OK, currently have just Linux on my main computer (brother built it for me, knew I wanted to try Linux, so just put Ubuntu on).

Old computer (very old, 256MB Ram etc) runs Windows 2000 very slowly, currently will only start up in safe mode (not sure whether this is because it's not currently attached to the router or printer, or whether more serious).

I'd like to put linux (qimo, DSL or puppy probably) on the old computer so my 3-year-old can use it instead of demanding the penguin game (tuxpaint) whenever I want to use my computer!

So, wondering whether to try and shrink the windows partition or whether to just go for linux only. That computer was second-hand as well, so I don't have the windows disks.

The two things I'm worried about:

1) sometimes do some web design, and how would I check whether IE will display my pages without strange problems 'cos it doesn't follow the standards...

2) printing out photos at short notice: husband picked the printer so we're lumbered with a canon pixma MX700. It can do basic printing but won't communicate with linux to do photo quality (no linux drivers...) If I have plenty of time I use a photo printing service such as photobox.

Any thoughts how I can get round these problems so I can just jettison windows without worry? I don't have the spare cash to buy windows 7 or whatever to run in a virtual box...

Many thanks,

Katie

I'd say you can probably go Linux-only here if you wanted to.

1) Internet Explorer will run under wine, although not always very well. It may be good enough for your purposes. Winetricks will help make installation easier. For maximum performance you can pay for the Codeweavers version of wine.

Edit: the wine appdb is a bit out of date. Here's a better page on how to get IE8 running under wine. Google should also turn up more info for you if you need it.

2) The propriety turboprint driver appears to support the MX700. Follow the link in my signature.

There's no point in installing Windows 7 on a computer which can barely run Win 2000, since it won't work.

canon pixma MX700

buy a different brand
cannon is very well known for being MS Windows ONLY
with only 256 meg ram ??
you might want to take ubuntu off and install "puppy" linux

can't replace printer unless it breaks...

Wouldn't try installing win7 on the old computer - if I ever installed win7, it would be on the new computer

The computer running ubuntu isn't the one with 256MB RAM either...

For the old computer I'm trying Qimo first as it has Tuxpaint ready installed - slightly wary because it's Xubuntu based which isn't generally that 'light', but the live CD seems to be going faster than the Xubuntu live CD I previously tried on that computer, so may be OK. Otherwise I'll have to use Puppy and install Tuxpaint separately.

Gone to have a look and slightly wary of license issues with wine and IE - I'm assuming if I totally get rid of Windows 2000 I no longer have a windows license... So maybe I'll try and shrink the partition first...