what spin of mint for low tech windows user?
Forum rules
Do not post support questions here. Before you post read the forum rules. Topics in this forum are automatically closed 6 months after creation.
Do not post support questions here. Before you post read the forum rules. Topics in this forum are automatically closed 6 months after creation.
- wutsinterweb
- Level 6
- Posts: 1042
- Joined: Tue Feb 28, 2017 2:14 am
- Location: Connecticut, USA
what spin of mint for low tech windows user?
I've got an associate who has finally come around to wanting Linux for his dad for just basic browsing and video streams. He's kinda low information, a carpenter. Which DE/Spin of Mint would you suggest for him? Why? I'm not sure Cinnamon is the best one, not sure about KDE either. I want long-term support.
Last edited by LockBot on Wed Dec 28, 2022 7:16 am, edited 1 time in total.
Reason: Topic automatically closed 6 months after creation. New replies are no longer allowed.
Reason: Topic automatically closed 6 months after creation. New replies are no longer allowed.
I've been using Mint for over 4 years, but I'm still a slow learner. I have a website: https://pickfetish.com. It is dedicated to guitar/instrument picks.
- Pjotr
- Level 24
- Posts: 20092
- Joined: Mon Mar 07, 2011 10:18 am
- Location: The Netherlands (Holland) 🇳🇱
- Contact:
Re: what spin of mint for low tech windows user?
Cinnamon would be fine, but perhaps Mate and Xfce are even simpler to use.
In my experience, low-tech users are usually the easiest folks to support, because they don't tinker and tweak.
Just configure Update Manager to show only preselected level 1, 2 and 3 updates and make level 4 totally invisible. Install those level 4 updates once or twice a year yourself, when you drop by for a visit. That's what I do....
In my experience, low-tech users are usually the easiest folks to support, because they don't tinker and tweak.
Just configure Update Manager to show only preselected level 1, 2 and 3 updates and make level 4 totally invisible. Install those level 4 updates once or twice a year yourself, when you drop by for a visit. That's what I do....
Tip: 10 things to do after installing Linux Mint 21.3 Virginia
Keep your Linux Mint healthy: Avoid these 10 fatal mistakes
Twitter: twitter.com/easylinuxtips
All in all, horse sense simply makes sense.
Keep your Linux Mint healthy: Avoid these 10 fatal mistakes
Twitter: twitter.com/easylinuxtips
All in all, horse sense simply makes sense.
- AZgl1800
- Level 20
- Posts: 11173
- Joined: Thu Dec 31, 2015 3:20 am
- Location: Oklahoma where the wind comes Sweeping down the Plains
- Contact:
Re: what spin of mint for low tech windows user?
My search turned me to the Cinnamon version simply because Cinnamon uses the same keyboard shortcuts, and GUI appearance and results as us old Windows users are accustomed to....
Having been with Microsoft since the days of DOS, several versions of that 1.0 thru 3.0 thru 6.x and then Windows 3.0 appeared.... all the way thru Win7 and Win8.x....... then they brought out Win10 and I jumped ship.
I am now using only Cinnamon 18.3 and with Virtualbox installed ( direct from Oracle ) I can now dabble in all of the other versions of Linux, from any distro to see how they feel.
Having been with Microsoft since the days of DOS, several versions of that 1.0 thru 3.0 thru 6.x and then Windows 3.0 appeared.... all the way thru Win7 and Win8.x....... then they brought out Win10 and I jumped ship.
I am now using only Cinnamon 18.3 and with Virtualbox installed ( direct from Oracle ) I can now dabble in all of the other versions of Linux, from any distro to see how they feel.
Re: what spin of mint for low tech windows user?
Mate was easier for me as an (mostly) ex-Windows user.
- CaptainKirksChair
- Level 4
- Posts: 456
- Joined: Sat Feb 18, 2017 9:29 pm
Re: what spin of mint for low tech windows user?
I use Mint Cinnamon. It's the flagship Desktop Environment for a reason. All of the DE's are configurable but no matter which one I've tried (Mate, Xfce, KDE) I always find myself back at Cinnamon. I guess it's just comfortable. It is somewhat similar to Windows but once you configure it to your liking, any similarity to Windows really doesn't matter.
Here's a screen shot of my Cinnamon 18.2 desktop. I use the Alu theme with Cairo Dock and Mac4Lin.
Here's a screen shot of my Cinnamon 18.2 desktop. I use the Alu theme with Cairo Dock and Mac4Lin.
Re: what spin of mint for low tech windows user?
I like either Cinnamon or XFCE. I have a fairly powerful desktop computer, and I run Cinnamon on that. I also have an older laptop that I run XFCE on. There are a few things that I like about Cinnamon that I was unable to duplicate in MATE, but I was able to duplicate them in XFCE. I am going to be putting a new hard drive in my desktop soon, and will probably switch over to XFCE at that time. I like the idea of using all my memory and CPU for applications, rather than burning it up in the OS and desktop. XFCE is very frugal.
“If the government were coming for your TVs and cars, then you'd be upset. But, as it is, they're only coming for your sons.” - Daniel Berrigan
Re: what spin of mint for low tech windows user?
So true. A litttle knowledge is a dangerous thing. Particularly with computers.
For every complex problem there is an answer that is clear, simple, and wrong - H. L. Mencken
Re: what spin of mint for low tech windows user?
This is exactly what I have done as well for my wife, sister and a l"low-tech" good friend. For my wife I did have to explain how to manage the file extensions for Libre Office vs MS Office and was surprised how well my sister dove into GnuCash to replace Quicken. My friend and his wife essentially just need a OS to run Chrome, their browser of choice, so they were easy.Pjotr wrote: ⤴Sat Feb 24, 2018 1:33 pm Cinnamon would be fine, but perhaps Mate and Xfce are even simpler to use.
In my experience, low-tech users are usually the easiest folks to support, because they don't tinker and tweak.
Just configure Update Manager to show only preselected level 1, 2 and 3 updates and make level 4 totally invisible. Install those level 4 updates once or twice a year yourself, when you drop by for a visit. That's what I do....
I also do all of Pjtor's tweaks from his website plus a few of my own and set up firejail and change the DNS away from the ISP ( I have recently been using quad9 although I like OpenDNS as well). I relabel the menu to START and put a few shortcuts that they are familiar with on the desktop as well. I try to make sure they know and understand why I am making changes but in every case I can tell they are not really interested as their eyes glaze over and it it obvious they don't really care and just want a system that works an is easy to use.
I relabeled menu to START and put a few shortcuts that they were familiar with on the desktop
- Night Wing
- Level 4
- Posts: 474
- Joined: Wed Dec 25, 2013 10:21 pm
- Location: Piney Woods of Southeast Texas
Re: what spin of mint for low tech windows user?
For all of my friends who I turned on to linux Mint, they are all Windows OS refugees. They all got fed up with Windows 10. They all now use 64 bit Mint with the Xfce desktop environment and they all are quite happy.
Linux Mint 21.3 (Virginia) Xfce
MX Linux 23.2 (Libretto) Xfce
Linux Debian 12.5 (Bookworm) Xfce
MX Linux 23.2 (Libretto) Xfce
Linux Debian 12.5 (Bookworm) Xfce
Re: what spin of mint for low tech windows user?
No Mint or Linux version will be that much like Windows ... even if you got it to look like Windows it doesn't work like it ... but I think Mate is a good choice here.
For every complex problem there is an answer that is clear, simple, and wrong - H. L. Mencken
Re: what spin of mint for low tech windows user?
Mate or Xfce, especially if the hardware is older.wutsinterweb wrote: ⤴Sat Feb 24, 2018 1:31 pm I've got an associate who has finally come around to wanting Linux for his dad for just basic browsing and video streams. He's kinda low information, a carpenter. Which DE/Spin of Mint would you suggest for him? Why? I'm not sure Cinnamon is the best one, not sure about KDE either. I want long-term support.
KDE is nice and bleeding edge (and not always in a good way). LM is not focusing on KDE any longer after 18.3. KDE is way different than the others because it's foundation is QT C, where Mate, Xfce, and Cinnamon foundation is GTK.
Last edited by lmuserx4849 on Tue Feb 27, 2018 1:58 am, edited 1 time in total.
- wutsinterweb
- Level 6
- Posts: 1042
- Joined: Tue Feb 28, 2017 2:14 am
- Location: Connecticut, USA
Re: what spin of mint for low tech windows user?
Well, it seems that it's a toss up to some extent so I just installed Cinnammon since I'm using it also so I can support over the phone and also I couldn't get a VB 5.1 of Mate working that accepted guest add. so I couldn't check it out.
If he complains about Cin, I'll do something simpler. It's a recent gen i3 with a 1TB drive, though only 4 GB RAM, I'm pushing for them to add a stick, but first things first.
If he complains about Cin, I'll do something simpler. It's a recent gen i3 with a 1TB drive, though only 4 GB RAM, I'm pushing for them to add a stick, but first things first.
I've been using Mint for over 4 years, but I'm still a slow learner. I have a website: https://pickfetish.com. It is dedicated to guitar/instrument picks.
Re: what spin of mint for low tech windows user?
That's a fine reason. I don't think any of the desktop environments is inherently more 'complicated' than the others; once your associate can open the applications he needs from icons on the desktop, or from the menu, and they work the way he expects them to, he will probably be fine most of the time. And for those other moments there's the phone.wutsinterweb wrote: ⤴Tue Feb 27, 2018 1:26 am Well, it seems that it's a toss up to some extent so I just installed Cinnammon since I'm using it also so I can support over the phone
If your issue is solved, kindly indicate that by editing the first post in the topic, and adding [SOLVED] to the title. Thanks!