Have you tried this on your computer?

I finally snapped to that. I appreciate everybody's interest and advice. I believe I will pay the extra ten spot. I don't expect to ever be rich anyway.

I'll be curious to know what you think of it once you get it. Every Linux implementation is different and I'm interested in knowing how easy it is for you (as a non-techie) to work with.

I'm just awaiting word from the wife that I can buy it. I have to approach her just right to get permission to spend money.

Wal, I bought tha sucker. There was virtually no guarantee it would help me.

I installed it today. Actually, I tried last night, but the computer froze. It froze again trying to install an ap to play stuff like Amazon video. It uses Google Chrome. A2k is my first stop. I am about to see how it does on games and facebook.

It's much faster than before and has kept all of my bookmarks. But I can't get Adobe Flash Player on here and as yet I have not been able to access Works and my word processor. Plus, it so far never hibernates or allows a screen saver. I imagine that's minor to fix, but I may not get a chance. I will remove it if I can't get to the word processor.

Didn't you realize that Linux is not Windows, and won't run Windows programs, (like your word processor)? It was made quite clear earlier.

Turns out it was simple to log out and then get to my other stuff. My only complaint is the inability to get Adobe Flash on there.

Hi Edgar, You will not be able to run your original (Windows based) word processor software on this system because the system on a chip is a Linux based system and your original software will not run on it.

However, the new Linux system should come with its own word processing software which can probably open/convert files from your original software.

I don't think Adobe Flash is supported on Linux any more, but you might be able to download Google Chrome which has it built in.

True. Flash is no longer supported for Linux.

Chrome supposedly does have a version of Flash built in.

You can install the last version of Flash in Firefox but it will give you constant warnings about being out of date and will not run anything by default. The good news for that is you don't always get the annoying videos that run automatically when you visit a page. I hate it when visiting a page to read a story and suddenly there are loud voices talking about something else and you can't find the video to pause it.

Libre Office is the current version of office for Linux. It does open all files from Microsoft Office. It can't run all macros and some formatting may be lost.

Yes, I prefer to read rather than watch a video.
I have Linux, now. Also IE, Chrome and Firefox. When one gives too much trouble, I switch to something else.

On linux systems, there is a Office Suite called "LibreOffice" (or its former name OpenOffice). It will allow you to read and write Microsoft Works files (and will actually give you quite a bit more functionality than works.

I assume this thumb drive has this (it should be standard). If you like this thumb drive linux, I will repeat my suggestion that you install a standard version of Linux (i.e. Ubuntu or Linux Mint). These standard versions will be better supported... and will even let you watch Flash video.

(This post is written on a Linux Mint computer).

I have so much in my files, much of it work in progress, I don't want to abandon my word processor now.

You don't need to be afraid of "abandoning your word processor". Using one word processor does not mean abandoning the other.

A document is just a document. It does't matter which word processor you are using to edit it. You can open a document in one word processor, edit it and save it, and then open it up in the other.

I switch between Microsoft Word and LibreOffice for work with no problems (for personal use I only use Linux). Of course you should make back up copies of important documents... but hopefully you are doing that already.

If all of my work is on the old one, there is no incentive to start all over.

Start over? I don't know what that means. You can just open up your document in LibreOffice. It is as easy as that.

I am simply suggesting a way for you to continue your work in Linux. If this isn't helpful, then OK. But if doing your work on Linux would be useful.. then you should look into this. It takes about 10 seconds to do, it doesn't break anything or keep you from going back to Microsoft Works, and the software just works.

You don't need to start anything over. You'll just be working with your writing using a different tool.

It shouldn't be much more complicated than it would be switching from a blue pen to a black pen.

I'm too stupid to move a 200 page work over there.

It sounds like you have your mind made up Edgar. But, should you change your mind it it pretty easy. There are several ways to do it, for example this one.

1) Insert a thumb drive into the usb port in your old comptuer/os
2) Drag your work file or files into the folder.
3) Eject thumb drive .
4) Put the thumb drive into the usb in the linux computer (or if it is the same computer, just leave it).
5) Double click on the work files in linux (on Ubuntu, they will automatically open in LibreOffice).

Well, I may give it a try. But not today.