14 DAY TRIAL // Linux has long been considered an alternative to Windows, and while opinions are still divided as to what operating system is the best choice moving forward, there’s one chapter that Linux clearly wins.
And it’s the support for old hardware.
With newer Windows versions requiring hardware upgrades to enjoy the full feature package, old laptops are theoretically more or less abandoned, especially if they are too slow to be upgraded to a newer release.
But this doesn’t necessarily mean they’re dead, as installing Linux can always breathe new life in these devices, even when less than 1GB of RAM is available.
Living proof is this experiment made by someone on reddit who installed Lubuntu on a laptop that originally shipped with Windows XP and which is obviously abandoned right now. Windows XP no longer gets support since April 2014, and with the majority of apps already giving up on this OS version, choices are very limited in terms of software and drivers.
Hello, Linux!
But switching to Linux brings the old Compaq Presario CQ40 back to life, despite still struggling every now and then.
For example, the redditor explains the device does run Linux smoothly, but on the other hand, when watching YouTube, the only way to experience smooth performance without any hiccups is to use just one tab at a time.
While for many this is terrible performance, let’s keep in mind this is a laptop with just 1GB RAM and a super-outdated processor, which in the world of Windows is already ancient hardware that shouldn’t by any means be used today.
Sticking with Windows XP isn’t a good idea either, not only due to the lack of support, but also from a security perspective, as unpatched vulnerabilities could allow hackers to break into devices and obtain full control of a compromised host.