Linux Archives - Rick's Daily Tips

Linux replacements for popular Windows programs

Posted on December 10, 2025

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A while back I wrote a post explaining how to give an old PC new life by replacing Windows with Linux as a means of extending the useful life of older PCs.

After that post was published I received a number of emails asking for a list of Linux programs that can replace the Windows programs they’d leaving behind if they made the switch.

I decided that it might be a good idea to publish that list in its own blog post, and here it is: [Read more…]

Q&A: Is it really dangerous to keep using Windows 7?

Posted on April 28, 2024

Question from Luisa: I’m hoping you can clear something up for me.

I’ve heard some people say we need to stop using Windows 7 now that Microsoft has stopped updating it because it’s no longer safe.

Others are saying it’s perfectly fine to keep using it as long as the computer has an antivirus on it.

This is really confusing to me.

My HP laptop is old but it still works fine even though it has Windows 7 on it. I really hate the thought of having to replace it, but I will if it’s really unsafe to use.

Rick’s answer: [Read more…]

Q&A: What’s the best way to learn Linux?

Posted on April 10, 2024

Note: The links in this post are affiliate links.

Question from Marvin: I recently replaced my 2016 era Acer laptop with a new Windows 11 PC.

I used the Acer both for business and personal use but I’ve never really felt comfortable with that.

I read your article about replacing Windows with Linux and I’d like to install Linux on the Acer laptop because that option sounds intriguing to me.

I plan to use the new Windows 11 machine strictly for my business and the older Linux laptop for general Internet use.

The thing is I know absolutely nothing whatsoever about Linux and I have a couple of questions about it: [Read more…]

3 reasons to install Linux on an ‘Internet-Only’ PC

Posted on March 13, 2024

Note: The links in this post are affiliate links.

Do you have an older laptop or desktop PC that you use exclusively for visiting websites, checking Gmail, Facebooking, watching YouTube videos or most any other Internet-based activity?

If the answer to the above question is yes, did you know that you would almost certainly enjoy a better user experience by running Linux on your PC instead of Windows?

Well, it’s true, and here are the reasons why: [Read more…]

Q&A: How do I clean up and optimize an older PC?

Posted on February 7, 2024

Question from Vicky: I got my old laptop out of the closet this morning to see if it still works. I’ve forgotten exactly how old it is but it’s running windows 10.

It finally booted up into Windows but it seemed to be running very sluggish.

At first, it wouldn’t connect to the wireless or open my Chrome browser. I checked to see how full the hard drive is. Not quite 50% is used.

I restarted it again and it connected to the network and loaded Chrome, but it’s still very sluggish.

Do you have any suggestions for cleaning up and optimizing an older computer? [Read more…]