Geek Needed....,. Version 2.1

[MauriceMynah]

And now for something completely different.

I've just mended my old laptop. No, honestly I have ! .  I'm better with the hardware than I am with the software and so My old 'faithful' IBM T21 Thinkpad has been given a new lease of life... however, doing a spec check on it (speccy) I find that it hasn't got enough oomph to run windows 7 or 10 so it's stuck with Windows XP.

Now, Don't get me wrong, I like XP, but it seems to be a bit vulnerable right now what with it no longer being supported, so I find myself asking for the answer to one of two questions.

How do I best defend it (anti virus, firewall and the like, preferably free)... or...

What operating system should I go to?

Now Gentlemen, be gentle with me. Use small words and not too many of them. Treat me as you would a child who's been given his first set of coloured bricks. Thank you.  

[Regulo]

15 minutes ago, MauriceMynah said:

Treat me as you would a child who's been given his first set of coloured bricks. Thank you.  

Stop it! Don't put that in your mouth! Take it out of the dog. Pick it up. Naughty step for you. Go to your room. 

[grendel]

you could look at lubuntu (linux operating system). this is specifically designed for older machines, add a solid state hard drive and they are blisteringly fast (mine boots up in less than 30 seconds). it comes pre loaded with all the basics, its free and the hackers rarely bother to write viruses for it. I have put it onto machines that run xp slowly, and its been fast.

google lubuntu, download the software and burn it to a cd, then you will have a live cd you can try - you boot from the cd and it runs linux, if you like it you can load it to the machine (you can even load it alongside xp, and run one or the other.

just about every program has a free linux equivalent.

[MauriceMynah]

it looks like "2647-BG9" if that makes any sense John

and Thanks Grendel, I'll try Lubuntu, if I can get it to disc.   Ooooh I'm having a bad day!!!

[Regulo]

MM has now retired for a lie down in a darkened room while recovering from the shock.

[Timbo]

Wasn't the T61 the one with the impressive lady bumps up its jumper or was it the skinny one that ran around a lot before ending up like a broken barometer? Just be careful when you're tinkering MM...if that thing gains sentience...

[MauriceMynah]

Yes John, it is am IBM T23 Thinkpad (not 21 as I first thought) It has a new running battery and a new BIOS battery. It performs all the tasks I require for a computer on the boat, that is using MS word, MS excel, checking the Forum and checking my e-mail. It has no other purpose in life. however, as it is sometimes going to be networked to my home computers (when I've worked out how) I want it to have anti-virus and firewall protection.

Will the two MS office functions work on Lubuntu? I down loaded it but can't get the machine to load from the DVD I created.

Quite right Ray, I needed a long lie down after it was suggested I spent more than the price of a bottle of scotch on it. though I will consider an SSD if the machine can take it... how do I find that out?

[grendel]

you might need to go into the setup as the machine starts up and change the boot order to put cd before hard drive (it tells you the buttons to press at the startup screen before it starts loading the operating system. for office documents you use the free 'open office' or 'libreoffice' program, and it will do everything ms office would, and even looks and works pretty much the same, these programs normally come with the lubuntu operating system. firefox or chrome can be used as your browser, and I use sylpheed for emails, as easy (or easier) to set up as outlook with similar options for message rules and folders.

[MauriceMynah]

I've already altered the bios to look at the DVD drive for the boot, but I think on attempting to boot from that device it comes up with a very quick message (too fast for me to read) and goes into standard disc boot bringing up XP.

For my e-mail I use G-mail. I suppose that will still be ok.

[Vaughan]

I reckon it's the bilge pump. Try the float switch.

[Regulo]

57 minutes ago, Jonzo said:

. . .  hence why I suggested a decent but not crazily expensive replacement.

What can you get for £4.26p, a fluff-covered gob-stopper, two chipped marbles and a bent washer? MM's been saving up.

[Regulo]

But will ours?

[MauriceMynah]

Fair enough and thanks John. I think for the foreseeable, I'll make do with what I've got and just try to protect it as best I can.

I think Ray is suggesting that me being on-line whilst on Nyx, might be detrimental to the Forum, and in all fairness, he's probably right.

[Regulo]

That's me!