What OS to Choose

[nightninja96]

Hello, my ThinkPad T60p has been performing terribly on Windows 7 Ultimate X64, so I’m planning to get a new OS, I’m thinking either Windows XP, 10, or some Linux Distro.
Which Windows is best for my machine?
Which Linux Distro is best for my machine?

Specs:
128GB SSD
Intel Core 2 Duo T7400
4 GB of RAM
ATI FireGL V5200
1400x1050 Screen

[MikalE]

If it has a 64 bit processor I would go with Windows XP64 Pro.

I am running a T520 in a dual phyisical drive, dual boot configuration with Win 7 Pro and XP 64 Pro. I've never seen performance from XP like I have with 16GB of memory. MS Flight Simulator is outstanding.

[ajkula66]

RAM is the bottleneck here, with only ~3GB being usable.

Win 7 is fine as long as you stick with a 32-bit version.

[MikalE]

So that machine can't use a 64 bit processor? Or is the RAM buss limited to addressing only 3GB of RAM?

[RealBlackStuff]

T7200/T7400/T7600 are all 64-bit CPUs.
But like ajkula66 said, limited usable RAM (~3GB) being the problem, you need to go for a 32-bit Windows version.
Or use any (32- or 64-bit) Linux.

[olddog]

I use and love Xenialpup64 on most of my Thinkpads. There is a very supportive Puppy Linux community, and you will find Xenial sings on a T61.

The default interface is a bit weird, but it's easily changed.

The Puppy package manger makes it easy to download software, though depending on your needs you might find it has everything you require already built-in.

LibreOffice works well, and the Deadbeef music player is simple and effective.

There is of course something of a learning curve with Linux, but once you get into it you probably won't want to go back.

http://distro.ibiblio.org/puppylinux/puppy-xenial/64/ Select xenialpup64-7.5-uefi.iso and use Balena Etcher to put it onto a USB stick.

Alternatively, there is Haiku. It's still got a few rough edges, but it's very slick and lovely to use. It's potentially the best operating system of all for personal computing, and by the end of this year I believe it will have reached the stage where I could recommend it unreservedly. It's not quite ready yet, but it's fun to play with. And it's very fast on a T61.

Get the latest 64 bit version from here - https://download.haiku-os.org

Good luck.

[dr_st]

Since you have an SSD, 32-bit Win7 should be fine. After all, these machines were sold in the Vista timeframe, which means the drivers are fairly optimized for Vista, and Win7 is very similar, especially in the 32-bit realm.

The other alternative is 32-bit XP. It tends to feel a bit snappier on such old systems, but it's old, less secure and is rapidly losing compatibility with modern web and applications. I have XP on my T60, but that is a rarely used, purely recreational system.

[MikalE]

T7200/T7400/T7600 are all 64-bit CPUs.
But like ajkula66 said, limited usable RAM (~3GB) being the problem, you need to go for a 32-bit Windows version.
Or use any (32- or 64-bit) Linux.

Why can't it use more than 3GB of RAM???

[Neil]

Due to an addressing limitation in the Intel 945PM and 945GM chipsets, even if you install 4GB, only 3GB will be available for use. Even if you install a 64-bit CPU, and use a 64-bit OS, the chipset limitation is still present.

[axur-delmeria]

Due to an addressing limitation in the Intel 945PM and 945GM chipsets, even if you install 4GB, only 3GB will be available for use. Even if you install a 64-bit CPU, and use a 64-bit OS, the chipset limitation is still present.

It's not just an addressing limitation. The 945 chipset has an address space of 4GB. However, some of those addresses are reserved for the Firewire, Expresscard, and ATI graphics chips. All of those combined results in around 3GB available for the system.

[MikalE]

Thank you. I thought it might be an addressing issue.

[nightninja96]

So, how big of a difference would there be between 32 and 64bit Windows 7?

[ajkula66]

So, how big of a difference would there be between 32 and 64bit Windows 7?

In which respect ?

[nightninja96]

As far as performance in daily use, internet, YouTube, office...

[ajkula66]

As far as performance in daily use, internet, YouTube, office...

A 32-bit will be lighter on the system. As for YT, you might have to try different browsers before you find one that works for your needs. Slimjet is pretty well-loved around here for use on older machines.

[TRS-80]

I think GNU/Linux is the greatest thing since sliced bread, but you have to get fed up enough with Windows/Microsoft antics to motivate you enough to get out of your comfort zone, and try something different.

The other thing, is understanding what Free/Libre and Open Source Software is really all about. For that, see the link in my signature.

Because just comparing Linux to Windows on a feature by feature basis is totally missing the point.

Having said that, in some cases you will find more or less features on any particular piece of software. In Linux, there are some quite good (in some cases, commercial quality and very powerful!) software, all available for free (as in freedom, and cost).

Linux is also much more lightweight than Windows, and uses less resources.

If you are interested, I could give you some advice on picking a Linux distribution, as I realize it can seem overwhelming at first to the uninitiated. You can even put it on a USB thumb drive and boot it as a Live CD without changing or installing anything on your current system, if you just want to give it a try.

[ac12]

The one thing to understand is XP is no longer supported by MS.
That means some/many of the software vendors have also dropped support for XP.
So you will have to look for software that will install and run under XP. Or install older XP versions of the software.
I had to go through this when I rebuilt my T23.
Example1, "Kindle for PC" does not run on XP. When MS dropped support of XP, so did Amazon.
Example2, I had to go looking for an antivirus sw that would run on XP, Norton did not.

Once you get it running, XP is fine.

Although web surfing may be a different issue. More and more web sites are using code that requires more horsepower on the computer. So much for the idea of a light computer and everything on the web.