20 year old computer.

techs

Lifer
Sep 26, 2000
28,559
4
0
I just replaced a cmos battery on a Canon computer with a 486 DX-66 cpu running Windows 3.1.

It has to be 20 years old.

The woman uses it every day as a word processor.

That's got to be a record. I don't think I have even worked on a Windows 98 computer for at least 5 years.
 
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Pr0d1gy

Diamond Member
Jan 30, 2005
7,774
0
76
Wow, her home must have the most stable electrical system in the world...wtf

You would think a surge would have got that thing at some point. Wow.
 

rivan

Diamond Member
Jul 8, 2003
9,677
3
81
Wow, her home must have the most stable electrical system in the world...wtf

You would think a surge would have got that thing at some point. Wow.

I have never lost anything to a surge, nor personally known anyone to have lost anything to a surge.

That would actually be pretty low on my list if I were thinking of things that would break a machine.
 

jaha2000

Senior member
Jul 28, 2008
949
0
0
AT power supply. Stuff was quite a bit more beefy back then. I still have a 486 in the basement and it still amazes me how heavy it is compared to modern stuff.
 

Pr0d1gy

Diamond Member
Jan 30, 2005
7,774
0
76
I have never lost anything to a surge, nor personally known anyone to have lost anything to a surge.

That would actually be pretty low on my list if I were thinking of things that would break a machine.

I lost a sound card to one. It happens.

But yeah, thanks for douching up the thread.
 

Gibsons

Lifer
Aug 14, 2001
12,530
35
91
I just replaced a cmos battery on a Canon computer witha DX-66 cpu running Windows 3.1.

It has to be 20 years old.

The woman uses it every day as a word processor.

That's got to be a record. I don't think I have even worked on a Windows 98 computer for at least 5 years.

MS Word... :hmm: 5.5 ?
 

Insomniator

Diamond Member
Oct 23, 2002
6,294
171
106
What is she word processing? Does she have some kind of printer for it? Whats the point of typing on something that is going to die real soon and has no real way of moving the files forward?

What is she gonna do, buy a new PC and move all her files over via 5.25 inch floppies?
 

MiniDoom

Diamond Member
Jan 5, 2004
5,305
0
76
My home computer's now over 10 years old. Still a beast. I've been running striped 37Gb 10k rpm wd raptors the whole time without a failure..... knocks on wood.
 

BurnItDwn

Lifer
Oct 10, 1999
26,322
1,834
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Did you recommend she upgrade from 4mb to 8 or 16mb of ram? I bet you could find some 4mb 30 pin simms cheap.

If she does decide to upgrade, it shouldn't be TOO hard to find an old ISA nic to use to transfer the files over to a newwer box....
 

rivan

Diamond Member
Jul 8, 2003
9,677
3
81
Let me guess, a lawyer running an ancient copy of Wordperfect.

A place I worked years ago did service for commercial printers and we'd get called in as a technical resource when their internal people would get stumped by files. The two worst file types - by far - were MS Publisher and WordPerfect. WP especially because noone ever seemed to be on a version newer than 5 years old.
 

Red Storm

Lifer
Oct 2, 2005
14,233
234
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I work for a property management company and when we buy a place like an apartment complex we generally inherit the existing employees. This one place we bought had an old lady working in the leasing office. She did her documenting on a type writer. It took over 10 minutes for her to understand what the start button is (Good thing we aren't moving to Windows 8 lol).
 

Vdubchaos

Lifer
Nov 11, 2009
10,408
10
0
I don't see ANYTHING wrong with this.

If it ain't broke, works and does the job for her.....why fix it or spend bunch of money on "something new".

Smart if you ask me.

Most people look at people that upgrade their computers/graphics cards every year as complete idiots. And they have a point.

:p
 

lxskllr

No Lifer
Nov 30, 2004
59,350
9,875
126
I don't see ANYTHING wrong with this.

If it ain't broke, works and does the job for her.....why fix it or spend bunch of money on "something new".

Smart if you ask me.

Most people look at people that upgrade their computers/graphics cards every year as complete idiots. And they have a point.

:p

I can appreciate that. I built my "good" computer in 2006, but sometimes too old is too old. I could see some niche uses where running a 486 makes sense, but for most people, the extra benefits of security, compatibility, and speed make getting a new(er) machine a good investment.
 

rivan

Diamond Member
Jul 8, 2003
9,677
3
81
I can appreciate that. I built my "good" computer in 2006, but sometimes too old is too old. I could see some niche uses where running a 486 makes sense, but for most people, the extra benefits of security, compatibility, and speed make getting a new(er) machine a good investment.

While I generally agree with what you've said.... security? From what?

I've got $10 that says she wasn't connecting to the internet. :p
 

Vdubchaos

Lifer
Nov 11, 2009
10,408
10
0
I can appreciate that. I built my "good" computer in 2006, but sometimes too old is too old. I could see some niche uses where running a 486 makes sense, but for most people, the extra benefits of security, compatibility, and speed make getting a new(er) machine a good investment.

Sure, it all depends on the NEED (that's what people seem to forget).

Trust me I get the new "research, build new PC" bug ALL the time. What really sucks is when I'm done building a new rig/configure it.....stare at the desktop and say to myself "why the F did I buy a new computer again?"

I hate that feeling....but the truth is, it happens every single time I build a new rig.

My gaming interest die for few months and by the time I start playing games again......hardware is already outdated. Then I find myself going back to older games that even a 5 year old PC can handle maxed out anyways.

:biggrin:

Gaming industry this day and age is REALLY not helping this cause either....
 

lxskllr

No Lifer
Nov 30, 2004
59,350
9,875
126
While I generally agree with what you've said.... security? From what?

I've got $10 that says she wasn't connecting to the internet. :p

I was referring to a networked computer. While I doubt hers was, some run machines not much newer on the internet. I wonder how old a machine has to be before it's incompatible with viruses? :^D