If you have an old PC lying around, collecting dust, you can actually make good use of it by installing a light weight OS on it and use it as a standby machine or a 24×7 machine which you leave on just for checking emails or sort. Presto promises that it will let you boot instantly, check those emails and shut it off equally fast as well.

Presto is a compact, fast loading Linux OS, which installs in Windows OS itself and runs alongside it! Which means, the need of burning a CD is nullified as well. The installation adds a dual-boot feature option to your boot-screen and lets you choose from the Windows OS or the Linux Presto OS. Quite simply put, Presto gives you best of both the worlds, i.e, Windows and Linux. It allows you to install and use Linux OS without any hassles or problems, and at the same time, it’s blazing fast, even though your computer may be from the ancient times.

The Presto OS, being so small in size and with limited features has it’s own shortcomings, but those can be easily overlooked, since it’s meant to be an instant-ON machine and not a full-time workstation. We tested this awesome OS on an old laptop, which was lying around here. The same laptop which took a substantial 2 or more minutes to boot Windows Vista, took only 20 seconds to boot Presto! Amazing!

The Presto OS comes preloaded with great features and applications such as Firefox, IM client – Pidgin, Skype and an open source office suite, OpenOffice. The OS comes at a very reasonable $20, which is absolutely worth the speed and features it provides. It’s incredibly easy to install. All you have to do is download the installer file from the website and just double click on it and follow the simple wizard. It’s that simple.

Homepage: Presto

For TechMirage,
Pranav Shirodkar