domainator2010 said:

My God! - that looks SEXY! I'm on Mint too, but my screen looks *nothing* like that - which desktop is that you're using?

Is that Mint *18*, btw?

Mint Mate' 17.3 Rosa. I've tweaked and optimized my desktop just as I want it, I'm not touching it! The HP latop, will get Mint 18 xfce, which was just released.

Date/Time/ Computer specs: Conky Manager

iOS like taskbar: Cario Dock

Which can be found in Mint's Package Manager

I've updated the graphics card : Radeon R7 240 4GB DDR 123 bit

Updated the CPU: AMD FX-8150 8-Core Black Edition Processor Socket AM3+

Add a 500gb SSD as a backup.

The music, movies, pics, vdieos are all on a Raspberry Pi's / harddrives connnected to my router. My data can be accessed by all TV and Linux computers. Another Raspberry Pi / harddrive connected to my router, servers as my Cloud (Tonido) which has an Apple, Android, Linux app. Again I can access my data from my phone, iPod and laptops.

[Edited 8/7/16 9:48am]

Out of curiosity - what do you do that needs such a beefy processor and video card?

domainator2010 said:

Out of curiosity - what do you do that needs such a beefy processor and video card?

I'm a media buff. I've recorded and edited most of my YouTube videos on my Linux Desktop. I record and edit music on my Linux box. Upgrading the hardware comes in handy when I have to rip vinyl, CD or DVD to my hard drive. My music and movies are streamed from my Raspberry Pi's to my desktop....it keeps things stable and running smoothly. My self-build desktop is now 4 years old; the hardware upgrades I've added, I should be to get 8 more years of use. Oh, and I do have STEAM on this computer as well.

What do you mean your music and movies are *streamed* from your Rpi? Why not just put them ON the computer?

What games you playin' ?

domainator2010 said:

What do you mean your music and movies are *streamed* from your Rpi? Why not just put them ON the computer?

What games you playin' ?

That's sooooo late late 1990's donmainator.

Why not put it ON the computer. You can use the Rasp Pi as a NAS / media sever. They advantages are running a low cost Linux server 24/7. Having the connivance of being able to access our media from our computers, mobile devices, or TVs around the house. Very few people ever go to that section of our house were my Linux computers are set-up; it would counter productive to keep our stuff on A computer.

The Raspi Pi connect to router (using Kodi as our media server) allows us and guest to access movies and music from our family room or guest bedrooms. If you are an Android user, you can acces our media from your phone, tablet, or chrome book. I have Raspi Pi''s connected to every TV in the house... storing everything via router is particle.

================================

[Edited 8/8/16 16:55pm]

OK,..... you obviously have a much larger house and many more computers and TVs than I do....

domainator2010 said:

OK,..... you obviously have a much larger house and many more computers and TVs than I do....

Single guy (you) without children should be living light. When you been married a couple of decades (me) have a kid... things kinda expand.

I have to admire the tech intelligence of you guys...I have no idea what Linux or Mint is. All I know is that I need/want a laptop with plenty of memory to save my docs, pics and music and be able to navigate quickly when I need to multi-task between internet surfing and checking my email at the same time. That's about it.

Umm That's not tech intelligence - any fool can know a couple of brand names.
Tech intelligence would be writing some cool software, or making a cool website or something.

That's not memory btw, that's hard drive space - get a laptop with SSD, which, AFAIK, is better (it has no moving parts, and so it won't crash one day, and eat all of your stuff.)

Since you appear untech-savvy, please, post your queries here, I'll help you. I know what I'm talking about. For the most part (I haven't really kept up to date with recent hardware developments). But if I don't know something, I'll *tell* you.

For what you said btw, get the cheapest laptop you can find And USE LINUX

I just purchased a new Dell last week after my piece of crap Toshiba crashed a few months after Microsoft forced the Windows 10 download on me.

I wanted to try a Mac but two things kept me from it: the price and the screen size. I'm old, I need a larger screen. My Dell is 17". Most of the Mac's I looked at, the screens were no larger than 13+".

Did your Dell have Windoze preinstalled? ie. did you PAY for it??? (I hope not!)

When you say your Toshiba "crashed" - has the actual hardware gone bad? i.e. has the hard drive crashed? (if it hasn't then don't get rid of it!!!).

kitbradley said:

missfee said:

TD, why're you telling them to go to Windows 7???!!!

TD3 said:

missfee said:

I have to admire the tech intelligence of you guys...I have no idea what Linux or Mint is. All I know is that I need/want a laptop with plenty of memory to save my docs, pics and music and be able to navigate quickly when I need to multi-task between internet surfing and checking my email at the same time. That's about it.

Go over to (kitbradley also) amazon.com, type in Windows 7 laptops. Amazon has a nice inventory of new Windows 7 laptops. Amazon notebooks rival prices of refurbished over at eBay. I'd go with at Intel i5 or i7 Win Pro... 8gb of RAM. Stay away from HP's laptops. Here's an example below... I like Lenovo & Acers also. https://www.amazon.com/De...+7+laptops What brand and model of laptop do you have now?

I have an HP and don't remember the model number...I'll have to look at it when I get home this evening. I've had it since '07 and haven't used it in over a year because the battery wouldn't charge anymore. When it was working, it was slow as hell because I needed some more memory or something, IDK, I've had it looked at so many times in the past by computer guys who would fix it and then in another year and a half or so, it would get slow yet again. So when the battery went, I was just over it. I figured that I would just buy a new computer altogether since its old.

missfee said:

TD3 said:

missfee said: Go over to (kitbradley also) amazon.com, type in Windows 7 laptops. Amazon has a nice inventory of new Windows 7 laptops. Amazon notebooks rival prices of refurbished over at eBay. I'd go with at Intel i5 or i7 Win Pro... 8gb of RAM. Stay away from HP's laptops. Here's an example below... I like Lenovo & Acers also. https://www.amazon.com/De...+7+laptops What brand and model of laptop do you have now?

I have an HP and don't remember the model number...I'll have to look at it when I get home this evening. I've had it since '07 and haven't used it in over a year because the battery wouldn't charge anymore. When it was working, it was slow as hell because I needed some more memory or something, IDK, I've had it looked at so many times in the past by computer guys who would fix it and then in another year and a half or so, it would get slow yet again. So when the battery went, I was just over it. I figured that I would just buy a new computer altogether since its old.

Keep the HP computer because its still viable. If you want, "we can turn your old HP computer into a Linux-box. Depending on what your needs are and what you prefer, you can go with a Windows 10 or Win 7. Checkout the Windows 10 computer go to Wall-mart or Best Buy. But don't believe anything Best Buy sales Ass. Many of them don't know much about computers and those who do are only interested in pushing product / sales, not assist you in getting the best computer for your needs.

Nearly a decade old HP notebook... its running on DD2 RAM for sure. Its probably a 32-bit, and max RAM is 4gb.

We need the HP model number & Product Numberr (located on the bottom of the computer, the white tag) of your laptop.

Be that as it may use the Crucial scanner to see what type of RAM / HDD / SSD are compatible with your computer. The scanner is completely safe, after the scan is complete email to yourself for future reference. Crucial will ask you if you want to emai the info to someone, email it to yourself. Crucial.com - http://www.crucial.com/

Batteries for decade old laptops are dirt cheap, they run between $14 to $32 bucks. RAM should run for a matching pair about $25 bucks or less.

Decade old computer its probably time to get something else. The question is you've told use what you do with your computer. I'm not a fan of Windows 10, its spy-ware. I've spoken at length on what I mean by that. As of two weeks ago France told Microsoft they couldn't sale Windows 10 until it as compliant with their data protection laws they for users. Again read Microsoft Terms and conditions to see what you are agreeing to and what rights you will be signing away if you use a Windows 10 computer.

I'd go with a Windows 7 computer. As I said before Intel i5 to i7, minimum of 8gb of RAM, 1tb HDD. If you go with the Windows 7 then I can suggest the need software you'll need to keep your laptop running smoothly.

======================================================

[Edited 8/12/16 9:43am]

TD3 said:

I'd go with a Windows 7 computer.

I wouldn't! TD, why don't you enlighten her all about Linux? Since she *said* she doesn't know what it is, I think some basic info would be nice?

......."then in another year and a half or so, it would get slow yet again" sounds like our old pal Microsoft at work - missfee, wait for TD, and then maybe I'll chip in... Do NOT under any circumstances pay for Windoze till you've heard us out!!

domainator2010 said:

TD3 said:

I'd go with a Windows 7 computer.

I wouldn't! TD, why don't you enlighten her all about Linux? Since she *said* she doesn't know what it is, I think some basic info would be nice?

......."then in another year and a half or so, it would get slow yet again" sounds like our old pal Microsoft at work - missfee, wait for TD, and then maybe I'll chip in... Do NOT under any circumstances pay for Windoze till you've heard us out!!

Oh don't worry. The A/C in my house went out this week and I had to pay to get it fixed so you don't have to worry about me rushing out to buy anything computer related at the moment.

I also want to mention that when I received my laptop (as a Christmas gift in '07), it came pre-installed with Windows Vista on it. From my recollection, I believe the last computer guy who fixed my computer removed Vista and installed Windows 7 on it. He also mentioned that I needed to purchase about a couple of more GB's of memory for the computer because I was near full capacity (which he explained, at the time, was why my computer was running slower than normal). This was 3 1/2 years ago if my memory serves me correctly. So maybe I should really look into replacing that battery for my computer after all and see what's going on.

[Edited 8/12/16 11:23am]

I despise making a post or replying to threads like this when deal with stupid people are being stupid... case close!

Kobe said:

I despise making a post or replying to threads like this when deal with stupid people are being stupid... case close!

But yet you replied... For one its not that deep; your over reaction is puzzling. U MAD?

missfee said:

My computer is an HP Pavilion dv9500. If you need more info, I can orgnote it to you.

I've Org you some info. I didn't suggest a Linux-box straight off because Linux isn't Apple, Microsoft, its Linux. One of the issues we as Linux user have we sometimes think..... Microsoft and Linux aren't one and the same, its different. Apple, Microsoft, and Linux (I use the term OS, name loosely) have advantages and disadvantages.

Whatever you decide. I think missfee is capable of making up her mind... what's best for her. If and when you decide to purchase a new computer PC or Mac, keep your DV9000. I'd suggest Linux Mint because the interface is very similar to Windows 95, 98, XP, Vista, & 7. If you use your personal computer for surfing the web, switch between multi-tabs or access/store your media (photos, media, and music) Linux excels at this.

I scan my computer looking 4 a site... Somebody 2 talk 2, funny and bright... I scan my computer looking 4 a site... Make believe it's a better world, a better life... I'm about 2 go mad ... I'm gonna 2 go mad... If U ever let me knock it

TD3 said:

Kobe said:

I despise making a post or replying to threads like this when deal with stupid people are being stupid... case close!

But yet you replied... For one its not that deep; your over reaction is puzzling. U MAD?

domainator2010 said:

TD3 said:

I'd go with a Windows 7 computer.

I wouldn't! TD, why don't you enlighten her all about Linux? Since she *said* she doesn't know what it is, I think some basic info would be nice?

......."then in another year and a half or so, it would get slow yet again" sounds like our old pal Microsoft at work - missfee, wait for TD, and then maybe I'll chip in... Do NOT under any circumstances pay for Windoze till you've heard us out!!

Because I was thinking in terms of how missfee uses her computer --how she may use her computer in the future. She has no knowledge of Linux. In my humble opinion would be wrong if I didn't give an honest response to the original question PC or Mac. Since this is a Window's base society (as far as desktop computer goes) Missfee may have to use her computer for other things. Linux based computers aren't cheap and most 3rd party software developer's don't support Linux. This could be a factor or a non-factor.

But I'm convinced for many, people Linux is a viable option. I'm a Mac and Linux user... until 2 months ago I was a Windows user, until HP died. Linux a progress to a point, when my 13 month old HP Win 7 "died", I didn't feel the need to replace it.

TD3 said:

But I'm convinced for many, people Linux is a viable option. I

...for a 9 yr old machine, I'd say it's the *only* option - surely you don't think she should get her battery replaced just to install Vista on it??!! (i think even Microsoft acknowledges that that was a heap of shit!) If she has no knowledge of Linux, why don't you TELL her?? How can she make up her mind if she doesn't know the other option available to her???

missfee, yes, you should indeed get your battery replaced, after that you need to google "linux", or even better, youtube it. it's hard for me to give the "consumer" viewpoint all the time, which is why I told TD to chip in first. what you'll probably need to do is to install a slightly older Linux (they're called "distros"), or a version that has been putting out recent releases, but is meant for older hardware (AntiX is one, AFAIK, Bodhi is another). get started doing that youtubing, see if you can find a video for beginners, and I'll explain more to you step-by-step as we go on... (2nd step would be to youtube for "desktop environments" or "comparison of desktop environments" or something like that....)

...oh and btw, Mint's interface is like Win's, it's true (that's not necessarily good), but i've been having quite a few problems on mine, the one I have here....

domainator2010 said:

TD3 said:

But I'm convinced for many, people Linux is a viable option. I

...for a 9 yr old machine, I'd say it's the *only* option - surely you don't think she should get her battery replaced just to install Vista on it??!! (i think even Microsoft acknowledges that that was a heap of shit!) If she has no knowledge of Linux, why don't you TELL her?? How can she make up her mind if she doesn't know the other option available to her???

missfee, yes, you should indeed get your battery replaced, after that you need to google "linux", or even better, youtube it. it's hard for me to give the "consumer" viewpoint all the time, which is why I told TD to chip in first. what you'll probably need to do is to install a slightly older Linux (they're called "distros"), or a version that has been putting out recent releases, but is meant for older hardware (AntiX is one, AFAIK, Bodhi is another). get started doing that youtubing, see if you can find a video for beginners, and I'll explain more to you step-by-step as we go on... (2nd step would be to youtube for "desktop environments" or "comparison of desktop environments" or something like that....)

After missfee and I spoke, her 9 year old computer has seen better days. It would have been a win win situtions for her to have a new laptop and test run Linux on her old noteboolk.

I'd suggest to those who've read this thread if you have an old desktop and/or laptop not being used, throw Linux Mint Mate' or XCFE ont it. I second your recommnedations pick a Linux Distro and see if its an option.

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[Edited 8/14/16 10:14am]