What to do with this old 200 Mhz computer........

[Barnaby W. Füi]

Originally posted by: lowtech

Originally posted by: ultimatebob
If you don't want to learn Linux, just install Windows 2000 Pro on your computer. Create a drive share by right-clicking on the folder you want to share and using the sharing option on the menu. Also, create some user accounts with the Computer Management program, and change the permissions on the drive share to set up some security. If you also want to make an FTP server, you can also install Internet Information Services and create folders for each user account. Also make sure to install all of the security patches, to avoid getting hacked.

Also, while you're putting an ethernet card in there, you might want to upgrade the system memory. Windows 2000 sucks with anything less than 128 MB. So do most GUI's in Linux, for that matter.

It is true that Xwindows/XFree86 is a huge resource hog, but you have the option to log out & shutdown X process once you finish with your administration in GUI. And, there also is the option to run in pure CLI mode once you are comfortable with console.

XFree isn't the big hog, KDE/Gnome/Mozilla/et al are the hogs.

 

[lowtech1]

Originally posted by: BingBongWongFooey

Originally posted by: lowtech

Originally posted by: ultimatebob
If you don't want to learn Linux, just install Windows 2000 Pro on your computer. Create a drive share by right-clicking on the folder you want to share and using the sharing option on the menu. Also, create some user accounts with the Computer Management program, and change the permissions on the drive share to set up some security. If you also want to make an FTP server, you can also install Internet Information Services and create folders for each user account. Also make sure to install all of the security patches, to avoid getting hacked.

Also, while you're putting an ethernet card in there, you might want to upgrade the system memory. Windows 2000 sucks with anything less than 128 MB. So do most GUI's in Linux, for that matter.

It is true that Xwindows/XFree86 is a huge resource hog, but you have the option to log out & shutdown X process once you finish with your administration in GUI. And, there also is the option to run in pure CLI mode once you are comfortable with console.

XFree isn't the big hog, KDE/Gnome/Mozilla/et al are the hogs.

Thanks for straighten me out.
I wasn't sure with what I was thinking

 

[manly]

I used to run a virtually identical PC, and had tried the following operating systems:

Win95, 95 OSR2
Win98, 98SE
NT4
Debian Linux, Red Hat Linux, SuSE Linux

I finally settled on SuSE Linux for my needs (and still use SuSE full-time on my workstation). After retiring the system from desktop use, it became a mostly idle firewall and email client (I could ssh in from anywhere to run pine).

Anyhow, I wouldn't recommend NT4 for that system (although it ran okay), and I certainly wouldn't recommend W2K. Basically, if all you want to do is peer-to-peer file sharing or other basic tasks, Win95 OSR2 or 98SE are both suitable. If 98SE is already installed, I'd stay with that choice.

If you want to run more network services, then learn Linux or other free UNIX OS. Running an NT-based OS on a system ill-equipped for it is just an exercise in patience. Esp. in NT4, NTFS requires regular defragmentation to keep performance from faltering. And for the record, I ran NT4 on that box as the primary OS for probably a whole year, so I'm not just mouthing off open source bias.

As time has passed, however, the raw performance advantage of free *nix operating systems over Windows on contemporary hardware has drastically diminished.

 

[vegetation]

Another option is to use this as a client machine rather than server. Set up as a web viewer somewhere in the corner or kitchen. I would ditch the hard drive and use a solid state compact flash card with an ide connector. Totally silent system (aside from the power supply and any other fans, but that's a project in its own).

 

[bullion416]

What do you mean by using it as a "client machine"

Another option is to use this as a client machine rather than server. Set up as a web viewer somewhere in the corner or kitchen. I would ditch the hard drive and use a solid state compact flash card with an ide connector. Totally silent system (aside from the power supply and any other fans, but that's a project in its own).

 

[spamsk8r]

Basically what he was saying about a client machine is like it would be a computer that you would put in your kitchen, living room, etc for webviewing and stuff from that room of the house. Basically a stripped down desktop workstation.

 

[NumbaJuan]

Originally posted by: bullion416
I got bored today so I went to work on my old stripped for parts IBM Aptiva computer (I formatted it and loaded win 98 SE). It is only missing an ethernet card and sound card (the sound card I will probably do without). I was looking for ways to put this old computer to use.....like maybe a server of some sort. To give you an idea of what I am working with..... 200 Mhz Pentium 1 80 mb of EDO memory 2 hard drives (one 2.5 gig and an 8.4 gig) and an ATI MACH64 video card (2 mb). Any ideas on what I could use this computer for.....besides a paper weight?

donate it to one of your local schools, you give yourself a little tax write off, and maybe help a young kid along the way...??