I work in education and have a couple of old laptops with Intel Pentium N3530 processors and 2GB of RAM. These laptops will mainly be used by kids from elementary to middle school to open PDFs and run a few Windows applications, such as Lego EV3 Classroom. Since Wine support is crucial for this, I'm looking for suggestions on which Linux distro would work best for our needs. I need to make a decision by mid-August, so I'd appreciate your insights on this!
5 Answers
Just a heads up, Wine doesn't work perfectly with every Windows app, so you might want to check the WineHQ site for specific support on Lego EV3 Classroom. Additionally, with those specs, consider using a lightweight desktop environment like XFCE or MATE. It’ll help with performance, but don’t expect amazing Wine support, as this specific software isn't rated highly.
Honestly, if the Windows apps include anything heavy like MS Office, you might be better off just sticking with Windows 10. If not, Linux Mint could be a solid choice, especially the XFCE version considering your hardware restrictions. It’s user-friendly and widely supported, so the kids would have a smoother experience without too much hassle.
With only 2GB of RAM, you definitely want a memory-efficient distro. You could try Void Linux with LXQt or just stick with Debian for something that's reliable and straightforward. Either can be harder to set up, but they’re good on older hardware. Just keep in mind that the processors in these laptops are pretty slow, so manage your expectations.
Have you thought about Puppy Linux? It's lightweight and should run fine on your old laptops. It’s pretty easy to set up as well, making it a great option for kids.
Unfortunately, Wine doesn’t seem to work well with Lego EV3, as noted on WineHQ. If these laptops are really slow, maybe consider upgrading to SSDs or adding more RAM if possible. Also, look out for thermal issues – if the fans are working extra hard, thermal paste could help cool them down.
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