Hardware Requirements

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All worries about compatibility aside, there are some minimum hardware requirements that you will need, and thus want, to meet:

• Pentium II processor, 400 megahertz (MHz) or above for a graphic-mode system

• About 3GB of hard disk space, though having at least 10GB would be more comfy

• Sufficient memory (RAM)

I have a bit to say about RAM. The official specs tell you that you need a minimum of 192 megabytes (MB) to run Fedora Core (though 256MB is recommended to run it comfortably). Yeah, right. That might do the trick if all you want to do is stare at your desktop, but I have yet to find anyone who is inclined to do only that. This underestimation doesn’t mean that the folks at the Fedora Project are trying to sucker you. It is just one of those OS things. The fact is that no matter what OS you are dealing with, whether it be Windows or Macintosh or Linux, whatever they tell you is enough memory is sure to be too little. My basic rule of thumb, no matter what OS I am dealing with, is that you need the recommended (not the minimum) memory plus at least 128MB. Regardless of what the official specs say, put in more. You won’t regret it.

Saying that the more memory you have, the better, may sound a bit simple, and perhaps even cavalier, but trust me on this one. When you have too little memory, no matter what system you are running, weird things happen: applications seem to take years to open, or don’t open at all; menus take forever to render their little icons; and freezes and general system meltdowns just happen much more often.

To be realistic and exceedingly honest, I would say that 256MB is the absolute minimum you want to have. I personally would recommend that you have at least 384MB of RAM in order for things to move smoothly and comfortably. It is such a waste to have a pretty speedy CPU and not be able to appreciate it because its hands are tied by a lack of memory. It is sort of like trying to do jumping jacks in a broom closet. Sure you could do it, but you would be all contorted, and you’d be smashing your hands into the walls every 1.4 seconds.

Memory is relatively cheap these days, so go for it. Since you’re saving money on applications by installing the Fedora Core system, you should have enough extra cash to make your life easier. After all, a 128MB DIMM (memory chip) will set you back less than $30, and a 256MB DIMM less than $45 (according to Hardware Planet, www.compwarehouse.com, and 18004 Memory, www.18004memory.com, as I write this). At those prices, just imagine how much memory you could buy for the price of the most popular Windows Office suite.

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