The final part of how to create digital art on a small budget.
So now you know a little bit about software and operating systems. And maybe at this point you want to buy a used desktop or laptop with an outdated Windows to bring it back to life. In that case there are a few things that needs attention.
The most important thing is that if you want a CPU capable for an 64 bits OS , basically everything after 2010 should be okay. The reason for this is that 64 bit is better supported with drivers and has a wider choice of software. But if there is a Windows 32 bit version installed doesn't necessarily means that a 64 bit OS can't be installed. So how to test this ? Well the quickest way is to make an bootable dvd rom and usb stick, start your device of choice with this bootable medium and if there will be an message if it's not possible ( at this point there is no installation started ). In case you have a 32 bit system then it's still possible to install Linux and have a smooth running device, but this device better be ( almost ) free.
So for example you finally found a laptop for the right price then what should you test before purchase to avoid unnecessary costs ? Well I would recommend to let the laptop at least run for 15 minutes to check the battery and cooling fan conditions, in most cases problems will occur whitin this period. Check the mechanical parts, not because parts are expensive, but sometimes they're not available anymore and your laptop can't be fixed. Bad laptop batteries or fans can be replaced in most cases, prices can vary a lot depending on brand and or supplier ( in most cases there are cheap Chinese alternatives but remember that guarantees and expected lifetime is very different than when bought at your local supplier ).
Some other recommendations that I would like to give are to keep it well know brands like HP , Dell , etcetera when buying a used laptop and if possible an ex company laptop who are built for intensive use. And at some point you might want to upgrade RAM memory or change the harddrive, so make sure that is possible ( an RAM upgrade is a cheap way to improve performance and replacing and old harddrive for a solid state drive is another good option to consider ).
To end this blog just a couple of things. You may have noticed I don't mention prices or do any recommendations about minimum system requirements. It's simple prices change very fast and the best way is to compare prices with other used laptops. And the minimum requirements depends on how you use the laptop. In my case I do a bit of shirt design with Gimp and I use it for a couple of other light weight purposes, so I can use almost any outdated old laptop ( the free laptops that still have XP installed ) . But if you want to edit movies or also like gaming then you might want a young laptop with fast CPU and maybe a big screen.
Good luck if you decided to purchase a used laptop or give your own old laptop another chance. Personally I think it's always better to repurpose than to recycle.
Until next time,
Greetings Andres
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