IIRC, I ran the W7 32 bit Betas on a motherboard with only 1 GB of RAM.
Once you get 2 GB of RAM, you shouldn't have any issues running W7 32 bit (unless you want to edit video, play the latest games or run virtual machines).
Linux Distros (Linux Distributions) is a term covering a large number of operating systems that use the Linux Kernel.
Various groups release Linux "all-in-one software packages" (Linux Distros) containing:
- Kernel
- Desktop Environments/GUIs
- Drivers
- Software:
- Firefox or other Internet browser
- Thunderbird or other email program
- Graphics program
- Media players
- Libre Office or other office software (word processor, spreadsheet program, etc.)
Linux Desktop Distros :
- Generally use less resources than Windows (HDD space and RAM)
- Aren't vulnerable to malware designed for Windows (Flash and Java are still potential problem sources though)
I used to have Ubuntu installed on my PC, up until a couple of years ago, but I couldn't abide Unity or GNOME 3 (GUI components) so I swapped to Linux Mint.
I an currently using Linux Mint 17 MATE (64 bit) triple booting with XP and W7 Ultimate (64 bit).
It is very similar to XP/W7, unless you like tinkering with the system files.
I'm using it at the moment and it's currently using ~1 GB of RAM running:
- Firefox with 15 tabs open (~450 MB)
- A couple of other programs
If you have an DVD burner you can burn a Live DVD (you can also create Live USB sticks).
A Live Linux DVD/USB can be run without needing to install it on your HDD.
If you use a Live USB you can save settings and files to it.
When my motherboard died (a couple of years ago) I ran a Live Ubuntu CD for a week, on my backup PC, without a HDD (it only had a CD drive).
It is handy to have a Live Linux CD/DVD/USB for dealing with certain Windows issues (e.g. rescuing files from damaged Windows installs).
