PC saved by Ubuntu!!

[#1]

I took my sisters old pc from her on Monday night as she complained it was running really slowly, it literally took 5-6 minutes to load Windows XP, and be ready to connect to the web (maybe even longer)
Anyhoo, i took all her pictures off it and put Ubuntu Netbook Remix on it (even though its a desktop). Its not too bad a PC with AMD 1.8ghz processor and 1.25GB RAM, and is up and running ready for use in 40 seconds.
My only problem is that she has never used anything but windows, so i suspect she is going to make me take it off 😞
Still glad i saved it though 

[#2]

Just because she has never used anything but windows, doesn't mean she CAN'T use Ubuntu, give it to her and explain the "differences" dependent on what she wants to do it will probably do it all. 
UNR takes some getting used to though 

[#3]

She literally only uses it to surf the net, view photos and use the occasional Office program!
If she ends up wanting rid of it i can use it as a HTPC with Ubuntu & XBMC on it 

[#4]

You could always put a Windows XP theme on it and she'll never know the difference!. Oh shucks! of course she will, it will be so much faster....
 

[#5]

load up open office, firefox and thunderbird; be prepared to offer her a little tuition and watch her go.

[#6]

Already have all of these installed and in the 'favourites section', flash is installed so no probs with youtube / bbc iplayer. Fingers crossed  
adie:quote

[#7]

You might like to move the panel that traditionally sits on top of the screen to the bottom.

[#8]

Yes, I agree with Jeremy. To make it more Windows-ish (sorry) this is my current way of working:
Remove bottom panel
Move top panel to bottom
Add Windows List to panel
Put all the applets for clock, battery and wireless connection to right of panel
Use the Ubuntu menu on the left then she can literally do everything from this
one click including switch off/hibernate etc.
Have added Firefox and a couple of other shortcuts including forced quit to taskbar for immediate access.
Have found this a very convenient configuration, not too dissimilar from Windows.
Make sure she knows where the help centre is - always very useful for newbies.
Hope that she perseveres - tell her that if this 'older lady' can manage, she is can too (with a bit of perseverance).

[#9]

There is an easier way....
Right-click on a bit of blank space in the panel.
Choose properties.
Change the "Orientation" from top to bottom.
Click Close.
Job done
To put short-cuts on the "task-bar" just drag them from the application launcher.
Then right-click on them, so that you can lock them to the panel.

[#10]

I'm back into Ubuntu again, in fact I haven't changed anything about it just come to terms with the differences and embraced them  I can see the point of moving the task bars etc around to make the transition from windows smoother. TBH the person who just surfs and wants some office apps is the perfect candidate for Linux just don't try and mess with it 

[#11]

Actually, I'm a bit set in my ways. 
So I have a "tool bar" at the bottom of the screen and a panel showing running applications.
I also have Windows controls at the top right.
Additionally, I have most windows running maximised (on a wide screen monitor).
I suppose this is a lot like Windows circa early 1990's

[#12]

[quote=AverageWhiteBloke]I haven't changed anything about it just come to terms with the differences and embraced them
After upgrading to Ubuntu Lucid Lynx, I like many people was dismayed at the change in position of the windows controls (CLOSE/MINIMIZE/MAXIMISE), but knowing this is how every update in the future was going to be, I left the controls in their new position.  It took about two weeks to become accustomed to not automatically move the mouse pointer to the right hand side, and now I am so used to it that I dither when faced with a Windows PC.  What I now find annoying is the BBC iPlayer (on Ubuntu) which has it's own controls on the right hand side when the rest of my Ubuntu applications use the left !.  Dohh !

[#13]

get_iplayer is back you know.
It has no Window controls at all.

[#14]

On the subject of backgrounds and desktop settings, I am using Ubuntu Clear Looks theme and have noticed that the minimize/maximise/close buttons are on the right as usual.
I am going to install Ubuntu on my friend's XP computer as a dual-boot as she looks after her grandchildren sometimes and I think that they will be entertained by all the games that are in the repository.
What I want to do is to make the taskbar blue so that it will look XP-ish. Checked on gnome-look.org and can't find the one I want.  Also they are tar.gz and not sure how to use this.
Does anyone have links and/or advice to enable me to make it look XP please?
 

[#15]

XpGnome - Make Linux Look like Windows XP

Ubuntu 10.04 as Windows XP: