|
|
Post by John on Sept 2, 2014 16:47:47 GMT
I got a old laptop www.notebookreview.com/notebookreview/dell-inspiron-9300-review-pics-specs-2/ lying around that's hardly ever been used but has XP software on it so know that is no longer supported It has a small memory by todays standards 80gb but is built a bit like a tank by modern laptop designs. In its day it must of been pretty good they certainly put a lot of features in it. Not sure what I should do with it. I never really played with Linux so here is my chance to learn a new operating system and get a sense of where it performs. I know a lot of you are more experienced than me No idea if its worth updating some of the spec Would you bother What operating system and then player would you recommend I am used to Windows but willing to try something different |
|
|
|
Post by MartinT on Sept 2, 2014 20:47:59 GMT
I've just done the same with an old Toshiba laptop I had lying around unloved. I installed Debian Linux, because it's the version used in the Raspberry Pi, so that I could learn more about what I am doing in the RPi. It's free and works well on an old machine. With MPD, you could certainly get it streaming without any problems, at least via USB.
|
|
|
|
Post by John on Sept 3, 2014 4:04:35 GMT
Do you think worth putting windows 2012 Server on it
|
|
|
|
Post by John on Sept 3, 2014 4:04:41 GMT
Double post
|
|
|
|
Post by Pinch on Sept 3, 2014 6:49:07 GMT
Neither Linux nor Server 2012 take up much space, so why not dual boot the machine with both and compare?
|
|
|
|
Post by MartinT on Sept 3, 2014 12:00:43 GMT
You could try, but overkill I think? Is the laptop 64-bit? Don't try Server 2012 R2, though, as it requires certified drivers.
|
|
|
|
Post by John on Sept 3, 2014 14:26:52 GMT
I csnnot find anything on the machine that lets me know if 64 or 32 bit I am presuming due to age 32 but have no idea.
Specs Inspiron 9300[edit]
The Dell Inspiron 9300 was a laptop that had either a 1.6, 1.73, 1.86, 2.0, 2.13 or 2.26 GHz Intel Pentium M processor and a 17" wide-screen (available in WXGA+ with a 1440 by 900 resolution and WUXGA with a 1920 by 1200 resolution). At the time, it also featured DDR2 memory, a new feature for laptops. Compared with the other Inspiron laptops, it is considered to be the "Entertainment Powerhouse".
The Inspiron 9300 was based loosely on its more expensive and more powerful big brother, the gaming-oriented Inspiron XPS Generation 2. With the right upgrades, the Inspiron 9300 can deliver most of the gaming power as the XPS Generation 2 at a much reduced cost. These upgrades start with the nVidia GeForce Go 6800 video card (or higher such as a GeForce 7800 GTX in later models), and continue with extra RAM, a 7200 RPM hard drive, and a Pentium M that is faster than the baseline 1.6 GHz speed.
Processors: Intel Pentium M 730, 740, 750, 760, 770 or 780.
Memory: 256 MB, 512 MB, 1 GB, or 2 GB of shared dual channel DDR2 SDRAM @ 533 MHz.
Chipset: Intel 915PM Express Chipset.
Graphics Processor: integrated Intel GMA 950 graphics, nVidia GeForce Go 6800 Ultra or ATI Mobility Radeon X300.
LCD Display: 17" widescreen with 1440 × 900 resolution, or 17" widescreen with 1920 × 1200 resolution.
Hard Drive: 80 GB.
Optical Drive: 8X tray-load DVD+/-RW drive, 8X tray-load dual-layer DVD+/-RW .
Battery: 6-cell (56 Whr), or 9-cell (85 Whr) lithium-ion battery.
Bluetooth: Dell Wireless Internal 350.
I/O Ports: 1 Fast Ethernet port, 1 56K modem, 6 USB ports, 1 Firewire 400 port, 1 5-in-1 memory card reader, 1 PCMCIA Cardbus Slot, 1 VGA output, 1 S-Video port, 1 DVI output, 1 headphone jack, 1 microphone jack, and 1 power adapter port.
|
|
|
|
Post by John on Sept 3, 2014 14:32:52 GMT
I been hunting around seems like its 64 bit as drivers are 64 bit for the model
|
|
|
|
Post by MartinT on Sept 3, 2014 18:42:00 GMT
I don't think any Pentium M was 64-bit, John. In fact Wikipedia quotes it as an x86 processor. That rules out Server 2012.
I would seriously go for Debian Linux on that machine.
|
|
|
|
Post by Pinch on Sept 3, 2014 19:39:21 GMT
If you go to this page using the laptop then it should tell you if it's 32- or 64-bit: support.microsoft.com/kb/827218I'd say go for Linux over Server if it's a choice between the two - the recent Pi escapdes have really piqued my interest in it, and there's so much useful info online that its relative unfamiliarity, coming from Windows, needn't be a disincentive. |
|
|
|
Post by John on Sept 3, 2014 21:02:27 GMT
I go for the debian Linux on it Cheers
|
|
|
|
Post by welder on Sept 4, 2014 9:51:42 GMT
I don't know this particular model, but Dell have a tendency to make machines whose hardware is dependent on a particular brand of software to operate properly; most notably discovered in the past ,Ethernet drivers, audio chips and display adaptors.
I have two Dell machines here destined for the recycling because of this tie to primarily Windows based software.
Maybe I've been unlucky but i wouldn't waste my time levering Linux on a Dell machine and hoping for full functionality and later perhaps, hackable.
|
|
|
|
Post by John on Sept 4, 2014 13:35:32 GMT
Thanks for that John
It seems its not worth the effort
|
|
Deleted
Deleted Member
Posts: 0
|
Post by Deleted on Sept 4, 2014 13:47:18 GMT
Thanks for that John It seems its not worth the effort Have you tried linux? Dell actually sell machines with Linux. Support and info here. linux.dell.com/ |
|
|
|
Post by John on Sept 4, 2014 13:51:27 GMT
cheers
|
|
|
|
Post by welder on Sept 4, 2014 17:03:38 GMT
I'm not trying to dissuade you from giving it a go John. In fact, the opposite is true. What I am saying is Dell and HP often design and have built, hardware specific to a model and Operating System. In my experience this is problematical when you attempt to use a different OS.
For example, I have an old HP dual processor media center style laptop here atm. I can get a number of Linux distributions to run on it, but, in the case of this machine, I can't find an Ethernet controller compatible with the hardware, or a driver for the camera, to name just two issues.
There isn't much more irritating imo, particularly when new to Linux, or whatever, than to get the OS installed and find the machine won't do something it did before!
If you want a very simple way of trying out a lightweight Linux, forget about full weight Debian and Ubuntu distributions which generally need installing on a hard drive and try Puppy Linux and Deadbeef music player. You can get the whole OS and music player on a flash drive and not worry about messing about with your existing OS....Puppy Linux won't touch your hard drive.
This will give you pretty much a risk free trial of one of the minimalist Linux OS and you will be able to discover any problems without nerfing the entire computer.
I use a modified Puppy Linux on my music server and it sounds fine; certainly as good as anything else I've tried.
|
|
|
|
Post by John on Sept 4, 2014 17:11:19 GMT
Thanks I give it a try
|
|
