Most of the time, I would use a Huayra GNU/Linux (a Debian distro for educational purposes), as it was tailored for low spec Atom netbooks in Argentina. There is a specialized AntiX for these machines too, with many games/emulators. A ThinkPad T42 with 2 Gigs should run Huayra 3.2 without any issues.
Loving those LaserWriters hacks!