Home computer use: the Linux crunch-box to the rescue

Self-tutoring about home computer use: the tutor mentions an all-too common irony with computers.

The other day I had a chance to borrow a gamer’s ultra-new, super-fast laptop. It’s got Windows 11 and the gamer themself told me it’s “awesome.” I was, therefore, optimistic it could handle an online meeting.

The meeting began fine. When I went to share my screen, however, a problem became evident: the shared content flashed black and white, in kind of a strobing effect that made viewing the content impractical. I had to interrupt the meeting, telling them I would rejoin from a more reliable laptop. I knew just the one.

I started up the old Linux crunch-box, a computer from 2017 that’s too slow to run Windows 10 (it doesn’t have a SSD). It took a few minutes to get it running and logged in, but from there, the meeting continued with no further problems. As always, it shared the screen fine. In my experience, that’s Linux for you.

I said to someone years ago that if you’re depending on a computer to work, you’d better have two. With new devices, it seems even riskier: too often the totally awesome new one can’t measure up the way the “obsolete” one continues to.

To be fair, this probably doesn’t represent a comparison of devices, but rather operating systems: I’m sure the gamer’s new laptop would handle the meeting perfectly fine if it also were running Linux. Instead, however, it’s running Windows 11.

I might buy a newer laptop pretty soon. Even so, I know what to keep around: the old Linux crunch-box:)