[lug] Recommendations For Older Hardware?

[Davide Del Vento]

> How fast is your target hardware?
I think this is key question. Given the title of the email, I suspect
not enough.

>  As my passionate Linux supporting yet Mac using friends say "It
> just works."  I wonder if that might be a more effective path to
> overcoming Windows problems?
Well, if all the users need is "to get on the web or check your
e-mail" (as Robert wrote), or (let me add) just read/write a random
"office" document without too much formatting or macro hoops, then
Linux works just fine, ESPECIALLY on older hardware.

As much as I don't like the path Ubuntu has taken (for my own wishes
of "how a desktop should be"), I understand that the general public
wants exactly that and I find all family and friends very happy with
Ubuntu. Even my old father in law, surely a non-geek guy, is really
satisfied. It just works. The only problem (that my in-law doesn't
have) is if you really need that proprietary software that's not
available on linux, but this is becoming less and less common nowadays
(not yet completely disappeared though: see every new faddish game for
your teenager, and that large, specialized app that doesn't like wine,
e.g. AutoCad).

I recommend trying the latest Ubuntu LTS and see if you (Robert) and
the less smart of your user likes it. I'll bet my 0.02$ that you both
will.

HTH,
;Dav
PS: Maxwell, have you tried inkscape instead of visio?