Hi!
I am a retired engineer who wants to learn linux so as to more efficiently use my old desktop (PII 256MB memory and 10GB HDD). Operate win2000 pro sp4 environment and heavy user of powerpoint, excel and lotus123. Also read newspapers using IE 6. Mail s/w is OE 6.0.
Would be grateful for advice as to which Linux OS freeware to download and install.
Sandhir

Sandhir,

Try Ubuntu Desktop Edition. http://www.ubuntu.com/products/whati...desktopedition

It is easy to install and comes with OpenOffice, which will cover all of your office productivity needs and in most cases will read your files from your old programs, Word, Excel, etc.

Do you mean that this is what is currently installed? (Or simply the environment you are used to?)

Linux has equivalents for everything you mention, but there are occassional glitches. For example, OpenOffice.org will handle all the MSOffice stuff---but with some formatting glitches.

You can also run a lot of Windows SW on Linux using WINE or CrossOver (the commercial version of WINE)

Anything in the top 10 on the Distrowatch "hit list" will be a good starting point.

Thanks Ande and Guru for the suggestions.
This is what I am using and my PC is PII 233, 256 MB memory, 10 GB HDD. OS is Win2000 Pro SP 4. Browser is IE 6 and mail software is Outlook Express 6. Protection tools are Avast Home (AV) and Crawler anti spy. Both in real time mode. I am used to working extensively on DOS/Win98/WinXP Home and Pro. Have not used Vista.
My duaghter has given me her PIV Toshiba laptop with WinXP Home but I find the machine unstable. Always crashing. (Just powers down when it runs for some length of time). Morover, I find the keyboard and screen rather small.
What would be ideal linux for the PII machine.
Rajinder Sandhir
Delhi