Get a Linux distribution that focuses on ease of use.
The entire system can be run from RAM, allowing the boot medium to be removed after the operating system has started. Applications such as SeaMonkey, AbiWord, Gnumeric, and Gxine/xine are included.
Fast download, burned to CD, booted, created bootable USB- it works! Comes with lots of apps, but is so small that it fits on a USB flashdrive and loads into RAM. Will work on an old machine, even if the hard drive is trashed. Use to rescue data.
Cons
The media player (Gxine) did not work, but I'll try another, like VLC. I'm using the PuppyBrowser, but I think I'll switch to Firefox (it's included). I have not tested every included app with my machine (a Pentium dual core laptop).
Summary
Installing an alternative operating system is easy with this distro of Linux called ?Lucid Puppy.? Download the .iso file, burn it (they recommend burn 'slowly') to a CD with a utility like imgburn, Look on the Puppy website and copy the instructions, including the tutorial on how to get it on a USB drive. The Puppy Linux site has lots of information about what it can do, like; Abiword, a MS Word compatible word processor;
InkscapeLite is a vector drawing program;
Gnumeric an Excel compatible spread sheet;
Seamonkey browser, plus Foxfire, Puppy (which I?m using) and other browsers;
mtPaint is like Windows paint;
SeaMonkey mail and news email client;
ROX is the file manager. This takes the place of Windows explorer.
Ayttm is a chat client.
Osmo the personal organiser.
Internet Connection Wizard .
Scientific and 5 other calculators,
Wizards for hardware,
Screen capture,
.pdf viewer and maker (?PuppyPDF convert to PDF?),
alarm clock;
firewall;
download accelerator; ?Puppy-Podcast-Grabber;?
disc burning utilities, cd/dvd rip?.burn, media players, streaming video,
online Help which includes lots of add-ons.
Read the online info to see how you can get an old computer running ? without having to fix a broken hard drive. Just run the machine from a CD. Newer computers (2001 or so) that boot from USB can go that route. And the system is FAST.
This is my first experience (a couple of hours so far) with Lucid Puppy and I think that this OS could replace Windows (except for running hard-core computer games).