Thanks I'll look into that. I'll admit I am a windows fan so the whole installing Linux does sound like a lot of work.
Also I did have old programs and data that I wasn't bothering to move right now so not my first choice but it's still a better option than buying anything. I wasn't use the laptop anymore, I just hadn't moved everything yet, so this was giving it new life.
I'm not completely unbiased (i manage databases on linux servers for a living), but installing a distro like debian should be rather easy for most common desktops/laptops. I know it sounds scary, but newer linux distros actually have a rather user-friendly installation wizard that guides you trough the steps.
The only "problem" is partitioning your harddrive, but if i remember correctly, debian proposes default values that are OK to use.
Don't forget to see if the old laptop doesn't hold any bitcoin (or alcoin) wallets