Thinkpad RSeries

Work is retiring some laptops and asked me if I wanted one. It was a
Thinkpad RSeries. They've been initialized and loaded with Windows XP. No
office or whatnot. I realize that no patches for that OS will be
forthcoming.

I am thinking of an extra home computer for maybe the wife and kids. The
two in high school have school laptops. The 8th grader has no laptop.
She's still going to the private school until this year is done.

What would you do?

Money is really tight here to the point it just has to be free.

Download some open office stuff? If so, what kind?

Add a virus package? What kind?

Trash it all and convert to Linux? I know nothing and will that blow the
wife and kids' minds? They're all using Windows now.


Rob Berendt