[ltp] Mandrake 8.2 x Thinkpad 600 (not E)

[Steven Crane]

...I have an IBM Thinkpad 600 (not a 600E), and I'm considering turning it into a dual 
boot machine with Mandrake 8.2 and Windows 98 (already installed)...

Based on my recent experience with Mandrake 8.2 and the 600E, the best I can say is 
that it is certainly not the automatic choice. My impression is that it fights you all the 
way to impose its own (incorrect) defaults over any selections you actually make.

The documentation is appallingly basic, aimed at no-previous-experience-whatsoever-
even-with-windows computer users, and I highly recommend that you do not waste any 
money on it.

I really haven't had the time to spend on it that I would like, but even so, I have now 
been through FOUR installations of Mandrake and my honest impression is that 
Mandrake 8.2 is really not comfortable with hardware as old as the TP 600(e) or at the 
very least requires so much manual adjustment that there is absolutely nothing to 
recommend it over any other "branded" distribution.

If you are downloading, try Mandrake (perhaps). If you are paying, definitely try 
something else.



...First problem is the hard drive: it's only 4GB... I'm using about 3.2 gigs now...

Mandrake 8.2 will install reasonably comfortably in the 800MB you have available. 
You'll have to be a bit fussy when selecting packages, but there is more than enough 
space there to get it working before you upgrade. Bare minimum install is < 70MB and 
you can get both KDE and Gnome into 800MB.

---Steven



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