Distro for an 80-year old

Dartz

Who's never used a computer before.

Basically, I'm looking for something I can just set up and run. She can click to send an email, click to write a document, click to watch a movie, and click to browse the internet. Literally, something for somebody who has never used a computer before in their lives.

It'll probably run on a 1.6 pentium M with 1GB RAM. Does such a distro exist?

An Fear Aniar

Dartz wrote: »

It'll probably run on a 1.6 pentium M with 1GB RAM. Does such a distro exist?

Does such a user exist? Just put big icons on the desktop, what could possibly go wrong?

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marcphisto

What about something like the ubuntu netbook remix?

http://www.canonical.com/projects/ubuntu/unr

An Fear Aniar

marcphisto wrote: »

What about something like the ubuntu netbook remix?

http://www.canonical.com/projects/ubuntu/unr

I was going to suggest that but it says it optimized for Arm processors, not sure what the ramifications are for running it on a desktop machine...

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marcphisto

Yeah, I'm not sure either but I figured if the OP is reinstalling anyway there would be no harm in trying it.

Orion

Try Mint - personally I don't like it but it is very user friendly. And it should run ok on that spec.

smithy1981

http://helpmerick.com/senior-uses-ubuntu-system-14-months-trouble-free.htm

BopNiblets

Moblin?

who is this

The Live builds of UNR say its i386. So that'd be fine for any x86 or amd64.

kierank01

i'd go with xubuntu, as the xfce interface is light, and easy to configure (ie not much options to configure incorrectly).

Its also got the backing of ubuntu/canonical so there is lots of support for apps/codecs.

Cantab.

Dartz wrote: »

Who's never used a computer before.

Basically, I'm looking for something I can just set up and run. She can click to send an email, click to write a document, click to watch a movie, and click to browse the internet. Literally, something for somebody who has never used a computer before in their lives.

It'll probably run on a 1.6 pentium M with 1GB RAM. Does such a distro exist?

Would you not just buy your granny some flowers?

Dartz

who is this wrote: »

The Live builds of UNR say its i386. So that'd be fine for any x86 or amd64.

i'll try that out for myself and see what I get.

i use Xubuntu myself, funnily enough, and find it damn near moron proof.

EvilMonkey

I would say use something you know, if she is going to call you every time something goes wrong.

helios12

Xubuntu with a nice big friendly dock at the bottom holding the icons she will need. you could even get away with Puppy considering how little is needed from the OS?

johnmd

http://www.geteasypeasy.com/ the ubuntu distro for asus and similar type units,you can also install it onto a desktop or just try it via a USB key,that way if you like it you can then install onto the hard drive with one click.
Easy interface reasonable sized icons.Plus its not windows so theres less chance that she will open up a bad site on the web and download some spyware etc etc.

Naikon

Ubuntu 9.04 is starting to seriously impress me as a desktop solution.
Really nice and polished for desktop use. Give it a shot.

Dartz

I've got her munching away happily on Xubuntu 8.04.... Why the LTS? Because I had the disk handy is all and decided to just use it.

Only problem is, she just started one of the computer course for beginners....

And I just got my first email asking why their computers worked different to hers and why some of the things she'd been taught to do didn't work.

Capt'n Midnight

bit late now but the netbook remix puts lovely big icons on the desktop

BopNiblets

Just saw this distro, perhaps not for an 80 year old but for an 8 year old: Hannah Montana Linux!

newestUser

Dartz wrote: »

I
Only problem is, she just started one of the computer course for beginners....

And I just got my first email asking why their computers worked different to hers and why some of the things she'd been taught to do didn't work.

Why not put Windows on her machine?

If she's doing a computers course using Windows, it's going to be confusing as hell for her to come home and use Unix.

I don't think Unix is a suitable OS for a complete newbie to computers, especially an 80 year old newbie. Even if there is an intuitive, easy-to-use distro/shell/whatever that's out there, it's not what the rest of the world is using.

I'm a true keyboard warrior for saying this on a Unix forum. :cool:

niallb

An Fear Aniar wrote: »

I was going to suggest that but it says it optimized for Arm processors, not sure what the ramifications are for running it on a desktop machine...

.

Nope, not ARM - though that may come - so suggest away.
It says "contains optimizations for ATOM processors"
They're intel type processors. Netbook Remix will run on any PC,
and is a pretty good choice for that spec.
If it really were an Atom, moblin is beautiful on it, but not quite finished.

NBR will let you add the few shortcuts needed regularly to a favorites page,
and should be both easy to use, and easy to troubleshoot for anyone familiar with ubuntu.

pickarooney

Geriatrix?

oMega_2093

Hi,

I'd vote for Ubuntu. Windows is not a choice here.

I usually treat with people with no experience or very short experience with computers and most of them tend to like Ubuntu same as they would like Windows if it was installed. Ubuntu for internet browsing, IM chatting, email and that stuff is quite the same as Windows (mainly because the programs used for these tasks are the same or almos the same in both platforms).

Regards.