I usually surf with javascript turned off and only turn it on for certain sites that need it.
What is nice about the browser I am using (K-Meleon) is not just that it runs well on slower computers, it also has a lot of features necessary for them, like flashblock, flashkill, javascript block, java block, image block. And it puts most of it on a tiny toolbar that is easy to get to, if you turn the privacy toolbar on.
Digging for Snails...and the Hidden InternetIt's only on some sites that things are a real pain. They just won't work right without the javascript turned on, and when you turn it on it still doesn't work right because you are waiting forever for the page to load, then waiting forever to be able to do the simplest of tasks.
Another bonus about the lo-fi surfing is that it can be more productive by providing less distractions to draw you away from your purpose for being there.
Imagine being able to shop amazon.com and get just what you went there for and not everything else they threw images at you. It's faster and cheaper to use the mobile version. It's not image free, but there is a lot less of the extras trying to sell you a whole kitchen when you went there just for a cookbook. Great way to keep impulse shopping under control.