What do you think of Xtra-PC?
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Hello,
I just discovered an ad for a new tool > Xtra-PC!
What do you think of it? The ad is very promising?
Is it worth investing in to rehabilitate an old yet very good laptop running Windows 7?
Thank you for your response
Configuration: Configuration: Windows / Chrome 56.0.2924.87
I just discovered an ad for a new tool > Xtra-PC!
What do you think of it? The ad is very promising?
Is it worth investing in to rehabilitate an old yet very good laptop running Windows 7?
Thank you for your response
Configuration: Configuration: Windows / Chrome 56.0.2924.87
2 réponses
Hello,
I didn't know Xtra-PC, so I've never tested it...
But I still have my opinion on the matter, and it's rather negative, even very negative after doing some research, let me explain:
Xtra-PC, if I'm not mistaken, is a micro-PC in the form of a USB stick, nothing extraordinary, this has been seen before, they're called bootable drives. They may not be as complete as this one (and that's still up for debate), but know that they exist and it's very simple to create one... Thus, you can run a PC on a Linux distribution at the price of the USB stick (with an 8GB or 16GB being sufficient). There are plenty of tutorials, but let me quickly explain the process if you want:
1) Download the .iso file of the operating system you want; Linux distributions are free, and their operating system is based on Linux! There’s something for everyone! The most well-known and widely used is still Ubuntu: https://ubuntu.com/
2) You burn it to a USB stick with, for example, Rufus; it's the software I personally use, and I am very satisfied with it. https://rufus.akeo.ie/
WARNING: The USB stick will be formatted; all data present on it will be erased.
3) You insert it into a PC (Not HP or Compaq) and change the boot order in the BIOS. I won't go into more detail, but it's very simple.
I myself have created several bootable drives, one with Ubuntu, one with Tails, and one with UBCD.
Another reason why I advise against Xtra-PC is as follows: you will be using an old PC, which will remain an old PC, despite Xtra-PC... Its processor and RAM have already lived, are no longer up to current standards, and you will have a very slow and not very practical PC... For basic office tasks, very basic, it may suffice, and even then...
WARNING: Contrary to what they claim, Xtra-PC does not allow a dead PC to function again, at least not at the same performance... It can (without affecting performance), but only if the cause of the problem is the hard drive. In that case, buying a new hard drive will be almost the same price, but it will be larger in terms of storage and more efficient...
They also claim that Linux greatly improves the speed of the PC and that you won't be affected by the OS change. That's false. Linux distributions are indeed faster than Windows, but on an old PC, the difference won't be huge, and switching OS isn't easy! Linux does not operate at all like Windows, and moreover, has much poorer software compatibility... If you use special software or you're a gamer, move on, Linux is not made for you, or at least not as a single-boot option, possibly in dual-boot with Windows, but Xtra-PC won't allow that...
If you want to recover data from your internal hard drive and your PC is dead, you don't need Xtra-PC; either you create a bootable USB stick or you externalize it (https://forums.commentcamarche.net/forum/affich-34061212-materiel-pour-recuperer-les-donnees-d-un-dd-interne
My final argument is simply this: if you need a new PC, buy one! You can get really good PCs for €600 at stores like ALDI; they may not be top brands, but the components are much better than those of your old PC, and keep in mind that technology advances quickly, we are creating more and more powerful OS and software, your already old PC may not even be able to support future versions of Windows!
That said, this is just my opinion, but given all the tricks they hide by playing with words and trying to trap the less informed, I wouldn't give them the satisfaction of falling for it ;)
But hey, Business is Business!
There you go, I hope my opinion has helped you; if you need more information, I'm at your service!
Best regards,
I didn't know Xtra-PC, so I've never tested it...
But I still have my opinion on the matter, and it's rather negative, even very negative after doing some research, let me explain:
Xtra-PC, if I'm not mistaken, is a micro-PC in the form of a USB stick, nothing extraordinary, this has been seen before, they're called bootable drives. They may not be as complete as this one (and that's still up for debate), but know that they exist and it's very simple to create one... Thus, you can run a PC on a Linux distribution at the price of the USB stick (with an 8GB or 16GB being sufficient). There are plenty of tutorials, but let me quickly explain the process if you want:
1) Download the .iso file of the operating system you want; Linux distributions are free, and their operating system is based on Linux! There’s something for everyone! The most well-known and widely used is still Ubuntu: https://ubuntu.com/
2) You burn it to a USB stick with, for example, Rufus; it's the software I personally use, and I am very satisfied with it. https://rufus.akeo.ie/
WARNING: The USB stick will be formatted; all data present on it will be erased.
3) You insert it into a PC (Not HP or Compaq) and change the boot order in the BIOS. I won't go into more detail, but it's very simple.
I myself have created several bootable drives, one with Ubuntu, one with Tails, and one with UBCD.
Another reason why I advise against Xtra-PC is as follows: you will be using an old PC, which will remain an old PC, despite Xtra-PC... Its processor and RAM have already lived, are no longer up to current standards, and you will have a very slow and not very practical PC... For basic office tasks, very basic, it may suffice, and even then...
WARNING: Contrary to what they claim, Xtra-PC does not allow a dead PC to function again, at least not at the same performance... It can (without affecting performance), but only if the cause of the problem is the hard drive. In that case, buying a new hard drive will be almost the same price, but it will be larger in terms of storage and more efficient...
They also claim that Linux greatly improves the speed of the PC and that you won't be affected by the OS change. That's false. Linux distributions are indeed faster than Windows, but on an old PC, the difference won't be huge, and switching OS isn't easy! Linux does not operate at all like Windows, and moreover, has much poorer software compatibility... If you use special software or you're a gamer, move on, Linux is not made for you, or at least not as a single-boot option, possibly in dual-boot with Windows, but Xtra-PC won't allow that...
If you want to recover data from your internal hard drive and your PC is dead, you don't need Xtra-PC; either you create a bootable USB stick or you externalize it (https://forums.commentcamarche.net/forum/affich-34061212-materiel-pour-recuperer-les-donnees-d-un-dd-interne
My final argument is simply this: if you need a new PC, buy one! You can get really good PCs for €600 at stores like ALDI; they may not be top brands, but the components are much better than those of your old PC, and keep in mind that technology advances quickly, we are creating more and more powerful OS and software, your already old PC may not even be able to support future versions of Windows!
That said, this is just my opinion, but given all the tricks they hide by playing with words and trying to trap the less informed, I wouldn't give them the satisfaction of falling for it ;)
But hey, Business is Business!
There you go, I hope my opinion has helped you; if you need more information, I'm at your service!
Best regards,
Thank you
Thank you for all these detailed explanations that help avoid falling for the enticing promises of Xtra PC!