Linux distro recommendation for Windows users on old laptop

[VCSkier]

I have some friends that have an old laptop (purchased in 2000 or 2001) who have become very frustrated with Windows' performance on it. I'd like to offer to install a Linux operating system on it for them, but I'm not sure what distribution would be intuitive and/or lightweight enough for them to use and be completely satisfied.

They aren't particularly computer savy, and have a young child, so don't have alot of time to learn the intricacies of a complicated operating system.

Here are the options and concerns that come to my mind:
Xubuntu (is it light enough)
Fluxbuntu (is it easy and stable enough)
Gebuntu (is it stable and light enough)
gOS (will it run on a laptop and is it stable enough)
MEPIS antiX (is it easy enough)

I have no personal experience with any of the distributions on this list with the exception of Xubuntu, and that brief experience was when the project was first officially adopted. So any advice is greatly appreciated.

What on, or off, this list would you recommend? Keep in mind, the laptop is 7 years old, and ease of usability for a Windows user is the first priority. I will be able to install and setup the operating system for them but will not be there to administer or maintain it, they must be able to handle it on their own. Thanks!

[Herman]

What are the machine's specs? Some older machines are still pretty good if they have enough RAM. It depends on what they're likely to want to use it for too.

I think Gnome (Ubuntu) is the simplest to use, but maybe that's only because I'm so used to it.
There are some really great video tutorials you can download for them and give them to watch here, screencasts.ubuntu.com.
If they watch some of those that should help them a lot. They're good for anybody, I learned a lot from them myself.

Often it's better when people don't have a lot of computer knowledge get the chance to learn Ubuntu first, because that way they don't learn a lot of wrong ways to do things that they need to 'unlearn' again. Some new users just take to Ubuntu like a duck to water. Actually, it's a lot easier. All they have to do is use it. There's not much to go wrong really.

Regards, Herman

[Rumor]

I've an older laptop as well. i don't know how old it is in terms of years, but it is a P2 / 233 with 64 megabytes of ram. It has no on-board LAN capability and I have not as yet bought a PC card for it to tie it into my home network.

It is currently running Antix on it. Antix runs quite well. It was the only distro I tried that installed without any issues and gave me a very nice looking screen with crisp font rendering. It uses fluxbox and the menu is already set up. I am very happy with it, so I recommend you give it is a look.

http://antix.mepis.com/index.php/Main_Page

[Deach]

I have a Dell inspiron 4000 with 600 mhz and 256 of ram. I'm curious too. I Installed kubuntu but that lagged some (ok pretty much) and got the xcfe desktop which would make it xubuntu basically. It runs way better with that on it. I was reading at another forum though that there's ways to trim the fat off the KDE desktop and make it pretty usable too.

I guess I'll try some of the others mentioned too. I've checked the live cd running on a couple of builds but obviously that was sloooooow. I'll keep an eye out here and see what others are using.

[elithrar]

I have a Dell inspiron 4000 with 600 mhz and 256 of ram. I'm curious too.

Fluxbuntu would be ideal for a system like that, IMO. You get all the basics - word processing/spreadsheets/email/web-browsing - and you can easily add on a basic music app if wanted.

[exploder]

I think Antix or Fluxbuntu but if the machine is really old then Vector might be another distribution to consider. I have got Vector Linux running on some old machines where nothing else would work. Vector optimizes itself the first time you boot up and the end result is a very fast system.

Just my two cents!

[tdrusk]

puppy linux

amazing

[K.Mandla]

What on, or off, this list would you recommend? Keep in mind, the laptop is 7 years old, and ease of usability for a Windows user is the first priority. I will be able to install and setup the operating system for them but will not be there to administer or maintain it, they must be able to handle it on their own. Thanks!

Can you be specific about the laptop's guts? Knowing more technical points might help suggest a proper distro. (I have two 7-year-old laptops, but one is a 1Ghz machine and the other is 550Mhz, just as an example.)

Off the bat, I'd say if you weren't going to be around to help them with it, you're going to want something simple to maintain and more or less self-sufficient. Go with one you think is intuitive for adding and removing software, and more or less sets itself up.

I'd experiment with Fluxbuntu (with Synaptic) and Mepis AntiX, and with Wolvix, or maybe Ubuntulite, although it's still not quite finished. All of those performed great for me on an old (sub-500Mhz) laptop. Try them all out briefly and see which one does the best job setting itself up and seems easiest to manage.

[tdrusk]

If you're not going to be around to help him with it put vlc on both of your computers.That way you can be there without being there.

[Deach]

OK...I'll try fluxbuntu and look at antix. Thanks I've just got a couple of these around and thought I'd try to get them going again.