[lug] new install

[Ken MacFerrin]

Daniel Webb wrote:
> On Mon, Mar 05, 2007 at 11:25:27AM -0800, Bob Singleton wrote:
> 
>> I need help and advice.  I want to make the leap from windows to Linux. I'm
>> a little bit leary because I don't have an internal CD drive or floppy etc.
>> I do have an external CD/DVD drive. Should I anticipate a problem when my
>> old operating system is being deleted - will my computer be able to see the
>> external drive?   Also, someone recomend the best Linux system to install,
>> Red Hat, or what? I'm coming into this cold turkey.
>>    
>>     I have an IBM Thinkpad X30
>>   processor is pentium III with 1.06 MHz
>>   Memory is 128 MB
>>   Storage is 20 GB
> 
> Sorry to chime in so late, but:
> 
>  1) That's not much memory.  If you use any of Firefox, java, acrobat reader
> or OpenOffice, this is likely going to give you a bad impression of Linux,
> since all of those programs are obscene memory hogs in comparison to everthing
> else (on my system, they use the majority of 1.5G memory, and I have a LOT of
> processes running).  Those programs will eat up gigs of memory without
> trying.

I'd disagree.. those programs are only storing that much in memory
because it's available.  Firefox, java and adobe actually run quite well
under XFCE4 on an old 600Mhz, 192MB Ram ultraportable laptop I have
sitting around.  It almost feels snappy even.  I can't speak for OOffice
on that machine since Xubuntu installs AbiWord by default, but otherwise
it works quite well for light duty use..
-Ken