Linux for an Old Laptop

Lightweight Linux distros tested on a single core 1GB RAM Eee PC 901 netbook. Distros are Lubuntu 18.04 32 bit, BionicPup 32 and Zorin OS Lite 15.3. But which performs best on old hardware?!

Lubuntu is available from:

BionicPup 32, and other Puppy Linux distros, can be downloaded from:

Zorin OS Lite can be downloaded from:

You are strongly advised only to download from the above official websites.

My PC BIOS Settings video is at:

You may also be interested in some of my other Linux videos, including:

Linux Mint 20: My Top Linux Distro:

Ubuntu 20.04 for Windows Users:

Linux Terminal Introducton:

More videos on computing and related topics can be found at:

Chapters:
00:00 Introduction
01:00 Test Hardware
03:23 Contenders
05:10 Lubuntu
11:39 BionicPup 32
15:29 Zorin OS Lite
20:02 New Life

#Linux #OldLatop #LightweightLinux #ExplainingComputers

[aeedi]

It's a real shame to see how heavy websites are these days. Some websites are heavy for a good reason, but I'd argue most of them are heavy for no reason and can provide the same functionality if they were completely static without any Javascript

[Rajorsi]

When your computer is taking some time to load something just encourage it and cheer for it and it will load it up faster.

[porschesdawg]

I was thinking of buying an old laptop just to play around with linux and boom there's a new video from you!

[wynnhorton]

I learn more from Chris' videos and the comments under them than on almost any other YT channel or even from most articles. Thanks, Chris and thanks for his followers for adding further tips! My confidence is increasing thanks to you all.

[CB-pflb]

How many years until _"But can it run Crysis?"_ becomes _"But can it run any browser?"_

[Clrty_]

It still has more ports than a MacBook

[peterw.]

When I saw puppy on the list I knew the answer, the puppy project is stellar and I hope they stick around for a long time.

[peterthepanda]

These EeePCs and other netbooks were all the rage during my high school days. Students would have these because they were way cheaper than many laptops (such as first generation MacBook) and had really good battery life (at that time). Performance was good enough though for basic office apps needed for school and at least they had WiFi connectivity.

Now students either use iPads, Chromebooks or cheaper ultraportables for schoolwork, more so during this pandemic.

[michaelb]

Thank you for this video! It was so thorough and clear, with great comparisons, and covering exactly what the average user needs to know in plain language with just the right amount of technical detail. I have a souped-up but sluggish HP Compaq Presario which struggles to run Lubuntu 64, and I learned a lot about what I should replace it with, probably BionicPup 32. (It came with Windows Vista factory-installed, and it even struggled with that.)

[adews]

I am such a sucker for old netbook, I'm really happy that there is still support for them with Linux!

[silent_]

When using a browser on old hardware, I tend to set the user agent to something like android or any mobile user string. Web pages will load quicker and the browsing experience will be so much smoother because the pages are less bloated.

[johnnguyen]

I haven't heard the word "atom" for a long time but these little netbooks do bring me a sense of nostalgia. Brilliant video as always ExplainingComputers!

[SxMxMetal]

I have been using puppy Linux since 2008 on my Pentium 3 computers. Until now, I haven't got any issues with it. It's my daily driver when doing online jobs.

[rkd-me]

You reminded me old times! I used to have MSI Wind U100 and at that time it was really cool stuff, that's actually one of the biggest reason why i love tiny laptops to this day

[heyarno]

What a beast, it has more i/O than a modern macbook.

[horseradishpower]

Excellent topic, bring old equipment more life.

[YounesLayachi]

Video length 20 minutes
Posted 16 minutes ago
195 people (plus me) liked the video before finishing it, testament to EC's consistent quality x)

[pavan]

Seeing Dolby Sound Room on such a old laptop is very rare

[davidbosankoe]

Thanks for reminding me of Puppy Linux. Tinycore is the only one I've got better performance out of for old hardware, but it's not targeted at beginners and initially has quite a learning curve.

[LOLZpersonok]

Explaining Computers is one of a few channels that I look forward to new releases from, and even fewer whose videos I can repeatedly watch over and over again and still enjoy. Aside from that, I'm really curious to see how Linux would run on my M1 MacBook (as well as how long the battery would last) but unfortunately it just doesn't seem easy to get at this point.