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Lean and Mean?© Copyright Darrell Anderson. There is another obstacle that many Windows users will need to address—hardware. Like Windows XP, that version of Windows expects lots of hard drive space and lots of CPU muscle. Do not expect to run XP with older or mid-range hardware. Likewise, some of the newer Linux GUIs need muscle too. Those claims that Linux can run on 386s and 486s might be true, depending upon the GUI you choose. If a consumer chooses KDE or GNOME, then expect to need some of the same hardware that XP requires. However, unlike the proprietary and artificially monopolized world of Windows, with Linux there are other GUI options. Furthermore, developers in the KDE and GNOME community are starting to realize that a GUI that does everything might not be the way to go. Subsequent versions also have been improved and optimized to provide better response on mid-range hardware. More recent versions of those GUIs do run better on the older hardware. However, there are limits, so don’t expect these more recent GUI versions to run well on a 386 or 486. In fact, unless the distributor provides packages optimized for specific hardware, don’t expect various distros to run at all on some older hardware. Be sure to ask questions. Users with older hardware (including Pentium I, II, and K6) likely will need to choose leaner GUIs or find distros that have optimized the KDE or GNOME desktops. After introducing themselves to Linux and various desktop GUIs, people who want to migrate from Windows to Linux will face two challenges.
Not so easy a task as many Linux users would like Windows users to believe. Finis. |
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