Although it wasn't a requirement, I guess we were sort of encouraged to install Linux on our own for class. My husband and I did this some time ago with my old computer but he did most of it...I decided to scrap that and do it on my own this weekend (we weren't using the computer anyway). I had already created a live CD with Ubuntu, I do use that on my laptop occasionally when I want to mess around in Linux on there. I really love Ubuntu by the way...it's a great Linux distribution.
So my old computer happens to be an old eMachines (or eMashit as my friend likes to call it) that I purchased right out of college. It's hard to be addicted to the internet with no computer so even though I had no job and my dad barely had me out of the house and living on my own did I feel I absolutely must have a computer. I used my Christmas money that year (about $100) to go out and by a new computer (about $70 after rebates). I got it with one of those CompuServe rebate deals that they had going on...I'm surprised my computer lasted the 3 years it took me to get out of the CompuServe deal. As a matter of fact I believe that computer latested about 4 years before we broke down and finally bought a new one. Sometime after then was when Alex and I decided to start messing around with installing Linux on that one. We bought the Linux for Non-Geeks book which also came with a Fedora Core installation. Fedora is great but it ran unbelievably slow on that computer, which is why we never used it.
Fast forward to now...I decided to try it again, only this time I wanted to try it with Ubuntu (well actually Xubuntu which is designed for slower computers). I tried most of the day on Friday and I couldn't get it to work. I may have been doing something wrong but after more investigation and discovered that my crappy computer only has about 32MB of RAM on it. I have no idea how I used this computer for 4 years without going crazy...it didn't take me too long to realize that even with 32MB of RAM I was going to have a hard time finding an OS to run comfortably on there...
I gave up on Xubuntu but I didn't give up completely. Saturday I was sitting around and thinking...there's got to be a Linux out there that will work! Of course I put my savy research skills to the test and I finally found one...Vector Linux. Well, I wrestled with that thing for a good part of the day yesterday and I had trouble installing that one too. Alex and I went out for coffee later in the evening and I told him that I was just going to give up...he told me I wasn't allowed. So I went back home and tried to figure out what I was doing wrong. It turns out not reading the installation instructions was the first thing (go figure)...the installation kept going into power save mode and I was hitting the wrong key to get out of it. Once I got that worked out I was on the right track and I had it installed by the end of the evening. I am also happy to say that the OS runs flawlessly on an otherwise crappy computer! I'm impressed! There's no lag time and there's some great applications on there...I even get my choice of desktop when I boot.
What am I going to use it for? Right now I'm learning Perl...we're coving it in class for like 1 day, I decided to just grab a book and try to learn it on my own. We're also covering C and C++ on another day. I took 2 semesters of C++ in college so I'm not much worried about that. I was using my live Ubuntu for learning Perl but I couldn't save files on there (no biggie though). The only problem with that particular computer is that I can't put it on the network. One thing at a time I guess :)
I think I've worked out my overall computer plans though. I'm about due for a new laptop, I have decided that my next laptop will be with Windows Vista...why not take the leap! My next laptop will also be smaller and easier on my back while going back and forth to school. I will then attempt to restore Windows XP on my current laptop and then I'll dual boot it with Ubuntu. I really do believe you can never have too many Operating Systems laying around ;)
Wow, impressed that you got something running on 32Mb. Mind you, my first PC after university was a Dell with that much memory, and I installed SuSE on it back then, and it worked (although I had no clue what I was doing with Linux, at the time). That same box now lies gutted somewhere in my mother's house, since we upgraded her system last year.
Re: Vista. I note that it should be generally available in the UK tomorrow. I'm not sure about upgrading. With both Win2K and WinXP I was running the betas well before the final versions were released - I am going to have to learn Vista to support customers as part of my job, so I probably shouldn't leave the upgrade too long. On the other hand I'm not convinced our home laptop will support it... and my work laptop won't be running it for a while... so I guess I won't touch it just yet.
If you're buying a new laptop, it absolutely makes sense to get one with Vista on it. In my case though, if I was going to get a new laptop, frankly I'm becoming more and more tempted by a laptop with OS X...
I guess I'm a little impressed I got something to work on that old computer too. I'm actually surprised I had so many programs running on there before...I know I had installed Office at one point, and even the original Sims and a couple of expansions. Of course the fact that I had to wait so long to play Sims was the reason we finally broke down and bought me a new computer (priorities!)
I actually think I went overboard with this laptop I bought...I wanted something way more powerful and I got it. It has some minor problems (sound card is one) but for the most part it still runs well. I think it just needs a fresh start and it'll be like new again (except now I'm having problems with Windows updates because I never did install SP2).
Once I started school my complaint is now its portability...it's just way to heavy to cart around all over the place.
I kind of wrestled back and forth whether to get Vista. I think I finally decided that I could wait until after it was release to buy a new computer, and then it'll be better to get one with it installed. I did look at deals where you could get the free upgrade but just buying it installed would be much optimal. I think it's releasing in the US tomorrow too...
I have heard good things about it. I think since I'll be keeping my old XP laptop then I won't feel too bad about getting another computer with Vista on it...we'll see how it goes :)