I doubt whether that is the problem. I have 1 GB of RAM now and the processor
has 2.66 GHz (. It messes things up only in Gnome and only when I do that kind
of acrobacies with resource-hungry programs and large or many files. That is
when it darkens and slows down to near freezing and cannot be used, so it has to
be rebooted.
What is your processor type and speed ?Mine is[alexandru@localhost ~]$ su
Password:
[root@localhost alexandru]# cat /proc/cpuinfo
processor : 0
vendor_id : GenuineIntel
cpu family : 15
model : 4
model name : Intel(R) Celeron(R) CPU 2.66GHz
stepping : 9
cpu MHz : 2660.186
cache size : 256 KB
fdiv_bug : no
hlt_bug : no
f00f_bug : no
coma_bug : no
fpu : yes
fpu_exception : yes
cpuid level : 5
wp : yes
flags : fpu vme de pse tsc msr pae mce cx8 apic mtrr pge mca cmov pat
pse36 clflush dts acpi mmx fxsr sse sse2 ss ht tm pbe lm constant_tsc up pni
monitor ds_cpl tm2 cid cx16 xtpr
bogomips : 5320.37

I have put that info up for others on the list who just asked for it> i
am not prpared to send it for every on this list so just look at the
archive if you will. I stick by what I said below.

if this is true, I hope someone branches off a distro for all those with
substandard hardware who want to keep using Ubuntu. I have always had a nagging
feeling in my gut that all this upgrading might lead to disasters as people
build systems with software that they begin to depend on heavily and then
upgrades leave them dependent on old OSs that are subsequently abandoned. I seem
to be especially vulnerable to this nightmare.

Which is no different from what Windows does too. Look at 98, 98SE, ME, W2K,
XP -
etc.

The kernel is actually the same size as it was years ago and Ubuntu is as
fast or nearly as fast as it was years ago. Check Phoronix for actaul tests
of Ubuntu comparing with past versions. Ubuntu boots faster. The file system
ext 4 is faster compared to ext3 (ext2 is faster on some things because it
is unjournalled). I don't see a lot of people complaining about performance.
The desktop environment is part of the overhead, but if you run on something
like LXDE, then the system requirements drop.

Ubuntu is not as fast as some minimalist distributions. That was never its
market. You can speed any distribution up if you hand build and optimise it
for your hardware. Again that is not what Ubuntu has ever been about. It is
for desktop users who want a good overall desktop experience with the
emphasis on improving usability and it is made to run on average hardware.
If speed is your thing then you should be running Gentoo, but the tradeoff
is not much usability.

The situation here is far from normal. I don't think that it is about lack
of resources. Ian has loads of RAM and a fairly modern computer. Something
is happening that is causing freezing and screen dimming. It could be
hardware related or it could be software related. Ian has tried at least two
versions of Ubuntu and I am sure Barry has tried his share. I have lost
track of who is involved in this discussion with the aggressive trimming. :)

There are some distributions that aim at the high end, like Sabayon. There
are some that aim at the low end like Puppy or SliTaz. Ubuntu is trying for
the biggest group of users and wants to be inclusive. They are emphasizing
improving the user experience, but not at the expense of performance. They
have made great strides with the last few releases to improve speed. I don't
think that this has been at the expense of any one group. I don't want to
come across as a fanboy because I have been a big critic of Canonical and
Ubuntu at times. But I like what they are trying to do. It is all about
making Linux accessible to more people.

Hardcore Linux types criticise Ubuntu all of the time for abandoning the
principles of Linux. They say that it is too commercial etc. Yet it is free
and they have added much to Linux and made available almost all of their
projects for others to try. Launchpad is used by almost everybody in open
source. OpenSuSe and Fedora are experimenting with MeMenu, notifications and
Unity. Ubuntu is working with the other big distros to develop an API for
package management for all distributions modelled after Software Centre.
Imagine a common front end for installing software for all distros. Ubuntu
is not resting on its laurels. It is pushing the envelope. But it is not
abandoning anybody, certainly not intentionally.

I use Kubuntu, but appreciate what Ubuntu is trying to accomplish. If
anybody is left behind it is because their computers are near the end of
their lifespan and it is time to look seriously at a minimalist
distribution. We all age but nobody wants to admit it, so we look to
something else. Sixty is the new 40; 50 is the new 30, etc. The rubber must
meet the road somewhere whether it is people of computers.