So you need a computer. You've looked at the newest Dell (Nasdaq: DELL) 
XPS, maybe a spiffy HP (NYSE: HPQ) 
Pavilion. You've surfed over to Apple's (Nasdaq: AAPL) Web store to drool over the powerful, stylish machines of Steve Jobs. But there's a problem: You're broke. You just don't have -- or shouldn't be spending -- the US$600 to more than $2,000 you'd have to pay for one of those new digital hotrods.
There's still hope if you have the do-it-yourself daring to combine the free, open source operating system Ubuntu Linux with an inexpensive used personal computer. Linux , a community-developed operating system, comes in many flavors, including Red Hat (NYSE: RHT) , Yellow Dog and Xandros.
The Ubuntu version is one of the most popular among folks seeking computing power for home and office tasks such as word processing, Web browsing and working with spreadsheets. The topic here is Ubuntu, not the dozens of other perfectly wonderful Linux distributions that would be enough for a fat book.
Oh, and here's fair warning: This article assumes familiarity with computers, the terms used in computing and the skills to use the Web, download files and to burn them to a CD.
Find a Used Computer
One of the best things about Linux is its ability to run well even on rather elderly PCs that are not powerful enough to run Windows XP, never mind the newer resource hog, Microsoft (Nasdaq: MSFT) Vista. As businesses and individuals upgrade to newer systems, the older systems become available at bargain prices.
You'll be looking for a personal computer based on an Intel (Nasdaq: INTC) or AMD (NYSE: AMD) microprocessor. Ubuntu will run acceptably quickly even on chips as slow as a 600 MHz Pentium II.
The computer must have an optical drive that can read CDs because you will be installing Ubuntu from a CD. The hard drive doesn't have to be huge because Ubuntu takes up only about 2 gigabytes. You'll be fine with a drive as small as 10 gigabytes.
With a little searching, you should be able to find a computer, monitor, keyboard and mouse for $200 or less.
Get Ubuntu Linux
If you have access to a computer with an optical drive that can burn CDs, download the whole operating system from ubuntu.com. You'll burn the file you download to a CD, which you will use to install Ubuntu. The download is almost 700 megabytes, so you'll need fast Internet access such as cable or DSL, not a telephone modem. If you don't have a way to download Ubuntu, you can get free installation CDs through the mail from Canonical, the distributor of Ubuntu. Go to ubuntu.com and click on the "Get Ubuntu" link. Fill out the form and submit it. You might have to wait several weeks, but it's free. Really. There's not even a charge for shipping.
Install Your Ubuntu System
Once you have the Ubuntu CD either downloaded and burned to disc or mailed to you, you're ready to install the operating system. Start your computer, then push the button to open the CD tray. Drop in the Ubuntu installation CD, then close the tray. Your computer should start up using the Ubuntu system on the CD. If you were slow getting the CD into the tray, it might start from whatever system is installed on the hard drive. If that happens, simply restart the system and it should start from the CD. Starting from a CD is slow, so be patient. When startup is complete, you should see an Ubuntu desktop.With the computer running on the CD, you can familiarize yourself with Ubuntu. If you like what you see, begin the installation by double-clicking on the "Install Ubuntu" icon on the desktop. If you don't like what you see, stop now.
Ubuntu will walk you through the installation. If you are uncertain about the choices it presents, use whatever Ubuntu presents as the default choice. While it is possible to create a computer system with separate installations of Linux, Windows and other operating systems, let's leave that to the experts for now. You'll want to use your entire hard drive for the Ubuntu system, which will wipe out whatever system might be on the drive and the files it contained.
© 2008 Dayton Daily News. All rights reserved.
© 2008 ECT News Network. All rights reserved.
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