Howdy!

My parents have a 10+ years old HP that is almost unusable, but they want to keep the computer since they use it to print documents and it “looks nice.” I’m trying to find a viable solution to make the PC run smoother. Here are the options I’m considering, and I want your opinion on those:

  1. Install a Windows-like Linux distro so my parents aren’t lost. I showed them Ubuntu, but it wasn’t conclusive.
  2. Running a thin client that connects via RDP to a Windows 10 or 11 VM on my Proxmox server. Would USB passthrough work? We have a stable network, so latency isn’t a big issue.

Since I’m only home during weekends, I don’t want something that could break easily. Technology and them is not a match.

If you have any other ideas, I would really appreciate it.

Happy homelabbing!

  • AlTeRnAtE-PoIsOn@alien.topBEnglish
    1·
    10 months ago

    See if you can fit another motherboard in the HP case. If that works, new motherboard, cpu and ram. Just tell them u had to change the windows version because of updated printer drivers. New pc, same case, same printer. Done!

    • Ayly_@alien.topOPBEnglish
      1·
      10 months ago

      It’s a all in one computer unfortunately… I will look at a ram upgrade. It has 8gb of ddr3 memory right now.

      • AlTeRnAtE-PoIsOn@alien.topBEnglish
        1·
        10 months ago

        Ah. A AIO, that’s crap. Then go for the ram upgrade and maybe look if you can fit a SSD.

        For what it’s worth, i know all about the: it looks pretty and we only use it to print, why change it. My mom has been playing solitaire on a 486 with 4mb ram and Windows 95 till 6 years ago. And, no it wasn’t connected to the internet! 😅

        • Ayly_@alien.topOPBEnglish
          1·
          10 months ago

          Thanks for the advise ! I’ll look into it. And pretty impressive from your mom xD

          But yeah, the all in one is far from the greatest to work with…