Best O/S for an X31/X32?

[T39andcounting]

I have an X31 and an X32 round the house for casual web surfing, etc. Both have WinXP installed, but they're both not as useful as they used to be, and with WinXP coming to end of life, I was wondering what everyone else has running on them.

I'm half tempted to put them on ebay and replace them with a Chromebook, but I still love the Thinkpad hardware, and can't imagine I'd get too much for them.

So can anyone recommend good Linux Distros for an X31/32, has anyone installed Chromium OS on their X31/32? Any other suggestions of what to do with them?!

[mikemex]

How exactly Windows XP isn't that useful anymore?

[Puppy]

How exactly Windows XP isn't that useful anymore?

No security patches since April 2014

[T39andcounting]

Just feels a bit old and slow. No support for some apps, etc. Probably needs a reinstall, but feels a bit wrong to be installing WinXP at this point. Would prefer to install something that gives it a bit more life!

[Medessec]

There are a number of things to worry about with installing Windows XP again-the biggest problem is the lack of support and security, and networking will eventually become a problem. You can still use it-but if you do a lot of random web browsing, especially doing things like interacting with flash and java applications(Student or Work forms and control panels, and YouTube videos) XP may quickly fall out of date, but I think it still has a few years of good life left in it.

Windows 7 will work on an X31/32 pretty nicely, although don't expect it to run cleanly all the time. The Radeon 7000/7500 in the X31/32 will not allow the use of Aero, but with the XP driver installed, you'll have Hardware Acceleration and moderate 3D performance can be expected from the machine. Don't expect to be gaming on it, but it will definitely run most web applications without too many problems. All the other drivers should install straight away from Windows Update, and the Wi-Fi(provided it's installed) should work nicely.


If you use your X31/32 very conservatively, and actually use it a lot for intense 3D applications or Photoshopping, Photography, image editing, you may want to stick with XP. But if you're using it to type up documents or browse the web, I'd recommend giving Windows 7 a shot.

I haven't tried Chromium at all, but if you are serious about trying it yourself, I'd wait for further information about installing it on a Thinkpad this old. I assume it's possible, but there may be some issues.

[mikemex]

I think running Windows 7 on an X31 is a bad idea but you can try. I think the golden rule of keeping old hardware usable is to stick with software of the same age. I still have a copy of Photoshop 5 installed and you'd be surprised how useful it is despite its age.

Software and hardware becomes old because people's expectations change.

[jronald]

I have a x30 running uBuntu, and a few others running Macbuntu. Still very usable. Once upon a time I toyed with Jolicloud. Try it for a Chrome type experience.

Ron

[filmbuff]

my recollection when i tried experimenting with win7 on my x32 (2GB, 320gb 7200rpm drive) is that win7 doesn't support the ati video chipset on the x31/32. i was forced to run the generic VGA driver which caused BSODs when i ran VMs on the laptop. playback of video was a bit choppy with the generic driver too, not surprising of course.

since i needed to run a VM on these laptops (the VM is used for corporate VPN and for running itunes so i can sync content to my ipad), i wound up reinstalling XP...tried Vista but performance was horrible.

i plan to continue to use XP on these for the foreseeable future. while it's true that MS will end support in April, i figure my risk exposure is minimal since these laptops are only really used for vacation/personal travel (light web browsing, ebooks & video content) and i run a robust 3rd party firewall with settings dialed up when it's connected to wifi. at some point AVG anti-virus support will end but i'm hoping that they'll continue for a while.

XP or a linux variant is the best performing OS for these models. win7 will work too with the forementioned video limitations.

finally, the day that i have to retire these for good, i have a x60 and a x61s waiting in the wings with Win7 loaded to pick up the slack!

yes, i love the 4:3 laptops!

Windows 7 will work on an X31/32 pretty nicely, although don't expect it to run cleanly all the time. The Radeon 7000/7500 in the X31/32 will not allow the use of Aero, but with the XP driver installed, you'll have Hardware Acceleration and moderate 3D performance can be expected from the machine.