Hi Everyone,

I have to make a decision. I am hoping for some help with this. I have been running OpenSuse for the past few years. I have 512mb ram and my OpenSuse was running very slowly.

I recently had to upgrade my OpenSuse because support ran out for the version I was using. Instead of installing OpenSuse KDE, I have tried OpenSuse LXDE. It is all a lot quicker until I open Firefox and Thunderbird. I can probably use a lighter email program, but I have to use Firefox as I use an Add-on for moderating a group. The machine nearly comes to a halt when I open these two programs.

So I am having a newer machine built. The computer man is offering me 1 Gb of memory. I was hoping for two so at least the machine will last a couple of new versions. The OpenSuse site states:
Main memory: 512 MB physical RAM (2 GB recommended)

So I will already be behind when I get a new machine if it only has 1 gb ram. I have asked for 2gb of ram, but that pushes up the cost of the machine quite a lot.

I like OpenSuse, but maybe it is time for a change. So any recommendations for user friendly distro? I like the fact that it is easy to get hold of most programs with Yast on OpenSuse and I like the community support, when I get stuck.

Regards

What kind of computer do you have built by a "computer man".
New computers that would run OpenSUSE start prices at 350 $ and memory cost around 25 $ / 2GB memory stick DDR3 type (used in new computers with Intel i3 CPU).

If that man is offering you expensive memory, than it is probably older type (like DDR2 or god forbid DDR1), but I don't know that, neither what your budget is.

Can you provide any specs of the computer that man is offering you?


I hope this helps.

good luck

I can only second what lithos said, RAM is pretty cheap nowadays and most systems are sold with 4GB or more by default. Having 2GB instead of 1GB should not ramp up the prices significantly.

How much is "quite a lot"? I just bought 8GB for my laptop for about $50...RAM is ridiculously cheap these days.

Until you get your new system, you might try a few others. DSL (damn small linux), slitaz, antix, puppy and maybe a few others are worth a try on it.

I wouldn't waste my money on a new system with only 1G. I'd wait until a new one with more could be bought. Sheeze. $99 buys a used system with warranty that has a 1G stick in it.

Hi

Thank you for your responses. I have been away and done some further research. We live in the UK. I haven't bought a new computer in decades as in 6 months a new machine has dropped so much in value. So we always buy second user.

I didn't realise you could just get a tower new, I thought you had to buy the monitor, mouse, printer and keyboard. So I have had a look at some new prices. Argos sell a pc tower with 4gb ram, 3ghz processor for £399. PC world sell a new pc tower for £260 2gb ram, they also sell for about £220 refurbished machines with 1gb ram.

So my computer man was selling me two computers for £150, both with 1 gb ram, 2400 ghz processors, both with Windows XP (he doesn't do linux). My machine comes with Windows XP on a 8 or 10 gb partition and he leaves the rest of the hard drive to me. Yes, the memory is DDR, because I am asking for 2gb of memory the price will go up because he will have to buy it in at a cost of about £50. I think there is only one company who still sells it.

I would like to say we are poor. Yes we are when you look at our yearly income, but I don't feel poor, I just know we have to manage with what we have. I have two children 15 and 11 years old, they both have laptops with 1 gb of ram, they also will share one of the newer desktops, which will be an upgrade for them from 512mb to 1gb memory. The 11 year old has just moved up from an old laptop with 128 mb of memory and a 363mhz processor, after showing over a year that she could be responsible and not break it.

I have an even older laptop that I use just as an ebook to read in bed.

So we could probably afford one very nice pc and a decent laptop, but we are happy with the way we use resources. I have only considered changing my pc for a laptop, but I don't see laptops as that repairable? At the moment I can get the tower fixed; pick up a monitor cheaply; or a mouse; or keyboard, I don't think this is so easy with a laptop.

I have also had a look at Firefox hardware requirements and it is 256 mb (a hungry little monster).
The other thing I have started doing is opening Firefox with the tabs I need to moderate the groups and then opening Midori for me and it seems to be running a bit faster. There are things I try to do with Midori, that are not there, but it is not the end of the world.

So maybe my question now is:
Is it a better idea to take the 1 gb now and go for better machine with motherboard in just over a years time?
Or should I pay the extra for the 1 gb of memory now and get a few years out of it?
Also still trying to find a user friendly distro, that doesn't use as much as OpenSuse?

Thanks again for your responses, it has given me something more to think about.

OpenSUSE only uses a couple hundred megs of RAM, maybe 2-300 most of the time if you're running a light desktop. It's the email and web browser that are killing it, and that will be the same regardless of the distro. I have 2GB of RAM on my netbook and I still sometimes have issues opening thunderbird and chrome at the same time, depending on what I'm doing.

Chrome and Firefox are both VERY RAM-hungry...the 256GB they say in the requirements is nothing, they can both easily push 500+MB. On my 4GB Win 7 desktop I can't have both Thunderbird and Chrome open at the same time, together they suck down over 2GB and run the machine dry (Win 7 uses 1-2GB itself).

I hate to say it, but it's really getting to the point where you need at least 4GB of RAM to run any of the new web browsers and email clients steadily without dipping into swap, and leaving yourself some overhead for other tasks. It shouldn't be that way, but in my experience it is.

I have had a play with some liveCD's, but not used any day in day out. Will my experience be different to using OpenSuse KDE and OpenSuse LXDE to say Puppy Linux? That is LXDE seems much faster than KDE, but as soon as I open Firefox and Thunderbird it all slows down. I know these OS's are very small, I presume I will experience a much faster system than with LXDE? I realise Suse is really big even with LXDE.

I will definitely consider waiting a while. Unfortunately, in the UK you are looking at £80 to £100 for that. I have been checking on Ebay and I notice that Ebay have started offering a warranty at £41.99. So that pushes the price up to £150. I have just run that through a converter = $235

Thanks, this is helpful. So changing from Thunderbird to something else will help? I have to stick with Firefox. I forgot I do have a SWAP partition, I think it is either 1gb or 1.5 gb, I realise that isn't really going to help much with speed of the machine.

I'm sorry but I would not go for that system you mention for £150
... 2400 ghz processors, both with Windows XP ...
this means it is and OLD computer technology (Pentium 4, I think) and not very reliable any more, expensive parts...


I would suggest you go for this ASAP ( HP XW4600 Core 2 Duo 8GB RAM-1000GB HDD DVD WIN 7 64BIT )
or this ( HP DC5800SFF COMPUTER SYSTEM CORE 2 DUO 2.66GHZ 2GB 160GB HP 19")
which all use newer DDR2 memory types (and a lot cheaper I think than DDR1)

you could also take a look at this and buy extra 2GB RAM (total giving you 3GB) and you will be at £150.
More RAM, another here

1 members found this post helpful.

indulge yourself with a "real" computer power and leave your local computer guy who wants to make money on non-tech people.

I hope you will be happy with any like the ones mentioned above.

If you're going to wipe out MS and replace with Linux anyway, then as above, just buy a good 2nd hand one.
Also remember that he will be charging you for an MS license you don't use...

Definitely try to go with 4GB or (after buying 2nd hand) make sure that the option to add extra is available.
As above, modern GUIs use a lot of RAM.
You can try the lighter Desktop options, but try Live Cd versions (or try on your current system) to see if you can live with it.

Can't you just put some more memory in? The computer I'm using now has evolved from 256MB to 1½GB over the years. That's bound to be cheaper than getting another computer.

I agree with this. Try to find somebody who is either willing to install Linux or will wipe XP after testing so you don't get charged for that. If he's sourcing old machines then he ought to have old RAM salvaged from another PC -- if he's not able to do that then might be better to find someone else who is. The "one supplier" for the memory rings alarm bells with me too as if he finds it hard to find RAM for it there could be something odd meaning you'll have problems too -- that or he's lying and neither are good.

This thread makes me think.
I have troubles selling my dell inspiron 530 for 50€. I'm astonished of what piece of crap are actually sold for more.