Looking For A OS

Hey Guys;

Bought myself a notebook/netbook/ultrabook not sure what it's called.. it's one of these:
http://www.asus.com/Notebooks_Ultrabooks/Eee_PC_1025C/overview/
So it's got 1gb of ram and intel atom in it that's duo core

It came with win7 starter on it, although at times it seems kinda groggy... I'm looking for something that'll be quicker, plus installing some updates are painfully slow... but anyways if you recommend windows 8.1 I'd go that route as I like it on my current computer but right now I can't afford the triple $$$ that microsoft wants for it... I can spend some money but I don't want to be spending a ton of it.

Any advice would greatly be helpful...

Oh and before someone asks... the computer in question is currently used for basic tasks.. such as surfing & checking email... the occasion youtube video as well.

I would like a OS I can install, I have done a lil research and heard the name puppy linux but it strictly runs on USB and from the look of the site its dead, I kinda want something that I can put it on and not have to worry about it.

Oh and one last thing, sometimes we take the computer out with us when we travel.. as it comes in handy for looking up movie times and such.

Thanks in advance
Kennie

 

Puppy can be run from CD, USB or installed on your hard disk. It runs entirely in RAM so is very fast and responsive and would eat your emailing and browsing needs with ease. However there is one possible issue which as I see it afflicts quite a few a few Linux distros and that is finding a driver for your wireless adapter. Certainly my Puppy hasn't succeeded in finding one for my newish Lenovo laptop and as you want to use yours away from base this could be an issue for you.

 

Thanks Earthling I'll check it out, downloading now... let ya know how things work.

 

I run Puppy from a flash drive containing only the downloaded Puppy ISO. By installing Grub4DOS on the flash drive (sounds difficult but actually a two minute job) I can boot straight into Puppy, and when I shut it down it automatically saves all my settings and customisation ready for the next boot. Doing it this way means I don't have to disturb Win 7 in any way at all and can boot either that or Puppy.

I have no idea how this has happened but after not booting Puppy for over a month, on this boot it has found my wireless network and connected without any help from me and I'm posting this from it right now.

TBH if I wasn't so tied into Windows after 25 years I would use it in preference.

 

Well I have puppy downloaded I'm more than likely going to just install it... don't get me wrong I like windows but the laptop isn't used for anything but the basics and I tend to take it when I travel so in the event of saying "want to go see a movie" it's easy and quick to boot up, to do anything extensive I have a actual tower that I work from which is what I'm on now with win 8.1 ... but much like you, if I could get some of my favorite programs to work with linux I would switch, I keep checking wine when they do updates but so far nothing so for now I shall keep my tower on windows

 

If you have tried all three versions of the internet connection wizard there isn't anything else I can suggest. Do make sure you have persistence set up just in case you suddenly have success! Not sure how persistence works when booting from CD, I guess it saves the 2fs file to hard disk?

 

it took me a little while and plenty of screw ups that were all the same, but hey I learned but right now I have puppy linux on my laptop... things seem rather quick, just looking at the website to see how to do certain things but so far I've patted my computer a few times and said "good boy".... I think my financee will like it as well and she'll like it barking when it boots up, being the animal lover that she is.

 

after playing around with the puppy i decided to try something different.. Debian it also seems light, gonna test it out. I've also read other users using the same ultrabook as me and saying its fast...

 

That's a pretty nice netbook Kennie, but it's not very powerful. And it's not supposed to be, it's a netbook! Frankly, Win7 isn't a good choice as the specs I see on your posted link are in the bare minimum range to run Win7. I can't imagine it's an enjoyable experiece. WinXP would've been a much better choice for a Win OS, but we'd probably still be having this discussion, given the armageddon of April 8, 2014. ha, ha.

Your netbook is a PRIME candidate for a linux installation. I found forum posts from 2012-ish that indicate linux was sometimes a little quirky on that netbook, depending on the distro installed, but has gotten better over time. http://ubuntuforums.org/showthread.php?t=2050515

This is most likely due to the lack of drivers in linux, which are typically "baked into the kernel" rather than added as software. Drivers tend to be proprietary for Windows, and it takes awhile for super-smart folks to "reverse engineer" a driver for new hardware. But once they figure it out, it usually gets tweaked fairly quickly. This is likely what is happening with the wireless driver, especially if it is a Broadcom device. Alternatively, some proprietary and/or open source Broadcom solutions can be found here: https://help.ubuntu.com/community/WifiDocs/Driver/bcm43xx

If you choose the correct distro in 2014, you'll probably be okay. The "correct" distro will be the right mix of hardware drivers for your machine, your personal tastes and preferences, and how you use your machine. And that is what LiveCDs and LiveUSBs are for.

With that said, Earthling's suggestion of Puppy Linux is a good one. I'm not a fan of Puppy, but that's a personal preference; Puppy is a fine choice and a good one for your hardware. In my opinion, Debian is NOT, unless you configure a lower-spec desktop than the default; while you are likely capable, this isn't something I'd recommend to someone just trying out linux. Let's find something pre-configured to suit your tastes, as there are literally hundreds of choices. As a matter of personal preference, I prefer the Ubuntu family, which is based on Debian. While there are certainly other options, my experience is limited to Ubuntu, so my recommendations will revolve around my Ubuntu experience(s).

Based on the specs of that Asus netbook, you will be best served sticking with "lightweight" desktop environments, such as LXDE, Enlightenment, or Pantheon. XFCE is a little heavier than these, but is still considered lightweight and may be a good option for you. Try to stay away from Gnome, KDE, Unity, and Cinnamon desktops. I personally prefer Ubuntu 12.04 with the Unity desktop, but that will probably choke your machine into near paralysis?! LOL! The lighter the desktop you prefer, the better your computing experience will be. Since you were able to boot Puppy, I'm assuming you know how to burn a LiveCD or create a LiveUSB.

May I suggest the following for your consideration:

Lubuntu - An LXDE version of Ubuntu, which mimics the Windows 7 paradigm. I'd suggest 12.04 LTS or 14.04 LTS (LTS="long term support"); given your criteria of minimal updating, 12.04 will require less updating; 14.04 is only 1 month old and is still being "massaged". Try both and see what you and your hardware like better. http://distrowatch.com/table.php?distribution=lubuntu

Xubuntu - an XFCE version of Ubuntu; stick with 12.04 or 14.04 (see above). http://distrowatch.com/table.php?distribution=xubuntu

LXLE - another LXDE version of Ubuntu that is heavily customized with options for WinXP, Mac OSX, Unity, and Gnome 2 paradigms (the appearance changes, while the underlying programs do not; choose which you prefer and LXLE will always default to your last session, unless you manually change it). IMO, this is THE FASTEST and MOST RESPONSIVE linux distro I have ever used, FWIW, and is a "go to" recommendation because of it's versatility in appearance, software selection already installed, etc... http://distrowatch.com/table.php?distribution=lxle

Zorin Lite - Be sure to choose the "Lite" version on the download page, as the "core" version is a Gnome desktop, but you want LXDE "lite" version. A near dead-ringer in appearance for WinXP. This is another of my "go to" recommendations for WinXP users who just don't like change, although they have been accepting of this one! I'd recommend version 6.2(?) as version 6 is based on Ubuntu 12.04 (see above regarding LTS) http://distrowatch.com/table.php?distribution=zorin

Bodhi - uses the Enlightenment desktop; a somewhat "strange bird" in appearance and behavior, although it mimics the OS X interface; additional programs for productivity will need to be installed, but perfect for net-surfing out of the box. you'll either LOVE it, or HATE it...flip a coin! http://distrowatch.com/table.php?distribution=bodhi

Elementary - uses the Pantheon desktop; again, based on Ubuntu, but mimics OS X in appearance, with some elements of Android GUI. http://distrowatch.com/table.php?distribution=elementary

I'd suggest downloading each and trying them on your machine. Let your machine be the first layer of filtering. If your machine likes more than 1 distro, that's where YOU come in with personal preferences. Also, keep in mind that a LiveCD is not reflective of behavior/response of an installed OS, as a LiveCD runs slower than a hard drive; but if you can live with the lag on a CD, you will be positively PLEASED with the response upon installation. This should be enough to help you pinpoint what works best for YOU! Good luck Kennie!