A light OS for my mom?

March 23, 2009 8:23 AM

What is the best light OS for my mom that is very easy to install?

My mom has a very simple laptop with limited memory and RAM (not sure on the details from here). It isn't old, but she bought it at Walmart without knowing that it may not have been a good choice despite its sleek appearance.

Anyway, Vista was apparently unusable, so my cousin installed Ubuntu, though she is uncomfortable with it (it asks her about what Kernel to start up with each time she turns it on, and this is enough to make her uneasy and results in frantic phone calls to me)... also, she is uncomfortable with Ubuntu.

I am looking for something light and simple to use/install, I was thinking about Google's OS, though who knows if it is even out yet... Something that resembles Windows a bit and will allow her to do mom-type things (surf the net wirelessly, upload pics from her digital camera, and basic OO Word Processing).

I can burn her the disk and mail it to her with specific instructions, but the most important thing is that installation should be easy and that once installed, Ubuntu will be overridden.

Any ideas? Thanks a lot guys.

posted by mateuslee to technology (18 comments total)

Xubuntu? It's a lightweight version of Ubuntu specifically designed for older computers, and with less bundled apps etc.
posted by Happy Dave at 8:31 AM on March 23

I hate to say it, but if Ubuntu is too scary for her, I don't know that Xubuntu will be a huge improvement without tweaking (I've linked to this before, but here is the Ubuntu computer for my mom--observe the large labeled icons for different tasks; adding those has avoided tons of problems). What about WinXP?
posted by PhoBWanKenobi at 8:44 AM on March 23

Maybe gOS?
posted by sharkfu at 8:46 AM on March 23

What about WinXP?
posted by PhoBWanKenobi at 11:44 AM on March 23 [+] [!]

On older hardware, XP runs awesome until you install SP2. Then it becomes unusable.

I'd say take it one notch lower and go with Windows 2000.

Either that or look into a lightweight Linux distribution that runs on KDE (familiar Windows-like interface).
posted by Ziggy Zaga at 8:50 AM on March 23 [1 favorite]

I like Ubuntu/GNOME and OpenSUSE about as much as I can like a Linux distro. I'm no guru, but there might be some config file (grub.conf?) that you can edit to get rid of the kernel selection prompt.

That said, if your mom panicks and calls you as soon as something 'funny' (the GRUB menu which times out in 5 seconds) pops up, I don't think Linux is the right thing for her.
Believe me, if she can has any means of gaining administrative access, she will succeed in screwing things up: I remember the story about someone's mom 'tidying up' the Windows folder by putting all the DLLs in one folder, EXEs in another. Doing tech support, especially Linux tech support for a non-computer-literate older person can be incredibly exasperating and can end in hurt feelings all around. I suggest a second-hand version of Windows XP or 2000.
posted by dunkadunc at 8:50 AM on March 23

Re: ubuntu, you can get rid of the boot menu (or make it disappear so fast she doesn't see it).

You can also change its appearance to something she'd be more comfortable with. In fact, you can make it look, and to some extent act, like anything you want, whether by customizing the desktop environment/window manager or installing a different one altogether (Ubuntu uses the Gnome desktop environment by default, Kubuntu uses KDE, and Xubuntu uses Xfce, but there are many more. Maybe check out the Netbook Remix.) If your cousin is familiar with linux, they could customize a UI to her tastes.

What bothers her besides the UI?
posted by trig at 8:58 AM on March 23

I've checked out the options when I faced the same situation with my Great Aunt. I like the look of that desktop PhoBWanKenobi linked to, but I still haven't seen the fool-proof linux OS for tech challenged seniors.

I ended up leaving Windows XP installed on her PC and added a stick of RAM. I cleaned up the desktop and uninstalled a few unnecessary aps. I created easy-to-understand shortcut-icons on her desktop and bookmarks in her IE.

It works well enough, and she's in the same Windows boat as her elderly friends--and about 90% of the rest of us.
posted by General Tonic at 9:00 AM on March 23 [1 favorite]

Something that resembles Windows

How about Windows?

I'm not being snarky: if messages about kernel selection make her uneasy, don't stick her with a linux variant that will just be a source of more confusion for her. Among other things, she won't be able to ask anyone for help but you. Give her good old comfortable familiar crappy windows XP. Maybe it'll run a little slow on older hardware, but if she's just doing "mom type stuff" that doesn't matter.
posted by ook at 9:18 AM on March 23 [3 favorites]

Laptop RAM is extremely cheap at the moment. Install 2GB for less than 50$ and reinstall Vista.
posted by robofunk at 9:20 AM on March 23

You don't even need 2GB of RAM to run Vista. You just need to turn off Aero Glass. I have two UMPCs that run Vista quite well, each with 1GB RAM and tiny little processors.

I would recommend Vista over XP because it's safer by default; if you want to go with XP, make sure you set up a non-administrative account for her.

Ubuntu would be fine as well, although if she's used to Windows you might as well stick to Windows.
posted by me & my monkey at 9:38 AM on March 23

If this laptop shipped with vista then its probably very beefy. Its not a 5 year old machine. Heck, I have a 5 year old laptop as my primary vista machine, so I can vouch that it works okay on old hardware. On new hardware it should fly. Im guessing that whoever installed ubuntu on it didnt bother to do any vista troubleshooting and now it turns out your mother didnt like the transition. A vista reinstall with SP1 might solve her issues. You already paid for vista via the OEM license, why spend more?

I personally use xubuntu as my linux distro of choice, but only because its less featureful than ubuntu proper. I also find it more buggy than the mainstream product. If your mom is having trouble with ubuntu then moving her to a slimmed down linux system may not be for the best. Try Vista again. I wouldnt be surprsied if SP1 or a driver update solved the issue. Contact the manufacturer's support if the issue continues. Perhaps there's a bios update or something that solves it.

Lastly, if shes going to freak out about every little thing (kernel menu) then just give her what she's used to. She may not like change and will dislike this new solution as much as she dislikes vista and ubuntu. If she has lots of experience with XP then you might have to bite the bullet and pay for an XP retail license.
posted by damn dirty ape at 10:45 AM on March 23

Seconding me & my monkey's excellent suggestion to run as non-admin.
posted by damn dirty ape at 10:45 AM on March 23

I agree that she should never have taken off Vista, but anyway, too late now... yeah, I could get her to reinstall it first, so I'll look into that... I'll also look into gOS though no one is really talking about that here, surprisingly...
posted by mateuslee at 12:06 PM on March 23

Maybe Xandros? Screenshots to me look more Windows-like than Ubuntu. But if Ubuntu makes her uncomfortable I can't imagine any other Windows making her more comfortable than the Windows she's (apparently) used too.
posted by 6550 at 12:12 PM on March 23

If you're crafty and have the right access, most private bittorrent communities where software is available will have torrents for various software. I haven't used, but have seen some rave reviews for XP lite, where someone has gone in and disabled some of the more bloated parts of XP that aren't completely necessary, and then made an install .iso.

Again, I haven't used this software myself and make no real promises about it's actualy usefulness and security, but thought it handy to at least make you aware of it's presence, since your mom seems skittish in a non-windows environment.
posted by phredgreen at 12:33 PM on March 23

Oh wow. Bad typing day for me.

It looks like you don't have to have access to private torrents, but as with any grab from a public tracker, take necessary precautions.
posted by phredgreen at 12:41 PM on March 23

I agree that she should never have taken off Vista, but anyway, too late now... yeah, I could get her to reinstall it first, so I'll look into that... I'll also look into gOS though no one is really talking about that here, surprisingly...

When I was looking into buying my netbook, I repeatedly stumbled across lukewarm reviews of gOS--it's a very stripped-down OS with links to web-based programs (including stuff like word processing programs) and seems to take its design cues from Mac systems (doc, desktop widgets). If your mother is having trouble with the default Ubuntu OS layout--which isn't that different from Windows in terms of having taskbars, etc., I can't imagine that having her use an OS with a completely different design principle would be the best idea.
posted by PhoBWanKenobi at 1:37 PM on March 23

Nthing gOS. Non coincidentally, that's the OS that was used on Wal-Mart's low-end computers. I've never installed it, but I can't imagine it's any more or less difficult than any other OS. You'll want to format the whole hard drive though and remove any trace of previous OS's to avoid confusion.
posted by JuiceBoxHero at 1:58 PM on March 23