I'm working on fixing up an older computer...

[ntowakbh]

I'm fixing up an older computer for my Mom, and let me start by saying: I'm not installing Linux on it. I plan to install XP on it [please no XP bashing], I know Linux is better for older hardware, but she refuses to use Linux. One of my major questions is this: the computer has 64MB of RAM right now. What would YouTube and Flash videos look like on it? Would they be too choppy to watch? Or what? She only wants it for e-mail, web browsing, and IM. (all with the evil AOL *shudders*). Any advice/help?

[NightwishFan]

64mb is too light for Xp. If it runs you wont be happy with it. I would rather use WinMe on that computer. At least it would run. That is until you get plagued by malware. She really has no choice but to use Puppy/DSL/Fluxbuntu

[ntowakbh]

64mb is too light for Xp. If it runs you wont be happy with it. I would rather use WinMe on that computer. At least it would run. That is until you get plagued by malware. She really has no choice but to use Puppy/DSL/Fluxbuntu

I have some spare money, not much but enough for a RAM upgrade. What about 128MB?

[ntowakbh]

64mb is too light for Xp. If it runs you wont be happy with it. I would rather use WinMe on that computer. At least it would run. That is until you get plagued by malware. She really has no choice but to use Puppy/DSL/Fluxbuntu

I have some spare money, not much but enough for a RAM upgrade. What about 128MB? As I said, Linux is, unfortunately, not an option.

(not sure why, but when I edited, it was reposted a second time]

[NightwishFan]

=/ Hopelessly dependant on Windows eh? That kinda made me sick a lil' :)
(I say this because my mom used Linux she didn't see the difference)
128mb will work, it will creep a little but it will be usable.

[ntowakbh]

=/ Hopelessly dependant on Windows eh? That kinda made me sick a lil' :)

128mb will work, it will creep a little but it will be usable.

It's not so much that she is dependant, but that she just refuses to use try anything else! >.< Which is what is making this difficult. :p I've even tried making Ubuntu look just like her XP setup, didn't work.

[mips]

128MB will be slow but it will still work.

[kerry_s]

it will be useless with 128mb ram, once you add protection, anti-virus, firewall, anything else, it will come to a crawl, look like it's frozen, while it's maxing out the swap file. :(

[wolfen69]

it will be useless with 128mb ram, once you add protection, anti-virus, firewall, anything else, it will come to a crawl, look like it's frozen, while it's maxing out the swap file. :(

exactly. as i found out. you will need at least 256 ram to be functional. and after a while, when windows gets mucked up, it will slow down to a crawl. with 64ram, win98 is your only real option. :( if you can put another 64 in there, win2000 will run, although not great.

[Sef]

exactly. as i found out. you will need at least 256 ram to be functional.

XP really should be run with at least 512 mb ram. It can run on 256, but as has been stated. It will be slow.

[Iandefor]

XP on 128 MB of RAM skirts the very edge of usable. I've done it, but you basically can't multitask and it swaps like crazy and it's slower than molasses no matter what.

Youtube might be doable if you're using a lighter browser and you're not running any other applications.

With 64 MB of RAM, you may as well forget it. That might have been ample for Windows 95, but definitely not any Windows released this side of the Millenium.

[teet]

XP really should be run with at least 512 mb ram. It can run on 256, but as has been stated. It will be slow.

I ran XP with 256 mb of RAM for at least 2 years on my laptop. No problems whatsoever. I was using whatever Norton antivirus was out then (2003 or so).

I reinstalled XP on a friend's machine that only had 256 mb of RAM. Runs just fine as long as I don't install any antivirus (it still runs "OK" with antivirus installed, but it was noticeably faster without it). As long as you keep your system up to date, use firefox/opera/anything-that's-not-IE, and don't visit a bunch of warez/porno sites you shouldn't have to worry much about viruses.

I don't really have much experience with XP + 128 mb of RAM.

-teet

[myusername]

my sister kept complaining that her laptop sucked and i constantly told her its because you only have 128 mb of ram...it was a very fast machine it just needed some ram but seeing as how i was 14 at the time and my family is full of idiots she got a brand new pc and i got stuck with a crappy pentium 3 desktop

[Iam138]

@OP what's your entire system specs? RAM is only part of the eqaution although the others are dead on it will creep with 128MB even, probably bog with 512 even depending on the rest of the hardware i.e. CPU,HDD.

[wolfen69]

@OP what's your entire system specs? RAM is only part of the eqaution although the others are dead on it will creep with 128MB even, probably bog with 512 even depending on the rest of the hardware i.e. CPU,HDD.

i have a laptop that runs win98, and runs ok with only 32mb of ram. i just ordered another 128 and will be lookin good. 98 will scream with 160mb. and i only paid 25 bucks for it. (compaq presario 1247) got a nice case, original documentation, restore disk, all cables, etc. i was real happy with that deal.

when considering an OS to install, i believe RAM is the most important factor.

[Iam138]

i have a laptop that runs win98, and runs ok with only 32mb of ram. i just ordered another 128 and will be lookin good. 98 will scream with 160mb. and i only paid 25 bucks for it. (compaq presario 1247) got a nice case, original documentation, restore disk, all cables, etc. i was real happy with that deal.

when considering an OS to install, i believe RAM is the most important factor.

1. 98 is not XP.
2. What you believe and what's reality are 2 different things.

There's no such thing as a Presario 1247 that will "scream" but I suppose that's relevant. Lord help you if you get a hold of something as "fast" as a Pentium M or a XP-M lappy with a whopping 512MB of RAM and a 5400RPM HDD, you might have a heart attack.

[Jim!]

XP will not run well at all, you should just install DamnSmallLinux or something and tell your mum its XP. "thats what it looks like with 128mb ram" should be enough to convince her;)