Ubuntu – Ubuntu 12.10 slow start of applications

Why are you wondering that a computer with an old graphics card and 2GB of slow RAM can't run a desktop with effects enabled?

I would say you need reflect here on what are you needs and what you would like to see happening depending on you definition of really slow and when that happens.

• Test your hard disk for speeds and access time, a slow hard drive will make the results on the dash hard to load and that might slow down accessing it;

• Create a file (or edit a present one) in you home folder with the name .xprofile with your favourite text editor, ie: nano ~/.xprofile and add

  export UNITY_LOW_GFX_MODE=1

  This will load Unity without the special effects that it normally uses making it more responsive

• Test another desktop environment, XFCE and LXDE are much littler on effects and would speed up computer usage and tasking in your case.

For a more complete list and comparison of different desktop environments and shells please have a look at What kinds of desktop environments and shells are available?

It will help decide and install a different desktop environment on your system, consider any of the following first: XFCE, LXDE or GNOME Classic.

In a case like this, you probably don't want to invest too much time in troubleshooting the problem and after that doing the entire chain of upgrades from Ubuntu 12.04 to Ubuntu 13.10. Considering that a fresh install only takes about a half hour, I recommend that you backup all your personal data, using an Ubuntu live CD/DVD/USB if necessary, and then do a fresh install of Ubuntu 13.10.

Many things have changed from Ubuntu 12.04 to Ubuntu 13.10, such as the way to access Software Sources and Additional Drivers from the desktop, and doing a fresh install will also prevent possible problems from being introduced somewhere in the chain of upgrades from Ubuntu 12.04 to Ubuntu 13.10.