A laptop bought for a fiver in a charity shop. How do I turn the thing on?

[Mike_P]

Window key and type winver (if that works) will give you the version of Windows

 

[Accy cyclist]

Window key and type winver (if that works) will give you the version of Windows

All very complicated to me! It's looking like a visit to the local computer shop tomorrow!

 

[a.twiddler]

It's a Samsung NC10, well thought of in its day. I believe that it was designed around Windows XP. I had one many years ago but had to give up on it when XP support from Microsoft and various aftemarket others ended -no further security and other upgrades available. A pity, as the keyboard is very good and I liked XP. Battery life was good too. It's easy to remove or replace the battery. Not compatible with Windows 10. Bear in mind that there's no built in disc drive though you can use an external plug in one. Apparently you could load Linux on to it though I didn't go down that road.

 

[Grant Fondo]

All very complicated to me! It's looking like a visit to the local computer shop tomorrow!

You could double the memory to 2gb and replace the hard disk for an SSD and run Windows 10 like a £500 laptop for £30.

 

[Mike_P]

I have an old XP desktop as its the right age to work an A3 scanner I have. This Youtube video explains how to still use XP safely

View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j2artqrYWJY

 

[DCLane]

It's a little Windows netbook - I bought one and SWMBO commandeered it, putting a SSD in. It's a useful little thing.

 

[Accy cyclist]

You could double the memory to 2gb and replace the hard disk for an SSD and run Windows 10 like a £500 laptop for £30.

I take it you mean the bloke in the computer shop could do that and not me?

 

[a.twiddler]

No doubt computer geeks are rolling about on the floor with mirth at the concept of "doubling" the memory to a massive 2gb, though that's what I did back in the day, and it was quite easy, but is the rest of it that straightforward? My NC10 is gathering dust in a cupboard somewhere and it would be nice to resuscitate it if it were possible.

The "safely use XP forever" video lost me before we got less than halfway through.

Also, there are rumblings that support will stop for Windows 10 in the not too distant future and just as I am coming to hate using it a bit less I have to think about installing something new, Windows 11, to hate using. It seems likely that the laptop I bought to replace the NC10 won't be compatible with that. It would be nicely ironical to replace it with a rejuvenated NC10 that could cope with the next generation of planned obsolescence.

 

[stephec]

Don't you mean "I just hope it hasn't been wiped clean, and, there is some dodgy stuff on it?"

If he's lucky they'll be photos of Victorian ladies flashing their ankles whilst tweed clad gentlemen furiously twiddle their handlebar moustaches.

 

[Accy cyclist]

If he's lucky they'll be photos of Victorian ladies flashing their ankles whilst tweed clad gentlemen furiously twiddle their handlebar moustaches.

Do you mean like.......🧐

 

[postman]

2009 well that means when you get CycleChat up and running we will all be 13 years younger,what's not to like for a fiver.

 

[stephec]

Do you mean like.......🧐

Racy stuff! 😂

 

[neil_merseyside]

Also, there are rumblings that support will stop for Windows 10 in the not too distant future and just as I am coming to hate using it a bit less I have to think about installing something new, Windows 11, to hate using. It seems likely that the laptop I bought to replace the NC10 won't be compatible with that. It would be nicely ironical to replace it with a rejuvenated NC10 that could cope with the next generation of planned obsolescence.

I use Open Shell to emulate windows 7 (from habit) works great in both w10 and w11.

I've two laptops that don't officially run W11 but they both work just fine, if you post what your laptop lacks as regards compatibility, the same workaround may work.

 

[Dadam]

I used to own one of those from new. Bought it in 2010, sold it about 2016.
Atom N270 1.6Ghz single core cpu. I think it had XP home.

It will really struggle to run win 10 or 11 I reckon, at least not usable. Unless of course you’re willing to get really technical. With enough hacking you can probably get anything to run more or less anything.

XP is wide open to malware as it’s been out of support so long. Best thing to do, assuming you ever want to connect it to the internet, in my opinion, is find a suitable Linux distro.

 

[Grant Fondo]

Just to get things in context, the latest iphone chips are 3 times faster than the OP's Intel Atom.
Mind you they don't cost a fiver.