[gariharrr]

What shall I do with it? A friends dad asked me if I wanted it, as they said either I could take it or they would take it to the tip. So I thought I may as well. Its not exactly fast

P200 MMX
16mb Ram
2mb Video card

Its currently minus a hard drive as they took it out for data security reasons. Shall I find a cheap small drive for it? But could it even serve a purpose?

[amelveEnromma]

I have a Pentium Pro 200 for mine retro DOS gaming urges. I can't think of any other sensible use of a machine that old.

Some say it would be a good Linux firewall and routing box but I'd beg to differ; An ordinary little modem/firewall/router box acts just as good with a fraction of hassle, power bill and space usage.

[gariharrr]

Not really a retro games myself. Decided its worth hanging on to, as when I move out, whenever that may be, my mum has a ebay machine at not cost to me

[amelveEnromma]

In that case just keep your eyes open; In no time you'd dive from a bin a better machine for your mum. [yes]

[MiniBoy]

Old PC's can still be fairly useful if you add ram and a decent hard drive to them. If you can get that thing up to 256mb ram and a 7200rpm drive, you'd be surprised at how much you can still do on something that old. I would recommend Installing Win2000 if you can get your hands on it. Win98se would work, but it's not anywhere near as stable.

[dexterljohnthefinanceguy]

Old PC's can still be fairly useful if you add ram and a decent hard drive to them. If you can get that thing up to 256mb ram and a 7200rpm drive, you'd be surprised at how much you can still do on something that old. I would recommend Installing Win2000 if you can get your hands on it. Win98se would work, but it's not anywhere near as stable.

I would recommend against this, since old RAM prices (EDO / SD) seem to be ridicolously high...

[MiniBoy]

I would recommend against this, since old RAM prices (EDO / SD) seem to be ridicolously high...

No one said he has to buy new. You can get this stuff on ebay for cheap.

[Creva4k]

I got an old PC over a year ago which contains an AMD 3Dnow chip or something like that clocked at 500MHz. When I tried it, the system is definately very slow but of course I couldn't expect anything special from such an old machine.

I just use it for a spare system I might need if my current one breaks down.

[sbrpkkl]

I am in the same position, except I was given 7 or 8 old rigs ranging from a P1 to a 700mhz celey. But right now they are just taking up space and I have no idea what to use them for.[thumbdown]

[EnvellFen]

Throw it from a tall building

[teewHettive]

Actually if you do use it as a Hardware firewall and install "smoothwall" onto it, it can be much better in some respects to a good router.

I used one for about 18 months, built from much the same as that PC you've been given, and they have been proven to be 100% hacker proof.

If configured correctly, you can use it as a proxy server, which can increase ping slightly in games, but it makes you almost impossible to trace on the 'net, and you leave no "footprints", which can be great in these times of paranoia with hackers galore, etc.

In 18 months, I was never hacked or had a virus or had any spyware whatsoever.

If you want some edo ram, if thats what you have if that P200, then drop me a PM and I'll send you what I have, if you just cover P+P.

I've broken up quite a few old PC's in the last year or so, and have about 256mb of assorted edo ram laying around, doing nothing useful.

You could even donate the PC to a hostel for the homeless, I did that with several of my old PC's, since they enjoy just playing freecell etc.

I even have a few 800mb HD's too, so if you chuck us P+P for one of those, you'll have a HD too.

[Xutrsavf]

That machine is 10 years old. /garbage

Thats why you got it for free. My dad left a K6-2 computer by the garbage can and the trash men/general public didn't even take it. He came home from work and the can was empty but the computer was still there just like he left it. This was last year. A K6-2 is 2x as fast and still garbage.

[abossakon]

Kel, if you need a CRT monitor for it i have one sitting in my bedroom doing nothing.
It's old mind you. It's a Samsung.
I'd test it before if you like.
I'm in essex too and could drop it off if you're close enough.

[dexterljohnthefinanceguy]

Kel, if you need a CRT monitor for it i have one sitting in my bedroom doing nothing.
It's old mind you. It's a Samsung.
I'd test it before if you like.
I'm in essex too and could drop it off if you're close enough.

As payment he'll accept 8-10 donuts.

[moopogyOvenny]

I had a really really really old comp like that, I just salvaged all the screws and jumpers and binned it

[Cucoulkrory]

I had a really really really old comp like that, I just salvaged all the screws and jumpers and binned it

Yup that's the most sensible thing to do imo [yes]

[abossakon]

As payment he'll accept 8-10 donuts.

Iced ring doughnuts. YUM.

Actually i just want it out of our flat. I have tha tmonitor and a 19" LCD being unused at the moment.

I'm gonna keep the LCD for when i build a new PC.

[ëàìèíàò]

SLEDGEHAMMER !!!

YES!!

[dexterljohnthefinanceguy]

Iced ring doughnuts. YUM.

Actually i just want it out of our flat. I have tha tmonitor and a 19" LCD being unused at the moment.

I'm gonna keep the LCD for when i build a new PC.

Connect it to your notebook for dual screen goodness!

[wCYvMKAc]

I was given an old PR166+, 16Meg, 2 Meg video, 2 Gig HD system with ORIGINAL SoundBlaster Multimedia system (1.5x CD ROM) etc. Bought cheap 233mmx CPU (about US$5) and put in a 128Meg stick I had left over and it's working perfectly as an MP3 player and car engine management interface machine using 98SE.
Only real problem is getting hold of small enough drives that the machine can fully use - MP3s on CDs at the moment.