Best free OS for an old laptop?

try some linux distribution...and so probably there will some version even for old pc configuration that will be suitable for you old pc as well...surely windows will be so low on this pc...

For sure the best Os is linux. And it is also free. In it's first version it had the capacity to work really good with less Ram and small processor. So I think it is a good idea to try getting a red hat.

There are several free versions of Linux which would probably run on such a machine and make it a useful (if slow) machine. You would need to check the specifications and the best way would be to search for 'Linux free versions' and look at the individual requirements for each. Ubuntu and Knoppix are two free implementations of Linux which come to mind and which might be suitable. If your laptop has a CD drive, both of these versions can be configured to run from a CD (though rather slowly) so that you could test them before installing on the hard drive. Linux implementations typically come with a GUI and many useful basic applications, including a browser, OpenOffice (a MS Office replacement), drivers for common hardware and so on.

Hi TooMuch2AM! There are many linux distributions available. I recommend UBUNTU for old computers. I've tried different linux distributions before and UBUNTU runs best on old computers. If you have 256Mb of RAM, I think it will run fast. It is also user friendly and you wont need an anti-virus software. As far as I know linux is not susceptible to viruses. And best of all it's free!

Hello TooMuch2AM, I would use Puppy Linux 5 or a derivative like PupLite -- but there are 100th of Puppy derivative available -- : http://www.murga-linux.com/puppy/viewtopic.php?t=63381 The advantage is that it will work totally in RAM, and is probably the faster Linux available for a machine with only 256 Mb RAM. But you have to test it : I am not sure that FireFox will work correctly with this RAM. You can replace it with SeaMonkey, a member of the same Gecko family needing less RAM. Other small distros working in RAM like DamnSmall are not very comfortable -- too many light and console apps -- and have often been made for rescue purposes. Ubuntu-Lite has made a bad fame to Ubuntu, but maybe you can try PC/OS Linux with XFCE, a derivative of XUbuntu. Just tracks. You can download ISO-images of all these small Linux and you have not to install them to give them a try. Burn some CDs and see by yourself what is the best for your laptop. Welcome to myLot.