Now I have started to receive laptops and other devices; it’s time to think about the choice of OS.
My choice of OS has a few requirements to achieve my goals, and it needs to work on any or most machines and run the basic programs for the everyday user but also allow for creative people to have a platform, all of this must be done on a free platform ruling out the leading operating systems. The other problems with mainstream paid operating systems today are that they are spec hungry; what I mean by this is that with every new introduction of the systems, your computer needs more RAM, more hard drive and faster processes, something the donated laptops do not have.
Just recently I have acquired three perfectly good desktop pc’s with i7 processors 4GB RAM and 500GB hard drive that is now no longer to the spec required to run on an industrial network but has plenty of life left, in them, this spec is the typical or better spec you see advertised for home use every day. With a computer to this spec, the student would efficiently complete any task for normal school or college work baring some primary task. The only problem with such a computer donated to media lobotomy does not come with an OS licence hence the hunt for an operating system.
So, over the next few days, I am going to be researching and test different Linux based OS to see what the best fit would be for this project and how I can customise it for a creative student. Once I have setup the first computer this week, I will complete the project with this operating system giving my feedback on life as an open source/ free software as a creative art user.