Best Of

@Twi5tidDragon said:
Is Xubuntu pretty much a different OS that would pretty much replace the XP OS that is currently on that laptop? and do i just.... download it and then burn it to a disc, then run it in the laptop?

You would download it, burn it to a disc, boot from the disc, and use the automated installer with whatever option it uses for the "clean" install. It will format your hard drive and install the Xubuntu (or whichever you got) distribution of the Linux operating system.

Without getting too much into semantics, Linux is technically the name of the kernel, the core part of the operating system which provides the interaction between hardware and software. For comparison's sake, there have been like 3 different Microsoft kernels ever (DOS, 9x, and NT) and each different version of Windows is just a permutation of difference user experience elements running on top of some version of one of these kernels. Since about 2000, all Windows OSes have used progressively newer versions of the NT kernel. Similarly for Linux, lots of different distributions are available which combine different elements of user experience but all share the same low-level functionality.

Stop reading now if you don't care about the Linux and free software ecosystem.

Xubuntu packages the lightweight XFCE desktop environment with Canonical Corp's favored software load and Linux kernel. Ubuntu packages the heavyweight Unity desktop environment with the same, and Kubuntu packages the alternative K desktop environment with the same. Ubuntu is generally derived from the Debian distribution and if you don't care for Canonical's take on the OS you can always run Debian. Most people don't like Debian because they're strict about what kinds of open source licenses they allow for software in their mainline package catalog. This can be worked around if you like to use software with not totally pure open source licenses (like Firefox) or commercial licenses like Steam. Canonical's Ubuntu is much more lax about these kinds of licenses. Another popular Debian derivative is Mint, which packages the heavy-duty Cinnamon desktop environment but in my experience isn't as zany as the Canonical distributions which patch Canonical services into other software to "provide a consistent user experience".

I personally use Gentoo at home. Gentoo is not a user-friendly operating system, it trades convenience for versatility. It can be made to do anything extremely well if you have the patience to learn how it works. Arch Linux is in a similar vein but distributes software in binary form which can be run as a program just like you downloaded it off the Internet. Gentoo distributes software in source code form which it then compiles into software based on configuration parameters you set which govern how your system interfaces should be defined. There are a few derivatives of each of these which simplify use for things like desktop and embedded systems (Sabayon and Ratgen respectively). If you don't know what an embedded system is then you don't have one.

I run Xubuntu at work. It is a modern OS with a full set of software but like all things has its quirks. My least favorite Ubuntu quirks are update patches that render the system unbootable; these are easy enough for me to resolve since I've been using Linux for years but they're pretty aggravating for newbies. Use all the default options at install-time (particularly with regard to disk partitioning) to reduce your chances of having these problems. My software picks for Xubuntu are:

• Web browser: Firefox
• E-mail: Thunderbird
• Office: LibreOffice
• Video playback: VLC
• Audio playback: Audacious
• Games: Steam
• IRC: HexChat
• IM: Pidgin with plugins for whichever network you wanted to use

I think the normal installer ISO is a DVD image but there's also a minimal CD if you are lacking in DVD drive. Hopefully your box has a DVD reader because the minimal CD has a crummy user experience.

Zorin is a good distribution but with his ten year old laptop I'd recommend Xubuntu. http://xubuntu.org/

The main problem will be if the wireless is going to work. My highest recommendation goes to the Asus USB-N13 for Linux users. It's as plug and play a wireless adapter that I have found. Works in Linux every single time, in every single configuration and distro without fussing with anything in the command line. You plug it in, wireless internet works, and it's N300 to boot so it offers pretty good performance. If you are considering Linux to breathe some life into that old laptop, and you are disappointed with the WiFi performance, definitely pick this up. http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16833320040&cm_re=asus_wifi_adapter--33-320-040--Product

@Cliff_Forster, I haven't used Xubuntu much, but it also has the Windows 7 style menu, so should be easy enough for a Windows user. I don't use Linux enough to want to learn a lot of real computer stuff. But Linux works and there are many flavors. And its free.

Thanks for the WiFi advice. I was planning to install Linux on an old laptop that will probably need an adapter.