Over time computers get slow. They clog up with things like temporary files, internet history and thegeneral data that your computer needs to run. Not only that, but applications and operating systems get more complex over time. All of this can mean your computer will eventually struggle to cope with the load.
So what can you do to revive that old, tired workhorse? There are many misconceptions around speeding up your machine How To Really Speed Up Your Computer - Common Myths & What To Do Instead How To Really Speed Up Your Computer - Common Myths & What To Do Instead Suffering from a slow computer? You might not know why and maybe you're trying to fix it in all the wrong ways. Let us help you with tips for a real speed boost. Read More :some work, some don’t. You couldspend money upgrading your machine Which Upgrades Will Improve Your PC Performance the Most? Which Upgrades Will Improve Your PC Performance the Most? If you need a faster computer but aren't sure which component would be most beneficial to upgrade, then here are the guidelines you should follow. Read More , but this will only getyou so far. Why not tryinstalling a new, lightweight operating system?
LXLE (Lubuntu Extra Life Extension)LXLE is a super-lightweight, Lubuntu-based linux distribution that should breath life in to most old machines. However, the big difference that LXLE offers over many other lightweight operating systems is that it has a focus on eye candy.
Just because you’re running alightweight operating system, it doesn’t need tolook like something from The Matrix !
I decided to install LXLE on an old Compaq Netbook that I had lying around the house. It’s fairly low-powered, having a first generation 1.6 GHz single core Intel Atom CPU, 2 GB of RAM, and a 160 GB 5400 RPM hard disk drive. This should be the perfect little machine to test LXLE on.
Install LXLE
The installation of LXLE ( available free from LXLE.net ) isa pretty straightforward process. If you have installed Ubuntu before Install Ubuntu On Your Computer Using a USB Flash Drive Install Ubuntu On Your Computer Using a USB Flash Drive Want to install Ubuntu but don't have a spare blank DVD? Don't worry! After downloadin the ISO file, you can use a highly-reusable USB flash drive to get the job done. Read More , then thesteps required will be familiar to you. It’s pretty much a “next, next, finish” affair, except for a few screens were you have to enter user and location details.
I managed to get LXLE installed and running on my little Compaq Netbook in around 20 minutes or so. Whilst that may not be as quick as most modern computers, you have to remember that it’s a seven-year-old netbook we’re talking about here. So I was pretty impressed with that.
System Performance
Once the LXLE installation finished what it needed to do, my trusty little netbook booted up for the first time, and I had a login prompt after 32 seconds. I entered my password and 10 seconds later, I had a desktop ready to do my bidding. Just 42from powering on to having a usable desktop is pretty darn good, especially for such an old, low-powered machine.
Navigating around the desktop feels slick, with menus and applications loading with minimal lag. If it wasn’t for the small screen and keyboard, you would think this was a much more powerful machine.
Looking at the task manager that comes bundled in LXLE, it’s clear to see that even on a mediocre machine ― such as the one I’m running ― there are still plenty of system resources to spare. On my system, LXLE was using just 10% of the CPU and only 160 MB of the 2 GB RAM that I had available. Which means there was still plenty in reserve for when I start running applications.
Unfortunately, performance is one of the reasons why some people switch to Linux from windows 5 Reasons Why Windows 10 Might Make You Switch to Linux 5 Reasons Why Windows 10 Might Make You Switch to Linux Despite Windows 10's huge takeup, there has been plenty of criticism for Microsoft's new everlasting operating system. Here are five top reasons why Windows 10 might irk you enough to make the switch to Linux. Read More , but LXLE really does take this one step further.At one point, I had a spreadsheet open, the web browser, a screen shot tool and an FTP client, but LXLE just kept on chugging along, using just 30% of the CPU and 260 MB of RAM ― impressive!
Included Applications The developers at LXLE have clearly put a lot of thought in to which applications to include within their operating system. After all, what’s the point in having a lightweight system if the applications then bog it down? Unfortunately, you won’t find applications like Google Chrome in LXLE, as it uses up far too much RAM Why Is Chrome Using up So Much RAM? (And How to Fix It Right Now) Why Is Chrome Using up So Much RAM? (And How to Fix It Right Now) But why does Chrome use up so