A use for my old pc

[Michael]

Since I got my new PC about 18 months ago, my old PC has been in a corner gathering dust. It worked fine (for what it was) but it was just old and way below spec for modern computing. I have had no real need to use it since I got my new one and I don't want to throw it out (sentimental reasons?). Trying to sell it is like trying to sell a chocolate teapot.

It is a 386 40MHz, Win 3.1, Dos 6.21, 180Mb HD.

Can anyone suggest any practical uses for it, apart from a large doorstop?

[Sam Finch]

You could start a museum.

[dimava]

you can use it for word processing or maybe sometimes you just need to write down a few notes like for vb and stuff, you can quickly type something. Or you can run your own webserver with windows ME DNa or load linux on it its free at the red hat website I think, or you can through it away

Do as dimava said and use it to store notes etc in the form of *.TXT Files.
I wish I had a computer to do that with, my computer must be cluttered with over 350 text files :(
and I do have an older computer, PII, 350mhz, 10mb HDD, 128mb Ram,
1 prob. though, the HDD is fried, I used it too much... (seems like its gonna be happening to this computer too :()...
I am too lazy to get the HDD replaced.... so... I only have one computer now...

[dimava]

or... if you really can't think of anything, I can take it and leave you out of this missary of decind what to do with it

[Michael]

Sam: "Tis a good job I wore my tight girdle for I fear I may have split my sides laughing" (courtesy of BlackAdder II - Don't know if our USA friends will know this)

The notes idea sounds good. Like Dennis, I have loads of notes scattered around my current machine, and I have Dos WordPerfect 5 on my old machine. Could be just the place to put a bit of structure onto my scribblings.

[Sam Finch]

Point taken, I spent ages trying to think of something utterly hilarious to write and couldn't think of anything so I just wrote that.

[Michael]

Perhaps it was a combination of tiredness and alcohol?

Not always the best for creative thought!!!

[()InDiGo)))>]

micheal i know how u feel, i myself have an old 486, dispite it's pwoerfulness (yeah i know...) it has 2 cd-roms, 2-floppy disks, 2 HDs (2GB total), 24mb ram modem soundcard etc.. it's just setting there and it has too much sentimental value to be given away etc...

but i'm selling it 2 my friend 4 £100 :), prehaps u could put it in MircoMart ot somthing?

[V(ery) Basic]

Originally posted by denniswrenn
Do as dimava said and use it to store notes etc in the form of *.TXT Files.
I wish I had a computer to do that with, my computer must be cluttered with over 350 text files :(
and I do have an older computer, PII, 350mhz, 10mb HDD, 128mb Ram,
1 prob. though, the HDD is fried, I used it too much... (seems like its gonna be happening to this computer too :()...
I am too lazy to get the HDD replaced.... so... I only have one computer now...


10mb?

And I thought my disk was small.

(Michael: My sig's from Blackadder ;) )

[V(ery) Basic]

Well, in Blackadderm it was 'court' not 'forum' obviously.

[HarryW]

Use it to play Wing Commander! Do it! :)

I wish I could still play WC and WC2 on my computer, but it runs at a speed relative to the processor, which is far too fast on anything equal or better than a first generation pentium :( Even the slowdown programs you can get don't slow it enough.

*Feels sentimental remembering the good old days of Wing Commander*

Use it for one specific task.

I first played with voice recognition with my 1.3 (or was it 0.8?) MHz Atari 800.

It can be your opportunity to dabble in Assembly or C/C++.

Or try to network it to your more general central "Master
Computer". You can try "clustering" to have it pick up some computing load (as opposed to parallel processing).

I'd definitely try some home automation project if I were you.

[GuitarManiaMan]

open a computer antique shop:)

[parksie]

What I'd do - use it as a disk server...I have about 5 hard drives, too many for one case :(. (Total size, about 75GB)

[Zaphod64831]

parksie: I don't really remember, but I don't think a 386 can handle large disk sizes.

[parksie]

You can get bios tweaks for some chipsets to allow them to use disks of over 8gb. (I think)

[Michael]

Thanks for all your suggestions. I would like to bring my C/C++ knowledge up to date. I last worked with C (MS v6) about 7 or 8 years ago but my biggest problem these days is time - or lack of it.

GuitarManiaMan: See Sam's reply, and my reply to his reply!!!

V(ery) Basic: I knew your sig was familiar - I just couldn't place it!!! Sounds like just the thing Edmund would say to Percy!!!

Parksie: What do you need 75 gig for? (Unless you save all the pix when your on the porn sites!!!)

[Edited by Michael on 08-28-2000 at 09:46 AM]

[kovan]

give me 5 dollars and i will throw it out ofr you
:p

[Michael]

I'd prefer to save $5 and dump it myself!!!

[parksie]

I have 75gigs because I have a habit of copying CDs, but not bothering to write them to a CD-R. Also, I do a lot of sound recording/processing.

[kovan]

i drew a conclusion based on how much space i have

first i had 1.2 gig
it was really good, didn't need more
then am like "what the hell let me get another 4.3"
so i did
then i started to want more
so i bought a 17 gig..
few months later, i ran out of that
so i went and traded that for a 20 gig
like a month later i filled that up again
i went to buy a 13.4 gig
then my 1.2 died (5 long years)

so now i have 30 something gigs..
i ALMOST bought another 30
but i decided NOT to cus i know i would run out in a month
(and i have cd burner too, burned over 700 cds)

stupid movies, take up lot of space

[Sam Finch]

why don't you buy one of those Lego Technic kits you can wire up to your machine, then get some voice activation software and rig it up to make tea I'd say a voice activated tea maker is well worth the £100 you'd get for it.

Or you could get it to do other things, see If you can get it to make kebabs.

[kovan]

kebabs eh?
my girlfriend is turkish
so she makes THE most exquasit (spelled wrong) KEBABS
of all times
and damn they good
want me to email you some tonite when i get home?

I'll take one,
but dont try to transfer it with ICQ, because ICQ sucks.
what do that kebabs have on it?

[Iain17]

Throw the unit out and keep the monitor. Buy a cheap graphics card, and set up a dual monitor configuration on your new machine. Unless you are lucky enough to have a dual head matrox already.

[Michael]

Sam: Have you seen the price of Lego Technic recently?. Its top quality stuff but it would certainly burn a massive whole in the wallet. By the way, I am a coffee man, not tea. So, all in all, I regret to inform you that I will not be pursuing your suggestion (Awww shame!!!)

Parksie: OK - fair enough!!!