Go Linux without a doubt. The hardware is still usable.
this post was submitted on 17 Mar 2025
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My 10yo netbook runs the latest Debian Linux. If it was running on its original OS (XP) it would not only crawl but be dangerously vulnerable.
Wow, pretty unbelievable a netbook was still being sold with XP in 2015 lol. How'd you come about getting that?
Precisely what I am doing. Too many devices that still do what I need simply to ditch just because Windows 10 is EOL. I'm a bit over half-way in my migration (still have a few programs to sort out - may have to run a W10 VM for a couple of them as they don't work under WINE and there is no Linux equivalent).
My desktop is a 2012 lenovo office machine. Fresh SSD, wifi card, and an... OK graphics card have had the thing purring for me since 2018.
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Microsoft's requirements for Windows 11 include a 1GHz or faster CPU with at least two cores, 4GB of RAM, 64GB of storage,
All of this is no problem and essentially any computer manufactured in the last couple decades can meet these requirements. They're effectively irrelevant for this discussion.
Secure Boot capability, and TPM 2.0 compatibility.
This is the problem right here. Pretty much every last computer you hear about that isn't compatible it's one or both of these, almost always the TPM 2.0 module.
That of course is if the reason you aren't "upgrading" is because the hardware isn't supported. For a great many of us our hardware is supported, we just don't want all the bullshit anti-features Microsoft has crammed into Windows 11. Windows 10 was already bad enough with it's constant telemetry spyware, that annoying Cortana garbage shoehorned in anywhere they could manage, the absolute atrocity that they turned the start menu search function into, and the annoying Teams and OneDrive integrations that randomly reinstalled and re-enabled themselves after updates.
Then MS went and had to cram in even more spyware by way of their horrible copilot garbage. All for what? What are we getting with 11 that's better than 10? What feature justifies that upgrade? Nothing, that's the answer. There's no reason at all that 11 needed to be made.
Microsoft's requirements for Windows 11 include a 1GHz or faster CPU with at least two cores, 4GB of RAM, 64GB of storage,
All of this is no problem and essentially any computer manufactured in the last couple decades can meet these requirements. They're effectively irrelevant for this discussion.
IDK about you, but the Pentium 4 is not an ideal CPU for modern workloads. The absolute oldest hardware I would use today for anything is the Core2Duo with 8GB RAM. I know this because we have an A1276 MacBook Pro with the P8600 C2D, and it's barely sufficient. You look at it and the cooling fan begins a launch sequence 😅 and that's running Linux Mint. Windows 10/11 would grind it to a halt trying to run multiple tasks.
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I will leave this here for anyone who needs to use Windows but wants a little more privacy.
All of this is no problem and essentially any computer manufactured in the last couple decades can meet these requirements. They're effectively irrelevant for this discussion.
Not quite. Windows 11 requires an Intel 8th gen or AMD Zen+ CPU or newer, with some odd exceptions. I've dealt with some machines that only fail on the CPU check and can confirm that Windows 11 will refuse to install without bypassing those arbitrary 'requirements'.
I do agree with the rest of your post though.
If you're buying a PC that doesn't have the specs to run Windows 11, you're probably only using it for web browsing tasks anyway. I'd wager that many of them wouldn't even notice that they're using a different OS.
My PC isn't compatible with Windows 11.
I cobbled it together from spare parts as my wife has upgraded over the years. It was a pretty beefy computer when she first built it, and it's gotten a couple upgrades along the way, but the CPU and MoBo are probably about 10 years old if not older (it's an AMD FX-something, I'm unsure of the exact specs, it's whatever parts were in her bin of cast-offs stuck with a new case and hard drive)
And I'm happily gaming on it. I may not be maxing out the latest AAA titles in glorious 8k epic quality 120hz HDR VR yadda yadda yadda, but I can still run pretty much any game out there on some acceptable mid-to-high quality settings and decent performance.
I'm probably going to have to either upgrade the MoBo and processor come October, or make the jump to Linux (which I'm not exactly opposed to, but I do like not having to fuck with wine and proton to run my games)
It's a perfectly serviceable board, still doing just fine by me, and there's no reason it can't give someone at least a few more good years of use, even as a gaming computer if you're not a graphics snob.
But if I decide to upgrade, unless I find someone who wants to run Linux on it, or understands the risk of running win10 with no security updates, it's probably going to become e waste.
Steam does most of the fucking around for you these days.
Yeah, steam has definitely done a lot to improve the situation and I'm very impressed with the current state of things.
I just have a bit of a mental block from the last time I seriously tried to use Linux (circa 2009 probably) that I need to get over. A lot has changed since then
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Hello, I would like to run linux on it. 👋
Lol, I'll keep that in mind, internet stranger. I do have a lot of techy friends who I'll probably offer it up to first, and I haven't quite ruled out running Linux myself either to keep as my main PC or to use as a media server or something, but I'll keep you in mind if I'm looking to get rid of it in a few months.
If it does come to that, pay for shipping (or pick it up if you happen to be local) and it's yours. Feel free to hit me up to ask about it come november-ish if I don't reach out first. No guarantees it will be available, but I'd rather it go to someone who's going to use it than be waste
(╭☞´ิ∀´ิ)╭☞
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My old PC has the horsepower to run 11. I even forced it on there. I got a tpm module too. But the cpu itself isn't officially supported, even though it's a i7 5930K with 6 cores and 12 threads @4 GHz.
So much for windows 10 being the last version.
This was apparently never an official statement. It was someone in an interview that misspoke.
In other words it was the sales department doing what they always do, pulling complete bullshit out of their ass and then expecting the engineering team to deliver it.
Would not be surprised at all. Just want people to know about that instead of still being mad about some bullshit someone spewed years ago.
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IMHO each new version of Windows looks & feels different to the last anyway, so most (general users) wouldn't know the difference - they just need a web browser an email client and an office suite.
That 1 Windows-only program they use is probably not compatible with the next version of Windows too
That 1 Windows-only program they use is probably not compatible with the next version of Windows too
No it probably is, Microsoft puts a ton of effort into backwards compatibility
Sounds like an easy choice to me.
However, Linux still lacks some popular applications, such as Microsoft Office and Slack, though alternatives are available.
Lol nice bait. Real talk though, just toss shortcuts to word.office.com, excel.office.com and outlook.office.com on the desktop and nobody will be any wiser
Slack
??? Slack works just fine on Linux
Quality reporting right here
Pick a newbie friendly version. I'm going to suggest linux mint, but there may be better options.
I've been planning on selling a couple older laptops (Latitude E6420 and ThinkPad X240) and this is a fantastic idea. The former laptop doesn't even have Windows 10 drivers (that I know of)
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how is this a hard choice? windows will keep ratcheting to shit. it will not improve. the question is: linux now, or tons of expense and trouble, and linux later?
The choice is hard because many charities already have a hard time maintaining what they have. To move to linux, they'd need people to know linux. Many volunteers that support this stuff simply don't and are barely power-users themselves. I spend a good chunk of my day interacting with JUST windows users who have no idea how a computer actually works... they just know how to barely operate windows.
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Why is this even a question?
Well, because if the receiver of these can't or won't use Linux, then not efficiently trying to recycle them will either put the burden of getting them properly recycled on vulnerable people, or they just won't be, either sitting collecting dust or being thrown in the dump.
I'm not saying it's a strong reason, but it is a question to consider.
Most people have limited experience with computers. Most of them have barely used Windows so I don't see Linux Mint as being any more difficult for those folks.
Even taking that incredibly Lemmy-brained statement as fact, I wonder if you understand that donated computers are not primarily for people who don't ordinarily have a reason to use computers.
I think it should be viewed as a trade-off. If you want cheaper refurbished PCs you'll have to tolerate adjusting to Linux. If you want to deal with Microsoft you'll have to pay for it: Licensing and new hardware and all.
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Is secure boot a requirement? Or optional?
Secure boot has been a requirement for like 10+ years now. I think windows 8 was when they required it on all new computers. You could turn it off if you really wanted and I think it would still work, but why would you? Linux has played well with it for almost as long.
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