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    <p>The whole issue of 'obsolete' has been a bit of a puzzle to me,
      too. <br>
    </p>
    <p>Why is it necessary to get the latest and greatest? Why is a
      phone, for example (maybe an iPhone 6 or a Galaxy S8) that was
      once the latest and greatest -- and still works fine - suddenly
      obsolete when a new model comes along? <br>
    </p>
    <p>Why is Word 10 (which I use to teach a 100 year old nun, and
      usually use for most of my projects) obsolete - even though it
      still works fine for me, and meets almost all of my needs? <br>
    </p>
    <p>The once state-of-the-art (or almost) Dell notebook that you
      wrote about was hot shit a decade or so ago -- sure, new software
      may require more resources - but this thing is still powerful, and
      will do Linux Mint very well. With good desktop apps - and a lot
      of apps that do things that are similar to the Windows or Mac apps
      (or some ported across platforms to provide equivalent features
      and capabilities) - why NOT keep an 'obsolete' machine alive and
      vital? <br>
    </p>
    <p>This isn't quite like it was in the mid '90s when the Pentium or
      80264 came out, and some apps wouldn't run on an earlier CPU. <br>
    </p>
    <p>I've been thinking about putting Linux on one of my virtual
      machines and taking it for a spin.</p>
    <p><br>
    </p>
    <div class="moz-cite-prefix">On 12/31/2019 9:45 AM, Phil Shapiro via
      Ipg-smz wrote:<br>
    </div>
    <blockquote type="cite"
      cite="mid:1555380358.14971413.1577814314472.JavaMail.zimbra@his.com">
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        <div><br>
        </div>
        <div>  I've noticed several eBay vendors are selling used
          laptops with Linux Mint installed.  I sometimes buy <pwa
            data-pwa-id="pwa-7C2310BB63108D07FA5E8DC53E18942F"
            data-pwa-rule-id="END_PUNC" data-pwa-category="grammar"
            data-pwa-hint="Missing punctuation"
            data-pwa-suggestions="these." data-pwa-heavy="false"
            data-pwa-dictionary-word="these" class="pwa-mark
            pwa-mark-done">these</pwa></div>
        <div><pwa data-pwa-id="pwa-4A48AA5257CBEF44CC2533E1C33EEB27"
            data-pwa-rule-id="MISSING_CAP_START"
            data-pwa-category="grammar" data-pwa-hint="Missing
            capitalization at the start of a sentence"
            data-pwa-suggestions="And" data-pwa-heavy="false"
            data-pwa-dictionary-word="and" class="pwa-mark
            pwa-mark-done">and</pwa> <pwa
            data-pwa-id="pwa-9757A2AAEE983BADC964232E6F6F4529"
            data-pwa-rule-id="EXTRA_SPACE_CE"
            data-pwa-category="grammar" data-pwa-hint="Possible
            unnecessary space" data-pwa-suggestions="resell"
            data-pwa-heavy="true" data-pwa-dictionary-word=" resell"
            class="pwa-mark pwa-mark-done"> resell</pwa> them to
          community members at cost.  I'm then able to provide free tech
          support via my public library job.</div>
        <div><br data-mce-bogus="1">
        </div>
        <div>          In some ways my job is analogous to an open
          source Apple genius bar <pwa
            data-pwa-id="pwa-53253A423D608F3846C9231EC5A0A791"
            data-pwa-rule-id="EM_DASH_DOUBLE"
            data-pwa-category="grammar" data-pwa-hint="Do you want to
            use an em-dash here?" data-pwa-suggestions="—"
            data-pwa-heavy="false" data-pwa-dictionary-word="--"
            class="pwa-mark pwa-mark-done">--</pwa> although I'm given
          no scripts of what I can</div>
        <div><span id="selectionBoundary_1577813782029_0674975645329925"
            class="rangySelectionBoundary" style="line-height: 0;
            display: none;"></span></div>
        <div><pwa data-pwa-id="pwa-58B4B6B7D4F2DC9C9EFDC2203B724C4D"
            data-pwa-rule-id="MISSING_CAP_START"
            data-pwa-category="grammar" data-pwa-hint="Missing
            capitalization at the start of a sentence"
            data-pwa-suggestions="And" data-pwa-heavy="false"
            data-pwa-dictionary-word="and" class="pwa-mark
            pwa-mark-done">and</pwa> can't say. I just give people the
          best <pwa data-pwa-id="pwa-9B47C7A01539C2E9F7BEC2F4D307A7BB"
            data-pwa-rule-id="READABILITY_2886"
            data-pwa-category="style" data-pwa-hint="Possibly redundant
            word" data-pwa-suggestions="(omit)" data-pwa-heavy="false"
            data-pwa-dictionary-word="possible " class="pwa-mark
            pwa-mark-done">possible </pwa>advice and support I can. </div>
        <div><br data-mce-bogus="1">
        </div>
        <div>         Anyway, there might be an interesting story about
          Linux finding its way into communities via eBay.  I can.</div>
        <div>pass along the <pwa
            data-pwa-id="pwa-74BBD53753D8E491BF0AD2DE2B96A583"
            data-pwa-rule-id="POSSESSION_CE" data-pwa-category="grammar"
            data-pwa-hint="Possible missing possessive apostrophe"
            data-pwa-suggestions="vendors’" data-pwa-heavy="true"
            data-pwa-dictionary-word="vendors" class="pwa-mark
            pwa-mark-done">vendors</pwa> names, if anyone might be
          interested in running with this.</div>
        <div><br data-mce-bogus="1">
        </div>
        <div>         An interesting side angle to this <pwa
            data-pwa-id="pwa-5879408A6A1B8DA8118D57195BAFEF34"
            data-pwa-rule-id="EM_DASH_DOUBLE"
            data-pwa-category="grammar" data-pwa-hint="Do you want to
            use an em-dash here?" data-pwa-suggestions="—"
            data-pwa-heavy="false" data-pwa-dictionary-word="--"
            class="pwa-mark pwa-mark-done">--</pwa> the vendors would
          not be installing Linux Mint if there were no demand</div>
        <div><pwa data-pwa-id="pwa-0981C7C1FB9A19F261C68D152F0AE4D4"
            data-pwa-rule-id="MISSING_CAP_START"
            data-pwa-category="grammar" data-pwa-hint="Missing
            capitalization at the start of a sentence"
            data-pwa-suggestions="For" data-pwa-heavy="false"
            data-pwa-dictionary-word="for" class="pwa-mark
            pwa-mark-done">for</pwa> it...  Another angle, I installed
          Linux Mint 19.3xfce on a 2002 Dell Dimension 4550 desktop this
          week.  <pwa
            data-pwa-id="pwa-D4D0E0810CA114730C0B58FC868901F3"
            data-pwa-rule-id="END_PUNC" data-pwa-category="grammar"
            data-pwa-hint="Missing punctuation"
            data-pwa-suggestions="Darn." data-pwa-heavy="false"
            data-pwa-dictionary-word="Darn" class="pwa-mark
            pwa-mark-done">Darn</pwa></div>
        <div><pwa data-pwa-id="pwa-4B2253F60B9B2A3C1713B6B46893573C"
            data-pwa-rule-id="MISSING_CAP_START"
            data-pwa-category="grammar" data-pwa-hint="Missing
            capitalization at the start of a sentence"
            data-pwa-suggestions="Computer" data-pwa-heavy="false"
            data-pwa-dictionary-word="computer" class="pwa-mark
            pwa-mark-done">computer</pwa> feels <pwa
            data-pwa-id="pwa-EAB414E4B3A0833C53D22245D2B0C9FD"
            data-pwa-rule-id="READABILITY_464" data-pwa-category="style"
            data-pwa-hint="Readability may be enhanced by removing this"
            data-pwa-suggestions="(omit)" data-pwa-heavy="false"
            data-pwa-dictionary-word="pretty " class="pwa-mark
            pwa-mark-done">pretty </pwa>snappy to me. Without Linux,
          that computer would be out of commission. With Linux
          installed,</div>
        <div>it could see a few more years of use.</div>
        <div><br data-mce-bogus="1">
        </div>
        <div>         Too often tech professionals use the word
          "obsolete" as if it were a factual statement, rather than a
          statement of opinion.</div>
        <div>If you're a refugee from some <pwa
            data-pwa-id="pwa-FE7A9B39B2970C8968A7349445728C25"
            data-pwa-rule-id="HYPHENATED_BIGRAMS"
            data-pwa-category="grammar" data-pwa-hint="Possible missing
            hyphen" data-pwa-suggestions="war-torn"
            data-pwa-heavy="false" data-pwa-dictionary-word="war torn"
            class="pwa-mark pwa-mark-done">war torn</pwa> country, a
          2002 computer with Linux installed would be a dream system to
          have at home.</div>
        <div><br data-mce-bogus="1">
        </div>
        <div>          If your name were <pwa
            data-pwa-id="pwa-FA8E61F0F2B219C3E8B53A3D1A87FE9D"
            data-pwa-rule-id="SIMPLE_SPELLING"
            data-pwa-category="spelling" data-pwa-hint="Incorrect named
            entity spelling: J.K. Rowling" data-pwa-suggestions="J. K.
            Rowling" data-pwa-heavy="false"
            data-pwa-dictionary-word="J.K. Rowling" class="pwa-mark
            pwa-mark-done">J.K. Rowling</pwa> - and you were receiving
          public <pwa
            data-pwa-id="pwa-D072784D83CD7D7A48B451805F38B543"
            data-pwa-rule-id="READABILITY_2019"
            data-pwa-category="style" data-pwa-hint="Readability may be
            enhanced by using: help" data-pwa-suggestions="help"
            data-pwa-heavy="false" data-pwa-dictionary-word="assistance"
            class="pwa-mark pwa-mark-done">assistance</pwa> <pwa
            data-pwa-id="pwa-C103EA8319286EFFFC1707C6D4DA5B96"
            data-pwa-rule-id="EM_DASH_DOUBLE"
            data-pwa-category="grammar" data-pwa-hint="Do you want to
            use an em-dash here?" data-pwa-suggestions="—"
            data-pwa-heavy="false" data-pwa-dictionary-word="--"
            class="pwa-mark pwa-mark-done">--</pwa> you could use such a
          computer to write your</div>
        <div>first books.</div>
        <div><br data-mce-bogus="1">
        </div>
        <div>                <pwa
            data-pwa-id="pwa-8B21408D14E701FAA1AE7F2761F6134B"
            data-pwa-rule-id="MISSING_END_PUNCT_CE"
            data-pwa-category="grammar" data-pwa-hint="Possible missing
            end punctuation" data-pwa-suggestions="Phil."
            data-pwa-heavy="true" data-pwa-dictionary-word="Phil"
            class="pwa-mark pwa-mark-done">Phil</pwa></div>
        <div><br data-mce-bogus="1">
        </div>
        <div data-marker="__SIG_POST__">-- <br>
        </div>
        <div>
          <div><pwa data-pwa-id="pwa-F864678B9A7BF4B8E5FE0E1B62534F95"
              data-pwa-rule-id="EM_DASH_DOUBLE"
              data-pwa-category="grammar" data-pwa-hint="Do you want to
              use an em-dash here?" data-pwa-suggestions="—"
              data-pwa-heavy="false" data-pwa-dictionary-word="--"
              class="pwa-mark pwa-mark-done">--</pwa><br>
            Phil Shapiro, <a class="moz-txt-link-abbreviated" href="mailto:pshapiro@his.com">pshapiro@his.com</a><br>
            <a class="moz-txt-link-freetext" href="http://www.his.com/~pshapiro/">http://www.his.com/~pshapiro/</a><pwa
              data-pwa-id="pwa-98925E20E5954BA2E820F5C1F59E32C9"
              data-pwa-rule-id="SIMPLE_SPELLING"
              data-pwa-category="spelling" data-pwa-hint="Unknown word:
              briefbio" data-pwa-suggestions="brief bio"
              data-pwa-heavy="false" data-pwa-dictionary-word="briefbio"
              class="pwa-mark pwa-mark-done">briefbio</pwa>.html<br>
            <a class="moz-txt-link-freetext" href="http://www.twitter.com/philshapiro">http://www.twitter.com/philshapiro</a><br>
            <a class="moz-txt-link-freetext" href="http://www.his.com/~pshapiro/stories">http://www.his.com/~pshapiro/stories</a><pwa
              data-pwa-id="pwa-4E6D2BE6055882C4C603D77F10F917E3"
              data-pwa-rule-id="WHITESPACE" data-pwa-category="grammar"
              data-pwa-hint="The punctuation mark '.' may require a
              space after it. Consider adding the space."
              data-pwa-suggestions=". " data-pwa-heavy="false"
              data-pwa-dictionary-word="." class="pwa-mark
              pwa-mark-done">.</pwa>menu.html<br>
            <br>
            "Wisdom begins with wonder." - Socrates<br>
            "Learning <pwa
              data-pwa-id="pwa-A6AE675026EFDAA1B4591B1D883B1C7D"
              data-pwa-rule-id="IVF_CE" data-pwa-category="grammar"
              data-pwa-hint="Incorrect verb form"
              data-pwa-suggestions="Happened" data-pwa-heavy="true"
              data-pwa-dictionary-word="happens" class="pwa-mark
              pwa-mark-done">happens</pwa> thru gentleness."<br>
          </div>
          <div><span style="color:rgb( 51 , 51 , 51
              );font-family:'helvetica neue' , 'helvetica' , 'arial' ,
              sans-serif;font-size:14px;background-color:rgb( 255 , 255
              , 255 )">"We must reinvent a future free of blinders so <pwa
                data-pwa-id="pwa-1F896D7AB1165A1EA7694A2EB8E8170F"
                data-pwa-rule-id="READABILITY_1514"
                data-pwa-category="style" data-pwa-hint="Readability may
                be enhanced by removing this"
                data-pwa-suggestions="(omit)" data-pwa-heavy="false"
                data-pwa-dictionary-word="that " class="pwa-mark
                pwa-mark-done">that </pwa>we can choose from real
              options."  David <pwa
                data-pwa-id="pwa-BD85EBC25EE78A28E792487190C902B5"
                data-pwa-rule-id="END_PUNC" data-pwa-category="grammar"
                data-pwa-hint="Missing punctuation"
                data-pwa-suggestions="Suzuki." data-pwa-heavy="false"
                data-pwa-dictionary-word="Suzuki" class="pwa-mark
                pwa-mark-done">Suzuki</pwa></span><br style="color:rgb(
              51 , 51 , 51 );font-family:'helvetica neue' , 'helvetica'
              , 'arial' ,
              sans-serif;font-size:14px;background-color:rgb( 255 , 255
              , 255 )">
          </div>
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