Updated: 2024-6-15
$696 TOTAL (add sales tax, so perhaps $759 in California).
$463 Excluding optionals (with California sales tax, perhaps $505).
$369 Also excluding backup hardware (California, perhaps $402).
(Possibly using someone else's computer:) Head on over to linuxmint.com and download the latest release installation file. I recommend the XFCE edition, which is what I use. Follow the provided instructions to put the installation file onto a thumb drive.
For more instructions, see Linux Mint Setup.
I am a big fan of making complete bootable backup copies of your "disk drive". This allows you to quickly recover from loss by simply connecting your last backup drive and rebooting. I am such a big fan of this that I wrote software (named MBU) to do this. To use this, you will need to have at least one extra "disk" for a backup copy (although having 2 or more can give more security).
For more information see:
mbu-README.txt
emBuild software site
MBU sourceforge page
If you want higher resolution (e.g. 4096) you should probably rethink the entire set of hardware, especially which desktop computer to use. This monitor works with the older VGA graphics standard, which is supported by the recommended desktop computer.
Browse Amazon (or eBay etc.) and see what is currently available used (aka Refurbished).
Here is one I found just now that looks like it would do the job and is only $90.
Apparently it comes with cables.
Dell UltraSharp U2412M
Here is one I currently use which I really like (great colors...) but is not currently avaiable:
Acer
I recommend the HP 8300 Elite SFF (SFF stands for "Small Form Factor").
I have two, both of which I bought used and have held up well.
This desktop computer was introduced in 2012.
They are still available, used, from Amazon for $93.
Here is the link:
HP 8300 Elite SFF
The CPU is plenty fast enough for web browsing, document creation, photo processing, etc. So long as you have enough RAM and fast enough "disk" there will be no problem.
Be sure to thorougly test everything when you first get the unit and be prepared to return it if there are any problems. To avoid confusion, I recommend opening the box and unplugging the disk drive immediately.
You can replace the RAM now or later on. If you are using the old RAM, be sure to do a RAM test from the BIOS menus. You can get to the BIOS menus by repeatedly pressing the ESC key while it is powering up.
Plug in the installation thumb drive for Linux Mint, and let it boot up a completely working (if somewhat slow) Linux experience, without actually installing anything.
Things to test from there include:
Is the visual experience on the monitor normal?
Keyboard and mouse work?
Can you get on the internet? (might require WiFi, see below).
Can you play youtube videos and is the sound okay on your headset?
Can you play a DVD in the DVD player?
Can you print to a printer?
Picking the correct RAM can be confusing.
You might want to wait until you get your computer before ordering new RAM,
as you will be able to get along with the RAM it came with for a while.
Here is one of many web pages that attempt to explain:
How To Identify...
Also, once you are running Linux, you can use the lshw command in a terminal window and identify some of the specs of the RAM that is installed.
Note that generally you don't need to worry about how fast the RAM is; the slowest RAM is likely to be plenty fast enough.
Here is some cheap ($36) but apparently good enough RAM that I use with the recommended computer:
16 GB RAM
Take out all the RAM that came with the computer. The RAM package above includes two RAM boards; apparently they should go in the first and third slots of the recommended desktop computer.
After ensuring correct performance of the replacement RAM, you can try adding some of the original RAM back in the empty slots (in pairs). If it works, great, otherwise take out the old RAM and be done.
My recommendation for connectivity that many may find surprising is to use only an external SSD connected by USB. The recommended computer has a number of USB3.0 ports in the rear of the box; the performance is perfectly adequate. (The front of the box has USB2 ports that are too slow.)
I recommend the SanDisk brand due to it's reputation for quality.
You do not want to lose your data, do you?
I use the following device:
SanDisk 1TB Extreme Portable SSD which is $107.
But the following cheaper ($85) device should be perfectly adequate instead (although I have not used it):
SanDisk 1TB Portable SSD
You will also need a data quality USB3 cable, I use the following ($9):
USB3.2 Data Cable
(Do not use a cheap USB cable; you don't want data corruption issues).
There are also 512 GB thumb drives that could be used, but would not provide backup for the entire 1 TB.
For example, I have used ($55):
LQH Tech 512 GB Thumbdrive .
This is not high performance, but okay for backups.
You can also use old hard disk drives with an adapter such as:
SATA to USB Adapter
MBU allows using multiple drives be used for backup, but requires compatible partitioning. Thus if your backup drives are only 512GB then your main drive must not have partitions greater than that.
Here is a low performance, 2.4 MHz only version with good reviews for Linux and only $10:
Basic WiFi Dongle
A better performance dongle would probably be about $25 ... I'm not prepared to recommend a specific one at this time.
If your network needs are simply to access the internet, you are probably fine with a low performance dongle. But if you are in an area with a lot of other WiFi devices, you would benefit by having a dongle which also uses the 5 MHz band.
You might also get some speakers, to avoid wearing something on your head. It is probably easiest to switch between speakers and headset by manually (re)plugging the desired hardware into the speaker/microphone jacks on the front of the recommended computer.
Keyboard preference can be very individual, so this may not be best for you.
Used printers are possible but risky. The printers are fragile and must be handled gently. And the ink in a printer can easily dry up and clog the printer beyond repair. Once used, the printer should always be left plugged in to prevent clogging.