Can I use the newer versions of Ubuntu Mate on an older Core 2 Duo (T8100) Dell Laptop, or am I confined to Ubuntu Mate 14.04?
Not sure about that specific model, but I run 16.04 on a Core2Duo-based desktop PC just fine.
I run 16.04 on a similar DELL laptop, the easiest for you is to try the live iso for a while to check.
While you’re doing that, recover the output of inxi -F, as that’s always useful.
@rburrasca I am using MATE 16.04.2 (upgraded from 16.04.1) on a T7300 Dell D830 without any issues. Good luck rburrasca.
My personal laptop is a Core 2 Duo and I just upgraded to Zesty!
I am using MATE 16.10 on MacBook Core Duo, so you can! 