Compatibility Question

Like others, I am turning away from Windows for Linux and I don't have any experience with Linux so far. I'd like a really easy, straight-forward distro to start with for two reasons: so I can convince others that LInux isn't only for computer experts and so I can disprove everyone who complains when I mention linux that it's a horrible idea b/c I'm not seen as a computer expert (I study in the humanities and somehow that makes me incompetent).

The Situation:

All I do on the computer can be listed -

Word-process, spread-sheets, other Windows Office like tasks

surf the net (requires Quikctime and Windows Media abilities)

print and download Adobe Acrobat files by the busload

RealPlayer

WindowsMedia Player (I have 40 gigs of music in .wma format that I would like to leave like that)

edit digital photos from family and friends

AOL instant messanger and Google Talk

Print to an HP 1510 Printer.

Watch the occasional DVD and burn the occassional CD

I don't play any games

THE COMPUTER:

Right now I have an old, old Toshiba satellite 1113 and would like to trade it in for a Thinkpad. I'd like a durable Thinkpad with a 15.4 inch screen and an 80 GB harddrive for around 1500 ... up to 2000 max.

I'm thinking of buying this one now while it's on sale:
Z60m

http://www-131.ibm.com/webapp/wcs/s...storeId=10000001&langId=-1&partNumber=2529E9U

it has a 5400 rpm 80 GB harddrive
Intel Pentium 760
512 Mb DDRam (should I get 1 Gb?)
15.4 '' TFT screen
Bluetooth

BUT:
It has a freaking ATI Graphics Card
ATI Mobility RADEON x600
and Intel PRO/Wireless 2915ABG

QUESTION:

So far Xandros seems like the best distro for me (I was also considering Linspire). Would it be compatible with the ATI card? Can it do everything I want with this computer? How would this wireless hold up? Would someone suggest another, equally easy Linux distro for my needs?

THANK YOU! Please help me make the leap into Linux!

 

Hmmm, at this point in time, I wouldn't get anything that wasn't dual core, especially if you like to be working on lots of things at once... music, chat, net, word, etc. Granted, a single processor may handle doing lots of things at once ok, but my last pIII struggled when I asked it to play music while working on my thesis. I have had P4 w/ HT ever since then, so I don't know how a PM will handle running several apps at once. Personally, I would wait to get a 64bit, dual core cpu.

Now on to linux. I hear lots of people find Ubuntu VERY easy to start with, but I haven't tried it. Personally, I found Kanotix a very easy distro to get up and running. The forums and irc channel were all very helpful. Adding software is a cinch using Apt, or one of the front ends for it: synaptic or kpackage. There is good photo editing program called The GIMP. Quite nice. Amarok is very nice for playing tunes, but I don't know about handling .wma files. You might be able to play them by downloading some files from a server in france, because I believe the files are illegal here in the States thanks to the DMCA. You will definitely have to go to the offshore servers to get the files required for playing DVD movies. Don't let that bother you though. It's very easily done. Burning discs is cake using K3B. Never failed me yet. You can get acrobat reader for linux no problem if the linux pdf viewers don't work on your documents. Openoffice.org will handle you office needs quite well. It works for me, but somebody in another forum complained that it wasn't handling formatting right for the doc they were opening, so your mileage may vary. Kanotix has an install script to install the ati drivers for your card. There's also a nice config tool for networking to set up your wired/wireless cards. Not sure about bluetooth. I don't have it so I never looked into it. I think realplayer even has a linux port, but there's NO WAY I'm putting that on my pc. Surfing: you can use konqueror or firefox. They both come w/ Kanotix, and you can install other browsers if you like. There are a bazillion messenger clients supporting every chat known to man. As for printing, this site suggests you are covered, provided your HP 1510 is the PSC 1510. http://www.linuxprinting.org/show_printer.cgi?recnum=HP-PSC_1510
Have fun

 

Thank you for all the advice. I really appreciate the tips with the printer and the ATI card ... those seem the most fearsome. I love the democratic idea behind Ubuntu, so maybe I'll end up trying that out. I just don't know the first thing about code yet. I saw a great deal of confusion on the forum regarding .wma files though ... which is scary b/c I no longer have the CDs to rip them over again in a different format. I'll have to seriously consider the dual-core and see if i can find one in my price-range with what I want. I am going to give Kanotix a try for sure ... maybe I can take advantage of all those years of studying German. Thanks again.

 

The beauty of noob friendly distros, like Kanotix and Ubuntu, is that you don't need to know a lot about code or command line, and what you do need to know, will be shown pretty clearly.

Edit: on the wma files, I think you can play them, so long as they were ripped using version 9.0.
http://www.linuxforums.org/forum/redhat-fedora-linux-help/28422-wma-amarok.html

Also, for an up to date listing of media players and what they will handle, follow this link:
http://www.linux.com/article.pl?sid=06/03/24/1610220