User Pays For Linux Distro Saves 48 Hours

An author reports paying $48 for a curated Linux distribution to restore usability to a 10-year-old laptop, avoiding roughly 48 hours of troubleshooting. They say the preconfigured system removed software friction that had made the machine slow and unreliable, delivering a ready-to-use desktop with minimal setup. The piece frames the purchase as pragmatic rather than ideological and recommends paid, prebuilt distributions when time outweighs zero-cost alternatives.