste of my time. Some of their security holes had the same treatment.

[diabolicbg]

I ran for 12 years on Windows 7 x64 without reinstalling and with updates turned off, and never had problems.

..... as far as you know (smiled the criminals that had taken over your computer without you noticing anything).

But you're right of course. All those security updates for Windows are completely useless and just for fun. They're only issued because the Microsoft devs have nothing better to do and are getting bored stiff.

On the one hand, there are good enough third-party security solutions out there, and I've never relied on Microsoft. On the other hand, Microsoft is constantly giving birth to "masterpieces" - the latest 2-3 days ago Defender confused office updates with ransomware.

[DeathDancer]

I have found that Linux Mint Mate will run smoothly on just about any duel core or better machine with at least 4 Gig of ram and a SSD drive. I use a Dell Latitude E6400 these machines first came out about 2009, you may notice that this systems bios is 2013 so it’s still quite old. So if Mint can make this old clunker run smooth I think most PC's should do well with 4 Gigs of ram and a SSD drive as a minimum. My system specs are below, in case someone wishes to compare. As for MS-Windows total thumbs down as far as I am concerned.

Code: Select all

System:
  Kernel: 5.4.0-105-generic x86_64 bits: 64 compiler: gcc v: 9.4.0 
  Desktop: MATE 1.26.0 info: mate-panel wm: marco 1.26.0 dm: LightDM 1.30.0 
  Distro: Linux Mint 20.3 Una base: Ubuntu 20.04 focal 
Machine:
  Type: Portable System: Dell product: Latitude E6400 v: N/A 
  serial: <filter> Chassis: type: 8 serial: <filter> 
  Mobo: Dell model: 0J470N serial: <filter> BIOS: Dell v: A34 
  date: 06/04/2013 
Battery:
  ID-1: BAT0 charge: 35.0 Wh condition: 35.0/57.7 Wh (61%) volts: 12.3/11.1 
  model: Sanyo DELL KY26696 type: Li-ion serial: <filter> status: Full 
CPU:
  Topology: Dual Core model: Intel Core2 Duo P8700 bits: 64 type: MCP 
  arch: Penryn rev: A L2 cache: 3072 KiB 
  flags: lm nx pae sse sse2 sse3 sse4_1 ssse3 vmx bogomips: 10108 
  Speed: 1357 MHz min/max: 800/2535 MHz boost: enabled Core speeds (MHz): 
  1: 798 2: 798 
Graphics:
  Device-1: Intel Mobile 4 Series Integrated Graphics vendor: Dell 
  driver: i915 v: kernel bus ID: 00:02.0 chip ID: 8086:2a42 
  Display: x11 server: X.Org 1.20.13 driver: intel compositor: marco 
  v: 1.26.0 resolution: 1280x800~60Hz 
  OpenGL: renderer: Mesa DRI Mobile Intel GM45 Express (CTG) 
  v: 2.1 Mesa 21.2.6 direct render: Yes 
Audio:
  Device-1: Intel 82801I HD Audio vendor: Dell driver: snd_hda_intel 
  v: kernel bus ID: 00:1b.0 chip ID: 8086:293e 
  Sound Server: ALSA v: k5.4.0-105-generic 
Network:
  Device-1: Intel 82567LM Gigabit Network vendor: Dell driver: e1000e 
  v: 3.2.6-k port: efe0 bus ID: 00:19.0 chip ID: 8086:10f5 
  IF: enp0s25 state: down mac: <filter> 
  Device-2: Broadcom and subsidiaries BCM4312 802.11b/g LP-PHY 
  vendor: Dell Wireless 1397 WLAN Mini-Card driver: wl v: kernel port: 1100 
  bus ID: 0c:00.0 chip ID: 14e4:4315 
  IF: wlp12s0 state: up mac: <filter> 
Drives:
  Local Storage: total: 111.79 GiB used: 50.90 GiB (45.5%) 
  ID-1: /dev/sda vendor: HP model: SSD S600 120GB size: 111.79 GiB 
  speed: 3.0 Gb/s serial: <filter> rev: 09C1 scheme: GPT 
  

[carlcarl]

the latest 2-3 days ago Defender confused office updates with ransomware.

Well, it could be argued that they are not wrong.

[carlcarl]

This is irony, right? Because privacy is the least of your concerns when your operating system has had no security updates for two bloody years.

Privacy and security are not two terms for the same thing.

Windows 10 and to a far great extent, windows 11, leave a user far more exposed to Microsoft snooping than Windows 7. By design.

And if you think Windows 11 is more secure against third parties, I have a bridge to sell you.

[Petermint]

I have a bridge to sell you

Just watched the movie Eiffel. That is a lot of scrap iron to sell.

Windows 10, on a project when Windows 10 was new, created so many problems compared to 7 that I estimate support jumped from $300 to $3000. If the person buying the upgrade also owned a big range of Microsoft applications, they would be forced into $1000 of upgrades. 7 to 8 did not force you to buy everything new. +1 for staying with 7 or upgrade only to 8.1.

[Pjotr]

This is irony, right? Because privacy is the least of your concerns when your operating system has had no security updates for two bloody years.

Privacy and security are not two terms for the same thing.

I did not claim that, so I fail to see the relevance of your remark.

[Hoser Rob]

I have found that Linux Mint Mate will run smoothly on just about any duel core or better machine with at least 4 Gig of ram and a SSD drive. I use a Dell Latitude E6400 these machines first came out about 2009, you may notice that this systems bios is 2013 so it’s still quite old. So if Mint can make this old clunker run smooth I think most PC's should do well with 4 Gigs of ram and a SSD drive as a minimum. ...

Actually the GM45 gpu came out in 2006 so it's older than you thought. However, Intel support for their old hardware is the best, it has nothing to do with whether you're running Mint or any other distro. That card may only have opengl 2.1 but it's going to work in Linux with 3D hardware accelerated video. I wouldn't go near a box with AMD or Nvidia video that old for Linux.

[DeathDancer]

Actually the GM45 gpu came out in 2006 so it's older than you thought. However, Intel support for their old hardware is the best, it has nothing to do with whether you're running Mint or any other distro. That card may only have opengl 2.1 but it's going to work in Linux with 3D hardware accelerated video. I wouldn't go near a box with AMD or Nvidia video that old for Linux.

I was only referring to the date that the Dell E6400 first appeared on the market, without respect to the chipset it was built with.
However since you brought it up...
The Dell E6400 specs from:
https://www.itechguides.com/product-spe ... 400-specs/

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    Processor: Up to 2-core Intel Core 2 Duo T9900, 3.06 GHz, 6 MB Cache
    Memory: Up to 8 GB 800 MHz DDR2
    Storage: Up to 250 GB 7200 RPM HDD, or up to 120 GB 5400 RPM HDD, or up to 128 GB SSD
    Graphics: Intel GMA 4500MHD, or NVIDIA Quadro NVS 160M 256 MB DDR2
    Display: 14.1”, WXGA (1280 x 800), or WXGA+ (1440 x 900)

And the List of Intel graphics processing units from here:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_I ... units#Gen4

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Graphics: Intel GMA 4500MHD
Launch: 2008
Market: Mobile
Code name: Cantiga
Chipset: GL40, GS40, GM45, GS45, GM47 
Device ID 2A42

It appears that the chipset and graphics are separate on these machines.
So we are both somewhat wrong on this one.

[norse]

By the look of it, your laptop can support an m.2 SSD - sata, not NVME (B-keyed, not M-keyed). However it seems as though some people have complained that this is a bit of a nuisance to install. That would be the first thing I would do to your laptop. You can then also keep your 1tb seagate HDD as a backup - storage.

It can only handle a maximum of 12 GB RAM by the look of it, so adding an additional 4GB or 8GB RAM card would be the second step I would take.

Then your laptop will be able to run any OS smoothly.

[norse]

But you're right of course. All those security updates for Windows are completely useless and just for fun. They're only issued because the Microsoft devs have nothing better to do and are getting bored stiff.

I think it serves the purpose of releasing new scanners to make sure you have legit windows licenses and no pirate copies.