Pick the Best Operating System Software for older slow computers
See which operating system is best for the slowest old computers which still work.
An Operating System like Linux and Windows are software which is used by your computer to display text, videos, pictures, and other objects on your computer. It is also used to playback music, audio, and alerts, and for going on the internet. Operating systems are designed to talk to your computer hardware to display video on your monitor, and play sound on your speakers by using programs, and drivers.
I'll teach you how to pick the best operating system for your older computer or laptop since most new operating systems these days run slowly on older computer, or not at all. However, there are still a few operating system like Puppy Linux, Ubuntu, and Microsoft Windows XP which run great on older computer which have slower computer parts.
The main advantage of using an operating system designed for older computers is it is usually cheaper, or free if you choose to use Linux, or you found someone selling Windows XP for under 100 dollars. Plus, you can use your older computer to use software, or play games which do not work on newer operating systems and computers which run Windows Vista, or 7. This means you can save money by not needing to buy a newer computer to play old games, do homework, browse the web, and do office work. You also might save some electricity cost since older computers use less electricity in some cases compared to the faster power hungry computers of today. This means you'll be helping the environment by not throwing out your old computer while saving electricity which is also good, and money with lower electricity costs to run an old computer.
Running Windows XP operating systems or Linux operating Systems on computer which only have 1GB of RAM, and a 1GHZ CPU instead of running Windows Vista or 7 can make your underpowered computer feel super fast in some cases then running Vista, on 7 on a computer which can barely run Vista or 7, so running an older operating system on newer computers can make sense when your new computer is not powerful, or have only 1GB of RAM and a slow 1 GHz CPU.
You also might be safe for viruses designed for Windows 7, but not for XP like how Windows XP and 7 viruses can't install on Windows 98. Linux is generally immune to most viruses, and it is very hard to get infected by viruses by just surfing the web, or opening e-mails.
I'll also talk about very old computers built in the 1980s and early 90s which use command lines like MS-DOS, UNIX, and other old operating systems at the bottom of this tutorial.
List of Operating Systems for Older computers - Buy Operating Systems for older computers at Amazon.
Windows XP Pro, Windows XP Home, Ubuntu Linux, and Puppy Linux are great operating system for an older computer.
Windows XP, or Linux operating systems for Slower computers
Which operating system is best for your needs for running on a slower computer.
Windows XP would be a better choice if you use Microsoft Office, Dreamweaver, and other software which is not available for Linux. It is also easier to install software in Windows then Linux. Windows XP also supports more hardware, so you do not have to deal with your Internet modem, printer, video card, or sound card not working. It is also easier to install.
Linux based operating systems like Ubuntu, Puppy Linux, and Linux Mint sometimes run faster on older computers, and they are free to download, and use. However, they are slightly harder to use, and install software on. In some cases some hardware like soundcards, and network cards don't work in Linux. Most Linux distros come with more software which means you do not have to buy additional software for your computer since Ubuntu comes with an E-mail client, web browser, office suite, media players, etc. Linux is also more secure since there are not as many viruses for Linux compared to Windows.
I recommend you find a computer which has 512MB of RAM, and a 1GHz CPU, and a 20GB ( Over time, the more programs you install on your computer, and files you make or download will eat up a lot of free space on your hard drive, so you should at least get a 20GB drive or use a USB drive to store your files.) or larger hard drive if you choose to run Windows XP or Ubuntu since they both can use a lot of RAM, and CPU cycles during regular use. If your computer is slower, Windows 2000, NT, and 98 are a better choice, but 2000. NT, 98 are no longer supported by Microsoft anymore, so they do not get any new Windows Updates and features like Windows XP is still supported by Microsoft until 2014.
You can run Windows XP on a slower computer with a 300 MHz CPU, 1GB of RAM, and a 5GB hard drive, but it won't be very enjoyable.
Ubuntu can run on a computer with 1GHz CPU, and 384MB of RAM, a 10 GB hard drive but if you want it to run smoothly, I recommend 1GB or more of RAM, and a CPU faster then 1 GHZ. It is best to use Ubuntu 10.04, 10.10, or 11.04 since older versions of Ubuntu which are older then Ubuntu 10.04 are no longer supported by Ubuntu, so you no longer can get Updates for old versions of Ubuntu.
Puppy Linux, Lubuntu, and Tiny Core Linux are the best operating system for your old computer if you want to run Linux on a "very" old computer which was made in the early 90s to early 2000s.
Watch a video on how to install Windows XP on your computer. - Step by Step instructional video on how to install Windows XP on your computer.
Back up all your data first before you do a clean install of Windows. Doing a clean install of Linux is recommended since it is less likely to give you problems in the future compared to doing an upgrade install in Windows Explorer. Plus, it removes all the junk like viruses, spyware, adware, and outdated software which is slowing down your computer.
Recommended software for older Windows computers operating system to run securely and quickly - What Software do I recommend to keep Windows running decently on
It is important to keep all versions of Windows Operating System like XP, Vista, and 7 secure, but a lot of antivirus run slowly on slower computers with slower CPUs, and less then 2GB of RAM. However, Vipre Antivirus promises to keep Windows XP safe from viruses, and spyware while not slowing down your overall computer speed. Vipre has an Antivirus and Antispyware program, so you do not have to run another third party antispyware program along with your antivirus for keeping your PC secure.
TuneUp Utilities 2011 has a lot of great features like program deactivation, turbo mode, startup manager, disk defrag, disk clean up, and system tweaks which will tweak Windows XP to use less of your system resources, so it is faster, more reliable, and more enjoyable to use.
Videos on How to install Ubuntu Linux on your computer - Watch videos on how to install Ubuntu Linux on your home PC or Laptop.
You should first backup all your important files and folders before you begin the Ubuntu Linux install. If you want to install Windows along side Ubuntu, you should first install Windows then Install Ubuntu along side Windows on a separate hard drive, partition on a hard drive, or tell Ubuntu to install Ubuntu along side Windows, and how much space you want Ubuntu to use when it comes time to install the Ubuntu partition. You just need to move the slider on the disk partitioning screen during the Ubuntu Install.
Lubuntu and Xubuntu would be better versions of Ubuntu if your computer is very old, and does not have a fast CPU, and not a lot of RAM because both Xubuntu and Lubuntu come with desktop programes, and themes which are optimized to run quickly on a slower computer.
Learn more about Lubuntu at http://lubuntu.net/ or Xubuntu at http://xubuntu.org/
PuppyLinux the best operating system for most of the slowest computer - Puppy Linux is a CD based websites which let you run on your computer on most slow compu
Puppy Linux can run decently on a Pentium 2, 3, and 4 computer with 128MB or more of RAM. PuppyLinux comes with a web browser, a few games, programs, etc for letting you use your computer to do many tasks. PuppyLinux is easy to use, fast, and attractive.
PuppyLinux is a great way to get started and learn more about Linux for newbies since you do not need to install PuppyLinux, and it runs decently from a CD or flash drive with PuppyLinux on older computers, and run super fast on newer computers with faster computer hardware. You can even save your settings, third party software, the PuppyLinux system files to a hard drive, or even your USB Flash drive with PupyLinux installed on it, so you can load PuppyLinux faster on the next startup, or take your computer files, 3rd party programs, and settings with you to use on any computer if you choose to load PuppyLinux on a USB flash drive, or extenal hard drive.
PuppyLinux also can be a good operating system for thin clients which run programs and files off a more powerful server rather then the desktop computer.
Tiny core, and DSL Linux are also fast operating for older computers, but they are not easy to use as Puppy Linux.
Lubuntu desktop
Lubuntu desktop
Lubuntu - Best Ubuntu based operating system for older computers which previously run Windows XP
Lubuntu has been one of the best Ubuntu operating system for older computers.
I have been using Lubuntu which is a free operating system based on Ubuntu, but uses the LXDE desktop environment on a old Dual-Core CPU computer with only 1GB of RAM, and Lubuntu has been one of the fastest Ubuntu Linux based operating systems which I ever installed on my older computer. Lubuntu barely uses any CPU resources, and only uses about 140MB of RAM after start-up. The low system resource usage of Lubuntu will make Lubuntu a great operating system for older Windows XP based computers with less RAM, and a slower single or dual core CPU. It can also be installed on 10GB or larger hard drives, so you do not need a lot of space to install Lubuntu onto your hard drive. You can also run Lubuntu from the Live CD without installing it after you start your computer from the Lubuntu Live Install CD by leaving the install CD in your computer's cd drive as your computer is starting up when you turn on the power. Installing Lubuntu is pretty simple. I just need to follow the install instructions during the install of Lubuntu.
Lubuntu is compatible with all the same software like Firefox, Libreoffice, and Gimp which I can use in Ubuntu.
I like how fast Lubuntu starts up, and shutdown. It almost never slows down when I use it, and t rarely crashes like more heavy operating systems like Windows. Lubuntu is faster than Ubuntu because it uses the LXDE desktop environment which is a lot faster than the Unity desktop which is slower in my experience. The LXDE desktop environment also use less electricity/power than other Desktop Environment which means it will extend the life of your battery for laptops, and lower your power bill for desktops compared to using other desktop environment in Ubuntu like KDE, or Unity.
Lubuntu comes pre-installed with Firefox, Abiword, and other software which most users typically use, but I can easily install more software from the Lubuntu software center which is the program store for downloading and installing programs in Lubuntu. Plus, most programs are free like Lubuntu.
Windows 8 on a older PC with 512MB-1GB of RAM and slower single-core CPU - Windows 8 can run on slower computers with only 512MB of RAM or less.
Windows 8 which is Microsoft latest operating system can run on slower computers, so Windows 8 is a better choice then Windows Vista or 7 which need at least 2GB of RAM to run smoothly on a computer.
There are also videos on YouTube of Windows 8 being able to run on a computer with 128MB of RAM, and a slower CPU like 1GHz single core CPU.
I think Windows 8 would be the beginning of a new trend in Windows of making more lightweight operating systems which can run on slower computers like Netbooks, Nettops, Tablets, eReaders, and other slower computers.
Maybe in the future, your cable box, Game console, and other set top boxes will run Windows 8, or Windows 8 RT to allow cheap Windows computing for the living room to watch video, listen to music, play games, and view slide show videos from the comfort of your living room.
My Experience with Windows 8 on a computer from 2007
I personally have been using Windows 8 on an older Dual Core 1.8 GHz with 1GB of RAM, and integrated onboard graphics by Intel, and Windows 8 ran a lot smoother then Vista, and 7 which I previously installed on the same computer. Now I can watch HD 720P-1080P video on YouTube without slowdown like Vista and 7 with the same computer. All my programs also seem more stable, and open faster after I upgraded to Windows 8. My internet browsing experience also seems faster with Windows 8 because my web browser uses less RAM in 8.
If you have a slower Windows XP, Vista, or 7 computer or laptop with a 1GHz CPU, 1GB of RAM, 16GB of hard drive space, and a DirectX9 video card, I recommend you upgrade to Windows 8 32bit or Windows 8 Pro 32bit since it uses less RAM, and CPU resources then 7 and Vista.
If you want Windows 8 to be faster, and your computer have a slower CPU and less RAM like 1GB or less, disabling Windows Defender by searching for Windows Defender in Windows 8 Search on the right corner, and disable Windows Defender in Windows Defender settings under Real-time protection and Administrator, and uncheck real-time protection, and Turn on Windows Defender.
Lastly, install a more light weight Antivirus like Panda Cloud Antivirus. Using Panda Cloud Antivirus is a very light antivirus because it relies on the internet to detect and remove infected files. Learn more about Panda Cloud at http://download.cloudantivirus.com/
Immunet, Vipre, and eSet NOD32 are also very light antiviruses which use less RAM then other antivirus programs in Windows.
Windows Web browser sometimes use a lot of RAM and CPU cycles , so I recommend using web browsers which uses less RAM and CPU resources. Opera 12.10, Avant Browser and Green Browser for your web browser since they feel faster then Google Chrome, Internet Explorer, and other web browsers on an older computer which has less RAM.
Windows 8.1 and Windows 8.1 Pro 32 bit are good OS for older netbooks, laptops, and desktops - Windows 8.1 and Windows 8.1 Pro 32 Bit uses less RAM then 7, and
System requirements for Windows 8.1 32bit
CPU Processor: 1 gigahertz (GHz) or faster with support for PAE, NX, and SSE2 (more info)
RAM/Memory: 1 gigabyte (GB) (32-bit)
Hard disk space: 16 GB (32-bit)
Graphics card: Microsoft DirectX 9 graphics device with WDDM driver
http://windows.microsoft.com/en-CA/windows-8/syste...
I personally been using Windows 8.1 Pro 32bit on a slower HP a1720n desktop with no upgrades since I got the desktop pc. My desktop has a 1.86GHz dual core CPU, 1GB of RAM, Intel integrated onboard graphics, 320GB hard dribe, and onboard sound.
My desktop can now watch HD quality YouTube videos without slowdown problems unlike Windows Vista and 7 which tends to slowdown more when I watch videos in 720P-1080P fullscreen resolution on YouTube.com
My computer startup times, and opening programs in Windows 8 is also faster then 7 and Vista.
Windows 8.1 is the latest update to Windows 8, and it brings back the startmenu, and make 8 easier to use on the desktop for running desktop programs.
Google Android inexpensive computers - Google Android is a very light operating system which can run on older hardware which is slower.
I recommend Google Android as an operating system for a older computer since it loads very fast, and can run well on slower computers.
You can also buy a new Google Android computer or laptop for $200 or less.
It also has more well known apps and programs then Chrome OS which you can install in Android.
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