When I started tinkering with Linux, my base computer memory was 128MB. That practically is an indication of my age. Hahaha. Anyway, running applications was not an issue since there were not that many applications that demanded a lot of resources, e.g. PINE was used for e-mail, Mosaic for graphical web browsing, IRC and ytalk for instant messaging/chatting.

Fast forward X years, some of our computers are still lacking in memory power. With today's Firefox and OpenOffice.org demanding a lot of memory and processing power, does it mean that we are to dump these computers and buy new ones? NO problem if there's a budget but unfortunately, funds are scarce. One of the best solutions I have found is on how to optimize Linux and reduce its required memory footprint. IBM's Martyn Honeyford outlines the steps in achieving an optimized Linux system. He concludes

"The ideas in this article may help you breathe life (and some additional security) into your old machines and make better use of Linux on aging hardware. The measurements show that an 800-MHz/256-MB machine can house a perfectly usable Linux desktop for light office and home tasks such as e-mail, browsing the Web, word processing, and so on. With a little tweaking and experimentation, even a 128MB machine can serve as a reasonably comfortable desktop computer."

So what are you waiting for? Breathe life in that computer sitting inside the closet!