Im looking for suggestions on ways to put my old computer to work. It was our very first computer and doesnt even compare to our 2 newer ones so its just been laying around. I recently brought it out and was trying to thing of a good use for it. If anyone has any good ideas (controlling something, monitoring something, etc) please post them here. Thanks!
Specs:
Windows 3.11 for Workgroups
Pentium 486DX Enhanced (50MHz)
16MB Ram
430 MB Hard Drive
28.8 Modem
200W Power Supply
Floppy Drive
2X CD-ROM Drive
Im sure you can find a distro that will work. I would recommend Mandrake to you http://www.linux-mandrake.com/ it’s the easiest installation of linux I know of. The only catch is that they want 96megs of RAM with 2gigs of diskspace. You could consider going to a used computer store to try to get something that would meet those requirements (wouldnt cost you much). Im positive though that you can get linux running on what you have, Im just not sure what would be the best distro for you. Im sure the teeming millions will check in.
In Melbourne, there’s a center that takes donations of old computers and gives them to poor families who can’t afford to buy new computers. Any chance you have an organisation like that in your local area?
I have two old computers that work great for the kids. I added a network card, and added them to my network. They’re perfect for web surfing machines. I tried to put redhat on one of them, but I could never get my video card problems ironed out. They have simple word processing programs on them. Perfect kid machines.
It’s a sweet idea to donate a computer like this, and it’s possible that someone might benefit from such a donation, but in general it’s not a great idea. If anything breaks, or if windows goes flazooie, the donee is probably not going to be able to get it fixed. Then they get to dispose of your boat anchor.
Techo-types tend to put linux on their older computers and find uses for them like network firewalls, email servers, print servers etc. If you feel comfortable with terms like “routing tables,” go ahead.
One idea is to contact your local grade school and see if they have any volunteer-led after school science programs. The kids might enjoy taking the thing apart. Don’t count on getting it back together though.
Why don’t you use as a box to muck around with. I have an old 486 of very similar spec to that in the OP, and I have loaded it up with a Windows 95 look-alike overlay called Calmira.
Calmira runs on top of Win 3.11 and is, like Linux, open source softwar and comes at the perfect price: FREE. It is available for download from http://www.calmira.org.
At the very least, this box is still useful to do office work such as word processing, spreadsheets, desktop publishing etc. All it needs is the last generation of Microsoft Office that was written for Windows 3.11!
Sorry, but I don’t quite understand the logic here. My post said that there’s a center that accepts donations of old computers, they fix them up to donate to families that otherwise can’t afford computers - but you’re saying we shouldn’t give these people our old computers in case they break down? I would guess that the center would be prepared to help the people out in this case. And I still don’t understand what the problem is - we shouldn’t give poor people things that will eventually wear out? We shouldn’t give poor people old computers because they’re not good enough? I’m sorry, I just don’t follow.
I wasn’t suggesting a random donation, I was suggesting rayray find out if someone is running a similar program in his area.
I suggest using it as a learning tool. Install Linux, since you’re unfamiliar with it. Tear it apart and see what makes it tick. Put it back together. The great thing about old computers is that if you mess it up, who cares? You don’t need it anymore and you’re probably not going to be able to sell it to anyone.
Donate it to a church.
They will either use it or give it to someone who will use it.
I used to work as a TV tech. The old priest at the Catholic Church was forever bringing in old radios to be repaired. Someone had given them to him and he was fixing them so he could give them to someone else.
The Salesman at Radio Shack told me it is also tax deductable.
No, no, no. If there is an organization willing to support elderly computers, then of course, by all means, let them have the computer. Rayray didn’t say anything about having access to such an organization. I certainly never heard of any such organization locally.
My point was only that old computers need special support. You need to have people that realize most 486 bios will only allow a 500 MB hard disk, for example (and where do you plan on digging one of those up?). You need people that still remember how to fix/reinstall windows 3.1, you need to know where to find the really old versions of Netscape, etc.
Also, I hope your computer rehab center is keeping their collective butts covered in terms of not incurring the wrath of Microsoft since they’re giving software to people other than the license holders. Personally, I’m all for it, but Microsoft has demonstrated that they can be real jerks about their precious license fees. The latest I heard was that they were going after high schools.
And my best to your computer re-habbers. They’re true heros.
I worked for an adult education center at one time, and we got donated computers from companies who were upgrading their systems and wanted to get rid of the old stuff.
We got all kinds of equipment- a handful of Pentium IIs, dozens of 486s, and even more 386s. We threw out the 386s, there is really no practical application for computers that are this old, the raw components are worth more than the system. If you want to try to deal with one of these dinosaurs be my guest, but its more trouble than its worth and I guarantee that a needy family won’t have the time or know how to keep it running.
The 486s that once sold for $2000 a piece are for the most part stacked up in storage, we took a few of them and put them in computer labs, but a lot of them were broken anyhow. We went ahead and used the pentium IIs in computer labs.
My point is that you can go ahead and donate your old computer to an organization, but there is no guarantee that anything will be done with it. If the techs don’t want to put the time into it making it work for the lay person nothing will be done to it, and it will sit in a storage room for the next guy to fix, or more likely throw out.
Computer donation has its place, i am not arguing against that. Im just saying that chances are that your old 486 will collect dust somewhere, and you may as well put it to use for you.
