I'm planning to make the switch to Linux but I'm not looking to game or do anything too demanding. My main criteria are that it looks nice and performs well on a low to mid-end laptop. Any suggestions?
5 Answers
To figure out what fits best, pick a desktop environment that you find visually appealing, and install it on a lighter distro. That way, you can get the aesthetics you want without compromising on performance.
If you're coming from Windows, Zorin OS or Linux Mint would suit you perfectly. For Mac users, consider any Gnome-based distro like Fedora or Ubuntu. When you mention aesthetics, that usually relates to the desktop environment. Try out a few different distros to see what you like best!
Honestly, if you're looking for something simple, Ubuntu is a safe bet for a low-mid end laptop. It's well-optimized and user-friendly, making it ideal for casual use. Also, I suggest checking out Mint with XFCE; it's lightweight and should run smoothly on older hardware.
Try Mint XFCE first, it's lightweight and user-friendly. If that seems slow, there’s always the MATE version of Mint or MX Linux as alternatives that are also optimized for older systems.
Linux Mint is a great choice for beginners! It has a clean design, is easy to install, and runs smoothly on low-spec machines. I use it on an old Dell laptop, and it's been performing really well. Don't forget that aesthetics matter too! You might want to look into different desktop environments like Budgie or Cinnamon to find one that appeals to you. Good luck!
XFCE is a solid choice! If you find Mint with Cinnamon too slow, switching to XFCE could really boost performance.