SAVE YOUR OLD PC!

Give your hardware some extra longevity. Jonni Bidwell shows you how Windows fails and Linux Mint prevails

SPRING IS UPON US northern hemisphere dwellers once again. Many look to the season of rejuvenation as a time for investing in new hardware. That dusty Windows 7 PC might be destined for landfill, or perhaps your Windows 10 machine is struggling. Slow PCs are a nightmare to use, and we understand the temptation of out with the old, and in with the new.

If 'the new' is a new Windows machine, we urge caution. Many of us can't afford shiny new computers. But with a little hardware refresh and the power of open source software, old machines can be granted a new lease of life.Linux Mint is easy to install, simple to use, and doesn't spy on you. With a couple of sticks of memory and a solid-state drive (SSD), we'll show you how it can make your old machine fly (not into a dumpster).

OLD HARDWARE VS NEW SOFTWARE

Microsoft would love you to buy a new Windows 11 PC, but your old hardware can find a new lease of life

WHEN WINDOWS 10 was released, Microsoft quite clearly said that this would be the final version of the OS. This turned out to be a poor marketing strategy, and soon rumors of Windows 11 began to circulate. The software was eventually released at the end of 2021, and many Windows 10 users now live in fear of a phantom forced update to the new release by night.