Originally Posted By: uc50ic4more
Originally Posted By: csandste
Ubuntu 12.04 was the first Linux for my girlfriend's and my computer. Old hardware gave problems when 14.04 came out. Presently running Mint 17.3 on a replacement machine and Peppermint 7 on my original. Moved from Peppermint to Lubuntu on her elderly nine year old Toshiba laptop and I've been very impressed by how fast Lubuntu runs on old equipment. Not very pretty, but seems faster than Mint on a much older computer. Also have installed Xubuntu, but right now Lubuntu's my favorite flavor. Carry Lubuntu and Mint around with me on thumb drives and have done lots of installs for friends with old Windows machines, I am the Johnny Appleseed of Linux. But it was Ubuntu that gave me my start. Nothing against Unity,,especially on newer computers.
Most of the newer/ bigger Desktops (Unity, Cinnamon, Gnome, KDE Plasma) require a lot of graphics horsepower for the 3D compositing for their whiz-bang graphics. Desktops like XFCE, LXDE and MATE do not require 3D compositing and will run a **lot** better on older hardware.
Have ditched my girlfriend's Lubuntu for Ubuntu Mate. Most of the speed with a lot more polish, and I think it might be my new favorite distro. Thinking seriously about switching my Linux Mint 17.3 for Ubuntu Mate 16.04.