Thanks for posting this. I am planning on putting Mint on my laptop, which is running windows (8.1?). I don’t have any specific Windows software requirements, so if the linux works out, will I be able to get rid of all the installed Windows (and Acer) software? I am new to this, but I will be able to figure it out.
Yes, two ways. I would suggest Mint Cinnamon *18.3* for that slightly older machine. The Mint installer will ask you if you want to “Install alongside” your windows as “dual boot” so that you have both the windows and the Mint. After installing the Mint will be the primary OS but give you a menu option at start up to boot into either, or if you just let it go it will boot into Mint by it’s self.
Cool thing is even when you are booted up in Mint you can access the windows files to copy & paste, or drag and drop them from the windows folders over into the corresponding Mint folders... videos, pictures, documents, downloads, Etc. And after you decide you want to finally rid yourself of the windows for good that partition can be removed.
But grabbing your files off onto a stick or external drive and just doing a full format and reinstall is best if you want a Mint only machine.
* Version 18.3 is important, Linux operating systems really do not expire or even need to be updated, I haven’t updated mine in over three years now. The apps maybe, but not the OS it’s self. And after trying the newer versions myself the 18.3 has been the best for slightly older machines, the older Kernel has better drivers. Newer is not always better in the linux world. The newest version will run the oldest software, and the oldest version will run the newest software. The linux world does not have the version specific requirements and dependencies that windows and windows apps lock you into with their proprietary control. Even with an older version, linux checks for any extra needed dependencies an app might need and goes and grabs those at the same time during the download and install for that app. Older/newer version does not matter because it will create the newer environment that app might need for you no matter what version you are running.