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General Forums => Hardware and Software => Topic started by: mthrockmor on February 15, 2015, 12:27:58 PM

Title: Thoughts on my second computer
Post by: mthrockmor on February 15, 2015, 12:27:58 PM
I have a second computer that my wife and daughter use, almost exclusively to surf the web. I know I can cut and paste info on this computer and get thoughts on upgrading it. How do I share the info, and once I've done that I'd be interested on thoughts.

For starters, it uses Windows XP. I know that is no longer supported, so I'm looking at Windows 7.

1. How do I post on here the specs on this computer?
2. Once I've been talked through that I would be interested in thoughts.
3. Will updating from XP to 7 help much?

Thanks in advance!

boo
Title: Re: Thoughts on my second computer
Post by: FLS on February 15, 2015, 12:45:07 PM
Udgrading XP to W7 will not increase performance. If you don't have enough memory you may see a little decrease.
XP will still run AH but it's not as secure for the web now as W7 or later.

From the start button menu select Run. Type in "dxdiag" without the quotes. Click Save All Information and you'll see a file called dxdiag.txt in My Documents. Open the file and scroll down to System Devices. Select everything above System Devices, copy it and paste it to your post.
Title: Re: Thoughts on my second computer
Post by: MrRiplEy[H] on February 15, 2015, 02:09:13 PM
If the computer is used mainly for surfing the web linux is by far the best option for the OS. It's free and secure.
Title: Re: Thoughts on my second computer
Post by: save on February 15, 2015, 08:02:48 PM
Some web-browsers plugin's do not always work that great in Linux (social stuff most girls like)  otherwise its a good platform as already mentioned.
Remember you will be the guy fixing her computer problems regardless  :aok

Laptops works sometimes great, sometimes not in Linux ( read driver issues) if you have odd old components in the laptop, desktops are generally better supported.
Best way of finding that out is by testing with a live-CD or live-USB that do not interfere with current installation.


Windows7 is great if you have enough memory  - it really like memory, XP is not even supported any more so that excludes it in my book.
Use the 64-but version if you decide for Win7, and if you need - buy more memory.

For windows, buy a good anti-virus that also warns for suspicious websites, and checks downloaded stuff before use.

I like Linux since you can get an old machine running much faster than with Windows, however expect some more internet reading / learning if you get into trouble with Linux than Windows in general.










Title: Re: Thoughts on my second computer
Post by: MrRiplEy[H] on February 16, 2015, 12:10:14 AM
Some web-browsers plugin's do not always work that great in Linux (social stuff most girls like)  otherwise its a good platform as already mentioned.
Remember you will be the guy fixing her computer problems regardless  :aok

Really? I haven't run into any - care to specify any you've found?
Title: Re: Thoughts on my second computer
Post by: save on February 16, 2015, 05:44:34 AM
this was last summer,  it was a Twitter add on in Firefox that where at best erratic.

Skype seem to work ok since version 4.-something, although i have had problem with setting camera to work on my HP laptop (guessing driver issues).

It's nothing new, most features work first on Windows, and some releases later it works flawless for Linux as well.


The 11.6" HP Im using have only 1gb memory and switching to Linux gave a much faster computer, though I still have to resync Bluetooth mouse now and then, something I did not have to do in Windows XP.

 
Title: Re: Thoughts on my second computer
Post by: MrRiplEy[H] on February 16, 2015, 05:58:59 AM
this was last summer,  it was a Twitter add on in Firefox that where at best erratic.

Skype seem to work ok since version 4.-something, although i have had problem with setting camera to work on my HP laptop (guessing driver issues).

It's nothing new, most features work first on Windows, and some releases later it works flawless for Linux as well.


The 11.6" HP Im using have only 1gb memory and switching to Linux gave a much faster computer, though I still have to resync Bluetooth mouse now and then, something I did not have to do in Windows XP.

 


I don't use twitter nor do anyone in my family so that's why I never ran into this issue.
Title: Re: Thoughts on my second computer
Post by: Randy1 on February 16, 2015, 06:47:40 AM
As I understand it w7 gets you a free upgrade to w10 but not xp.  Now that might not be a good thing. I don't know.

With a free upgrade, it looks like ms is trying to break away from older products that don't interface as well with all ms supported products.  W10 is suppose to be same-same for all ms supported products.  I am no expert on this so I might have misread the coming w10 event.
Title: Re: Thoughts on my second computer
Post by: save on February 16, 2015, 07:21:51 AM
Nor do I, my two teenage daughters do ...



I don't use twitter nor do anyone in my family so that's why I never ran into this issue.
Title: Re: Thoughts on my second computer
Post by: MrRiplEy[H] on February 16, 2015, 07:29:45 AM
Nor do I, my two teenage daughters do ...




There are however many non-browser twitter clients to choose from ;)