hpr-knowledge-base/hpr_transcripts/hpr2265.txt

Episode: 2265
Title: HPR2265: WattOS on Lenovo X61s
Source: https://hub.hackerpublicradio.org/ccdn.php?filename=/eps/hpr2265/hpr2265.mp3
Transcribed: 2025-10-19 00:34:51

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This is HBR episode 2,265 entitled Watto S on the Novo X61.
It is hosted by Tony Huma, Tony H1, 212, and in about 8 minutes long, and Karima Cleanflag.
The summary is, I talk about installing Watto S on the X61.
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Hello Hacker Public Radio listeners, this is Tony Hughes in Blackpool in the UK.
Coming with the second episode of Watto S.
In the show notes, although I didn't say it in the actual recording, I said I'd try installing Watto S on a little Novo X61 that I've got.
It's actually the X61 S, which is a slightly more possible version.
The specs are Intel Core 21.6, it's the L-7500, if you want to go and check it out.
But this is technology from Core to 32006, so it's getting a bit longer in the tooth now.
But I've got a couple of these little X61 S's, and I find them to be quite useful little machines.
12-inch screen, it is the old 4x3 format, but if you're not too worried about that,
having a wide screen for what you move is and things, then it's a perfectly usable little computer.
So, I decided that after recording the last episode, that I'd give Watto S a try on one of these.
So, I installed it in-store when as smoothly as it had on the little Acer Aspire,
but obviously quite a little bit quicker, because being a faster processor,
it was able to process the software a lot quicker, and the updates took about 20 minutes,
half an hour, something like that, after the completing install.
Like I said, you get a very basic install on this machine, because it's a little bit more powerful.
I decided to install some of the core components of Libra Office,
although I haven't installed the database, because I don't use that anyway.
And I've also installed a couple of little utilities I use,
Disk creator for creating USB startup disks, and obviously Audacity, which I am actually
recording this show on the machine after installing Audacity. I did have to tweak a few things,
because the default install of Audacity didn't install all the Acer and Pulsordio setup.
So, I had to go back in and tweak that, but I've now got a machine that is happily recording this
episode. So, what are my thoughts on the Lenovo X61? Well, I'm quite impressed.
At boot up, which at the moment, because it's got a standard HD hard disk, not an SSD at the moment,
it takes just about a minute, maybe a minute and ten seconds to boot, which is pretty reasonable,
for the hardware that it's running on. It also consumes depending on which systems monitor you look at,
between 300 and 400 mega RAM on startup, and that's a first boot, which is not bad. I've currently
got two gig RAM installed on this. It will take 4 gig, which I may do an upgrade at some stage to
4 gig, and also I've got a couple of small SSDs on the way, and I'm going to try it out with an
install, with an SSD on it. This particular machine I've replaced the battery, so it's got a very
good battery, and on rest, it's showing a battery life for around four or five hours, which is not
too bad for such an old machine. Be interested to see what the battery life will be like once an SSD
has been installed, but I suspect in real life, you're going to get between three and five hours with
an SSD, depending on what you're doing. Maybe a little bit longer if you're just doing minor tasks
and not overexerting the CPU at all, but the Lenovo X61s are surprisingly good little computers.
One of our makerspace Compared Rays, Mr Les Pounder, some of you may know him,
Big Les Piers, he's known in the Twitter sphere in various places.
He uses a little Lenovo X61 with an SSD, and he's got Windows installed on it, and he uses
Backup Windows machine for when he's doing projects and stuff, and he's dead happy with it.
I got these just as backup PCs to use at the makerspace for controlling various things like 3D
printers and stuff like that, and I can actually save for the cost. It's a no-brainer,
I pay 35 quid for these, or to computer auction that I go to, and even though it's 10-year-old
technology, if you pick up a good example, and even if it's got one of scuffs and scratches,
maybe a crack or two in the case, as long as it works and everything's working fine,
then for 35 quid you've got a very, very usable computer, and what OS just makes it
extends that life. Like I say, it starts off with about 3,400 Meg,
Disk usage on initial install, leaving with LibreOffice installed,
Audacity is still only just over 4 gig, so it's got plenty of riggle room. Currently I've
got an 80 gig hard drive in this, when I go up to an SSD, it'll probably after 4-matting be about
110 gig SSD, the rated at 120, but then you lose someone 4-matting, but very, very good machines,
and what OS is just perfectly running on it, you will need to configure it to the way you want it
when you first install it. Like I say, the initial software install on what OS is not as
comprehensive as a lot of other machines, although it does come with synaptic out of the box,
and obviously various utilities, but if you're looking for things like LibreOffice or VLC and
things like that, you're going to have to download and install them yourself, but first
views very, very good and bringing life back to an old core to Duo laptop from over 10 years ago.
So that's me this time, I'll sign off now and hope to speak to you again in the future. Bye for now.
HECKAPOVELYGRADIO at HECKAPOVELYGRADIO.org
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