For many people, the #Linux vs #Windows vs #Mac debate is a privilege — it assumes you can choose.
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For many people, the #Linux vs #Windows vs #Mac debate is a privilege — it assumes you can choose. But working with the Computer Upcycle Project, I've seen the real choice is often Linux vs no computer at all.
~95% of donated computers are "too old" for Windows 11 or macOS. Linux installs on them anyway, adding 10+ years of life to machines #Microsoft and #Apple called trash.
This isn't Linux vs Windows. It's Linux vs e-waste.
@codemonkeymike I’ve got an unsupported MacBook Air and an even older MacBook Pro that I have running Debian 13; works great on them. Now if only we could get phones to open up a bit, I could do something with an old iPhone 11 Pro and LG Stylo 6 I’ve got
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For many people, the #Linux vs #Windows vs #Mac debate is a privilege — it assumes you can choose. But working with the Computer Upcycle Project, I've seen the real choice is often Linux vs no computer at all.
~95% of donated computers are "too old" for Windows 11 or macOS. Linux installs on them anyway, adding 10+ years of life to machines #Microsoft and #Apple called trash.
This isn't Linux vs Windows. It's Linux vs e-waste.
@codemonkeymike Well, WinXP probably installs fine on all of them and there are enough free licenses or circumventions available. Now it depends a lot on what you want to do with it. If you want to run older games offline, then that's maybe even a usable choice. If you want to do online banking and Internet browsing, well, don't do that with an OS out of support.
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@codemonkeymike Well, WinXP probably installs fine on all of them and there are enough free licenses or circumventions available. Now it depends a lot on what you want to do with it. If you want to run older games offline, then that's maybe even a usable choice. If you want to do online banking and Internet browsing, well, don't do that with an OS out of support.
@http ehh yeah. This isn't computers for shits and giggles to play commander keen. I'm trying to get people useful computers for school, work, etc. Win XP ain't cutting it?
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@codemonkeymike There's another angle on this too, for a number of people with disabilities this same "it's not really a choice" idea applies, but with macOS being the thing. Because while Windows has some assistive tech, Linux has very little, and what is there isn''t installed by default or easy to set up and use. This particularly sucks in situations like this where Linux is being looked at as the primary OS for these older systems.
@xoagray yup I agree. Again. I'm a huge believer in the right tool for the job. Sometimes it's MacOS, sometimes it's Windows and sometimes it's Linux.
My thesis here is that Linux is never even considered for most people when it very well might be the right tool.
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@codemonkeymike Our 2012 Latitude has been running Debian/Xfce contentedly for most of a decade now, once Windows got too bloated for it.
After last year's HDD -> SSD upgrade it's nice and mostly-snappy, and I figure it'll chug along usefully for at *least* five more years.
@btskinn this is the way!
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@98Percent @codemonkeymike where are you based? (how) can we send donations?
@mdione @98Percent were based in Olympia, WA In the US.
Check out our site. You can donate there or if you meant donating hardware, happy to talk about that too! (And our address is on the site too)
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@xoagray yup I agree. Again. I'm a huge believer in the right tool for the job. Sometimes it's MacOS, sometimes it's Windows and sometimes it's Linux.
My thesis here is that Linux is never even considered for most people when it very well might be the right tool.
@codemonkeymike That's definitely true. I've had people literally scream at me and / or burst into tears at just the thought of switching off windows. Even if they're only using their computer for browsing, email, the kind of stuff where it literally doesn't matter what OS you use. (context, I used to repair and build PC's for people and small businesses for years.)
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@http ehh yeah. This isn't computers for shits and giggles to play commander keen. I'm trying to get people useful computers for school, work, etc. Win XP ain't cutting it?
@codemonkeymike I was thinking about people in very poor countries trying to get used to (offline) computers, or children there playing older games. But yes, for anything like work or school, Linux is probably the best choice.
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K kramse@helvede.net shared this topic
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For many people, the #Linux vs #Windows vs #Mac debate is a privilege — it assumes you can choose. But working with the Computer Upcycle Project, I've seen the real choice is often Linux vs no computer at all.
~95% of donated computers are "too old" for Windows 11 or macOS. Linux installs on them anyway, adding 10+ years of life to machines #Microsoft and #Apple called trash.
This isn't Linux vs Windows. It's Linux vs e-waste.
@codemonkeymike you are so right. Although it is quite sad seeing that so few people use Linux. I studied web development in 2023 and in a class of 30-35 people, just one had Linux. (I don't use Linux neither but I respect and support its revolution). Every day I learn more from it and I love it. Thank you for your post
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For many people, the #Linux vs #Windows vs #Mac debate is a privilege — it assumes you can choose. But working with the Computer Upcycle Project, I've seen the real choice is often Linux vs no computer at all.
~95% of donated computers are "too old" for Windows 11 or macOS. Linux installs on them anyway, adding 10+ years of life to machines #Microsoft and #Apple called trash.
This isn't Linux vs Windows. It's Linux vs e-waste.
@codemonkeymike I agree with the sentiment, but have to say I find it somewhat dismaying that the open source OS landscape is a de facto monoculture. FreeBSD and OpenBSD exist, for example, and may work in places where Linux feels awkward (or vice versa).
One can't help but feel that the dominance of Linux has closed off interesting avenues of development. That's not Linux's fault, exactly, but it is a kind of unfortunate outcome.
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Hi.
What's that "computer upcycle project" ?@LibreFaso @codemonkeymike Changing the OS to a Linux Distribution or BSD else than the original OS alike iMac or WinOS.
Why? the hardware on those give a long life cycle to your pc thanks to Linux due to it's lower dependency on RAM and CPU as GPU -
For many people, the #Linux vs #Windows vs #Mac debate is a privilege — it assumes you can choose. But working with the Computer Upcycle Project, I've seen the real choice is often Linux vs no computer at all.
~95% of donated computers are "too old" for Windows 11 or macOS. Linux installs on them anyway, adding 10+ years of life to machines #Microsoft and #Apple called trash.
This isn't Linux vs Windows. It's Linux vs e-waste.
@codemonkeymike Both of my computers are 16 years old, when Windows7 was a thing. Although they were getting a little boggy with #Ubuntu, they run the latest #Linux #Mint swiftly and flawlessly, update on their own, never have a down day.
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@codemonkeymike Both of my computers are 16 years old, when Windows7 was a thing. Although they were getting a little boggy with #Ubuntu, they run the latest #Linux #Mint swiftly and flawlessly, update on their own, never have a down day.
@josephsimons @codemonkeymike On Linux RAM matter mostly -
@josephsimons @codemonkeymike On Linux RAM matter mostly
@zer0unplanned @codemonkeymike Sure, but I didn't upgrade RAM between Ubuntu and Mint.
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@zer0unplanned @codemonkeymike Sure, but I didn't upgrade RAM between Ubuntu and Mint.
@josephsimons @codemonkeymike They are both Linux Distro's one with other specs than the other about minimal RAM and CPU requirements as Disc capacity. So I do not get your point here, is the one more requiring than the other > can you add RAM? > why you run both? -
For many people, the #Linux vs #Windows vs #Mac debate is a privilege — it assumes you can choose. But working with the Computer Upcycle Project, I've seen the real choice is often Linux vs no computer at all.
~95% of donated computers are "too old" for Windows 11 or macOS. Linux installs on them anyway, adding 10+ years of life to machines #Microsoft and #Apple called trash.
This isn't Linux vs Windows. It's Linux vs e-waste.
@codemonkeymike MintOS stay Mint OS but Ubuntu has many sub variants also minimal requirement builds.
Here's a good URL to see what fits
distrowatch.com/ -
@98Percent yes!!! This is awesome! Love to hear this Pete. Thanks! If you're curious about something like Linux mint but even more set and forget for normal people. Check out my project NixbookOS
@codemonkeymike Thanks Mike. I have already converted about 30 laptops to one flavour or another of Mint, so am pretty standardised on that, but yes, I will take a look at NixOS. That’s one of the several things I love about FOSS. You can try different things without cost and without commitment!
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@98Percent @codemonkeymike where are you based? (how) can we send donations?
@mdione @codemonkeymike Thanks for your offer Marcos! I’m in New Zealand, so a long way from you I think.
I’m just a private individual, runninga local group for Linux learners, so not really set up fly donation-receiving.
Maybe I should think about that! -
@codemonkeymike Exactly this! I have 6 old laptops converted to Linux Mint right now sitting here waiting to go to a local organisation that helps young single mums with no resources of their own.
Not only is Linux helping prevent e-waste, it's providing secure, powerful and free access to the digital world to people who otherwise would not have any (except maybe a crappy phone).@codemonkeymike To be clear, I shouldn’t have called them “young single mums”. They are young women bringing up children with no paternal support, but I don’t know their actual personal relationship circumstances.
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@98Percent @codemonkeymike Same! Half a dozen old MacBook Pros updated with Ubuntu, new SSDs, new batteries ready to get out the door for people who need them.
@oisin @codemonkeymike That’s great. So good to see perfectly useable tech being kept alive and out of the scrap pile.
There is so much absolute waste!
