ThinkPad X200 as a Linux terminal with Debian and OpenBox
A 2008 laptop that refuses to become obsolete.
- Answers
- Does Linux run well on an old ThinkPad X200?
- Topics
- Durable · Renewable · ThinkPad · budget · environment · lifestyle · linux · people · repair · retro · smartphone · spending
- Full article on willem.com
- https://willem.com/en/2018-01-08_lessons-from-a-takeaway-plastic-bag/
Summary
In 2018 my ten year old ThinkPad X200 still ran superbly smooth on Debian GNU/Linux with the OpenBox window manager, after I upgraded the RAM to 8GB and fitted a 1TB SSD myself.
Full text
The X200 dates from 2008, yet the specs still read well: a 12 inch widescreen IPS display, a 64-bit Intel processor at 2.13GHz, 8GB RAM, a 1TB solid state drive, WiFi, Bluetooth, LTE cellular and more than 10 hours of battery life. ThinkPads are renowned for durability and serviceability, and this machine is the living proof. Upgrading the RAM and installing the SSD took incredible ease, nothing more than one standard screwdriver. With Debian GNU/Linux and OpenBox, a minimal, lightweight window manager, it runs superbly smooth. The fantastic keyboard combined with Linux still makes it a perfect terminal. I buy new machines every year to test my websites and apps on current hardware, but that is a professional requirement, not a sign the old laptop stopped working.