These 6 lightweight Linux apps let older PCs run blazing fast

Jack Wallen / Elyse Betters Picaro / ZDNET

Are you migrating to Linux from Windows 10, but your machine is connected the, uhm, older side? Although the instrumentality ran Windows 10 conscionable fine, possibly you're looking to bask a spot much pep from that aging CPU, minimal RAM, and a tiny interior thrust --  and you've decided that Linux is the answer.

Most Linux distributions volition tally rather good connected that Windows 10 machine. But if you truly privation to get the astir retired of the hardware, you could instal a lightweight Linux distribution (such arsenic elementaryOS oregon Bodhi Linux) and past usage lightweight applications. If you privation a blazing-fast machine, that's your ticket.

Also: Your Windows 10 PC isn't dormant yet - this OS from Google tin revive it

The adjacent amended quality is that plentifulness of lightweight Linux apps are disposable to instal and usage for free. 

Why don't I present you to immoderate of my favorites?

1. Midori

Midori is simply a web browser that's astir arsenic elemental and lightweight arsenic possible. But don't fto its lightweight quality fool you; it includes features similar accelerated leafage loading, JavaScript support, enactment for HTML5 and CSS3, tabbed browsing, a customizable UI, built-in hunt motor options, bookmarks, league management, anti-tracking, customizable idiosyncratic agent, and a built-in PDF viewer. Although I've recovered that Midori doesn't ever enactment arsenic expected with each site, it inactive renders pages precise accelerated and well. 

 Also: 5 lightweight browsers that tin marque your aged PC consciousness similar caller again

Midori tin beryllium installed connected immoderate Linux organisation that supports Snap oregon Flatpak.

2. AbiWord

Word processor seems similar specified a whimsical operation these days. Word processor. Word. Processor. Most users presume 1 has to instal a full-blown bureau suite -- specified arsenic LibreOffice -- to constitute words connected a leafage to beryllium saved for aboriginal edits. That is not the lawsuit connected Linux -- acknowledgment to AbiWord. 

AbiWord has been astir for a precise agelong time. I retrieve depending connected it to make documents that could beryllium shared with Microsoft Word users. It wasn't ever easy, but I could marque it work. Here's what AbiWord had implicit the likes of Microsoft Office and LibreOffice: It was an exertion that worked unsocial and didn't beryllium connected an bureau suite. 

AbiWord includes features similar papers creation, substance editing, formatting, entity inserting, tables, real-time collaboration, revision tracking, assorted record format support, built-in dictionary and thesaurus integration, macros, and keyboard shortcuts. All of those features are bundled into an app that requires precise debased strategy resources to execute arsenic if it's installed connected a overmuch faster machine.

AbiWord tin beryllium installed connected astir Linux distributions (for free) from the modular repositories.

3. Gnumeric

Gnumeric is to spreadsheets what AbiWord is to documents. In fact, those 2 applications marque up the GNOME Office suite (although they are autarkic of 1 another). Gnumeric is precisely what you request to make spreadsheets connected a strategy that can't grip the likes of a full-blown bureau suite. 

Also: This is the astir adjuvant caller Linux instrumentality I've tried successful years - here's wherefore and however I usage it

But don't deliberation Gnumerica lacks features. You'll find enactment for .ods and .xls files, compartment editing, formulas and functions, charting, conditional formatting, pivot tables and views, statistical functions, regression analysis, information filtering, a built-in dictionary, a customizable UI, and keyboard shortcuts. Gnumeric's UI is precise modular and casual to use. 

You tin instal Gnumeric (for free) from the modular repositories of astir Linux distributions.

4. Nano

Nano is my substance exertion of prime connected Linux due to the fact that it is truthful casual to use. Nano becomes 2nd quality erstwhile you cognize the keyboard shortcuts (such arsenic Ctrl+x to save). Although you don't person to usage the terminal model connected modern Linux, you'll find that doing truthful is simply a large mode to instrumentality attraction of things utilizing precise fewer strategy resources. 

Although Nano is tally from the bid line, you should see it a minimal substance exertion and not a command-line tool. With Nano open, you tin constitute and edit substance files, edit configuration files, and usage the built-in hunt (Ctrl+w) to find words and strings wrong files. I usage Nano each day.

Also: 5 Linux terminal apps amended than your default - and they're each free

Nano tin beryllium installed (for free) from the modular repositories connected each Linux distributions.

5. Trojitá

Trojitá is an email lawsuit that mightiness look stripped-down for astir users today. Even so, it handles each the basics for composing, sending, receiving, and speechmaking email. The extremity of Trojitá is to beryllium an email lawsuit that allows you to bash what you request to do, without slowing you down. 

Also: 5 champion open-source email clients for Linux 

Trojitá excels astatine conserving web bandwidth, keeping representation usage down, and not consuming overmuch of the system's CPU. Trojitá includes features similar search, flagging, prioritizing, attachment management, POP3/IMAP support, SMTP support, encryption, authenticating against email servers, themes, and colour strategy control.

If you're looking for a basal email app that won't accent your system, Trojitá is what you're looking for. Trojitá's lone downside is that the developers nary longer proviso installable binaries, which means you'll person to install it from source.

6. Synaptic

Some Linux app stores tin beryllium a spot dilatory (especially the existent iteration of Pop!_OS's Pop Shop). If you're looking for a GUI app store that won't bog down a slower system, you can't spell incorrect with Synaptic, which is straight-up elemental to usage and demands precise small successful the mode of CPU and RAM. 

Although Synaptic mightiness not see each of the bells and whistles recovered successful different app stores (such arsenic Snap and Flatpak support), it does its occupation well. It besides includes features similar implicit region (purge), fastener version, a hole breached bundle option, search, upgrades, the quality to adhd repositories, and more. 

Also: How to usage Linux without ever touching the terminal

I've been utilizing Synaptic agelong earlier the advent of modern GUI app stores, and I tin attest that it is 1 of the fastest, lightest apps of its kind.

You tin instal Synaptic (for free) from the modular repositories for astir Linux distributions.

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