I am new to Linux. I want to learn how to build Arduino data loggers and have a few ideas for using Rasp Pi. Has anyone used a Dell laptop as a standalone Linux machine? The reason I ask is that my old Dell Inspiron 6000 hard disk crashed a few months ago, bought a new one laptop, but I still have the old one that just needs a new hard drive. I lost the dell recovery cd and would like to use the laptop to teach myself linux.

Burn a live DVD or USB stick and give it a try. No reason not to

That's a little like asking if anyone has used a Ford truck to haul anything from one place to another,... And the answer is yes,... Lots of people here...

JV2112 has it right... burn a distro and get going,... don't be shy asking for help...

"Has anyone used a Dell laptop as a standalone Linux machine?"

I'd guess a few million or so.

You might be able to use the old desktop as it is. Boot to a network. www.netboot.me is a neat trick.
Live cd/dvd's and usb's could work. In fact a real install to a usb drive may be fine. Flash drives in the 8G range cost almost nothing.

One may find that running a free virtual machine on a newish system would be excellent to try. It is very easy and safe.

I am a teacher at an alternative school and I like to think there are no stupid questions. That being said, I shall now expose my ignorance by revealing how I gave up trying to get any distribution to work on an old HP. I gave up but we did recently get an old Dell D620 with 1 gig and a 20 GB drive easily install Ubuntu 12... ... So welcome! I am trying to set up a teaching lab to learn networking with Linux ... And I need some old computers or parts for my class to work with. Does anyone near Tulsa have any old computers laying around they might donate to an Alternative School Teacher? Reidbarcus@gmail.com