If you have taken the time to read my last post Windows 10: How Microsoft Shot Themselves in the Foot then you know that I am in search of a new operating system to fulfill my computational needs. In order to fulfill this need I have been extensively researching some of the many available Linux distros available. If you are unfamiliar with Linux don’t feel bad because I have fairly limited knowledge, and I’m even a computer science major. I am also here to share with you my current knowledge of what Linux could do for you.

Linux is essentially an opensource operating system that was originally derived from the Unix which dates back to the 1970s. Since it is opensource (meaning others are able to view and alter the source code to their own liking) there have been many different variations of Linux derived since its creation in the mid 1990s. These variations, called distros come in many different variations of functionality and feel, meaning that there is a distro for everyone.

At the moment the two most popular Linux distros would be Ubuntu and Mint. Though both are very great in their own different ways, I would really like to discuss the potential that Mint has with older machines. According to many current users, Mint has a very similar look and feel as Windows 7 but there is a much catchier aspect that I feel would be more useful to the average user.

According to what many users have been reporting, Linux Mint makes your older machine, that can’t keep up, run just like new. Now I know many people may be optimistic but there is a lot of potential here. Especially since it is possible to duel boot two operating systems on a machine at a time, all you would have to do is Google some simple online instructions. I have an older machine running windows 7 that seems to have trouble booting up, the hardware is just too old to keep up. I intend to try out Linux Mint and report back in the near future.

Do you have any experience with Linux? I would love to hear about it in the comments.