RE: Any issues running Linux from SSD on laptop?

I had a bit of a snoop about for info on CF, and it isn't obvious to me how I could use one on the Acer.

You used to be able to get IDE<->CF adapters that were the size of a 2.5" drive. I assume they are still around but maybe not so easy to get these days.

I'm now thinking I should just install Linux on the IDE drive and see how it performs.

That's probably a better starting point. What are the specs of your inherited laptop? I have an inherited HP IDE-era laptop that still performs pretty well. The Ethernet is fried on it, and the IDE disk sometimes fails to detect on boot. 1680x1050 resolution though - it would have been a pretty expensive unit when it was new. James