Posted on 07/31/2012 8:06:06 AM PDT by t1b8zs
Finally after 12 yrs a new puter. After I stumble over the learning curve,transfer every thing, can the old be utilized for any thing or should I just pull the HD and trash it. It runs W98 with Work Suit 2000. Theres a bit of hoarder in me
I’m using a 14 year old puter I paid $3k for as a door stop right now. It runs fine...
I’ll take it
Unless you’re sentimental about it, you could wipe the HDD and sell it....probably worth a few dollars....
It depends - do you still find a need for a 2001 Yellow pages?
I use an old Osborne1 portable as a boat anchor.. The handle was a nice place to tie a rope.
While it was one of the first “portable” machines it weights about 40 lbs.
As to yours, there are some groups that take them and refreb um and send them to third world countries.
Do a military level format of the drive, or remove it and smash it to bits.
I use an old Osborne1 portable as a boat anchor.. The handle was a nice place to tie a rope.
While it was one of the first “portable” machines it weights about 40 lbs.
As to yours, there are some groups that take them and refreb um and send them to third world countries.
Do a military level format of the drive, or remove it and smash it to bits.
If it works fine, store it as a backup. Redundancy is good. Having a plan b or plan c is good. If you’ve got the room save it. Besides compared to some of the startup times these things run lean O/S’s compared to the bloatware of today.
Some guys install Linux and a few network cards and use them for homemade routers.
If you load a lightweight Linux version on it, you can probably use it as a file server.
Backup files from your other computers to it or keep commonly used files in a central place.
The bottle-neck on file servers is usually the NIC, not the cpu, so there’s a good chance this computer would be fast enough for use as a home file server.
My XP died (motherboard) just before Thanksgiving 2011. Luckily, I had just ordered a new Win7.
The XP is still sitting on the floor. It has some good componenets — 2 DVD recorders, new fan, old 56k modem, etc.
Even the ole lcd 20” monitor was going bad.
I hate to trash them because of the still-working components, but the components wouldn’t bring $2.00 at a garage sale.
The recorders are worth 5-10 bucks. Likely the old IDE interface that is being replaced with SATA and thus, they probably won’t work in a newer PC.
The little XP sticker is probably worth 5-10 bucks too..
Part it now before it costs you $ to get rid of it.
(e-waste)
Wipe the drive and put it on craigslist. You might get $20.
Day blo up reel nize!
Get Parallels or some such for running Windows on your Mac. Move the files, re-install any programs you want, and recycle the old PC.
While I appreciate the pack-rat nature of trying to save & use everything which has served you well, realize that the technology has moved on so far & fast that any time you spend trying to maintain that old beast is better spent earning the paltry sum needed to buy a dirt-cheap modern machine which is orders of magnitude superior. Parallels etc. is, what, $75? and you already have the screaming-fast hardware to run it on.
Depending on the state you live in, there may be environmental laws requiring proper disposal of the computer. So, before you throw it in the trash, check into your local laws. And be prepared to pay a fee for the disposal.
Isn’t that what that hole that goes under your house is for? Throwing things down so that your grandchildren can find the old antiques when you’re gone!
if you have a boat, you now have an auxiliary anchor.
“Depending on the state you live in, there may be environmental laws requiring proper disposal of the computer. So, before you throw it in the trash, check into your local laws. And be prepared to pay a fee for the disposal.”
12 years?!?
Not even a boat anchor.
No one will buy it - in fact, you’re probably going to have to pay someone to take it off your hands - with all of the lead and other metals inside, you can’t just toss it into a landfill.
Just remember to remove the hard drive, and drill a couple of holes through it before tossing it.
Linux.
It might just be sitting on top of the gigantic, submerged pile of lost guns. You might be able to just reach down a foot or two and pull it back out.
Say goodbye.
I have had to say goodbye to many things, some would be low level collectibles today.
The original Magnavox Odyssey. The Spectravideo SV-318 (Z-80 CP/M), various homebrew DOS boxes, a Pentium 75. I had a Mac IIx that originally cost $9,000 (80 GB SCSI and 9 MB RAM!).
I don’t regret any of it.
My wife’s computer died after a storm last week. It was a Pentium IV with a low end Intel brand mb.
If I had not freecycled a bunch of old gear three months ago, I might have cobbled together a working machine after hours of hunting and two days of work.
Instead, I went on Craigslist and picked up a working Dell GX270. In one day. For $50.
The $50 was worth the loss of aggravation and room.
My thoughts zacly as it was in the house in Laud where 3 single male maniacs lived so no telling whats imbedded on the HD.CD drive shot sound shot ..Probly pull the HD,disect it, and piece by piece put it in the trash.
Town will take the monitor.Thanks all
***Day blo up reel nize!***
My first real computer blew up, and I mean BLEW UP!
Personally I NEVER sell my HD anywhere, you think it is wiped clean but trust me it is not. I have been in the biz better than 35 years and I would rather destroy the old drives rather than worry about what is still recoverable on them. With the right recovery software a lot can be gleaned from it, hence the whole industry segment of data recovery services.
As to the other recommendations, Linux may work but if the drive is that old it probably has a low rotational speed (5400 at best) and low density
Personally I would sell what I could minus the HD and call it a day
I’ll have to say that my mind boggles that no one has suggested that it be used for close-range, full-auto target practice of one sort or another. No, full-auto you say? No, problem, I say. How about using it as a target for SEMI-auto firearm practice instead?
I do however strongly recommend the use of high-powered rounds to assure full penetration and thereby reduce ricochets, and please, please, please pick up the pieces afterwards and take them to your nearest recycling center. After all, cleanliness is next to Godliness, or at least so I have been told. Oh, and be prepared with a cover story should the recycling center attendant look askance at your sorry pile of parts. You know, something like, “I guess I finally lost it. The damn thing finally just blue-screened one times too many.”
Smash the disk with a sledge hammer after copying its contents to your new machine. Recycle.
Or install Linux and use it for a file server, router, firewall, or PBX switch.
www.asterisk.org
FWIW I have an old microwave in my workshop (that probably weighs 100 pounds) that I use to fry various hard disks, half burned CDs, etc.
If nothing else it is fun to watch the light show.
Burn it onto a CD; boot it and follow the instructions. Perfect for wiping HDs in hardware you intend to get rid of, OS and all.
OUT DA WAY! I SAW IT FIRST!
Burn it onto a CD; boot it and follow the instructions. Perfect for wiping HDs in hardware you intend to get rid of, OS and all.
Hmmm.. I posted in #4, you posted in #34.
I think I saw it first :P~~~
I’ll give you $10 for it. I’ll run Linux on it and use it as a clock, or a weather map, or a radio, or whatever. The machine my kids use is every bit that old.
Maybe he’s running ie?
If it runs, set it up as a security system. Have it guard your house.
Is this sarc?If not,how
We FReepers must be terrible boaters. So many of us have suffered tragic boating accidents along with the horrible loss of thousands of dollars worth of valuable firearms. And now it’s coming to include computers . . .
Talking about collectibles, I bought a Curta II mechanical calculator in 1970 to work on tax and estate paperwork. A year later the electronic hand held calculators began to come out at about the same price, $160.00, IIRC. I immediately knew the Curta was obsolete, so I decided to keep it in its original box with its original instructions on the hunch it would become a real collectible. Now, 42 years later, it is a collectible and is worth about $1,400. Since I don’t really need the money, I’m keeping it and my heirs will probably get it. Because it looks a bit like an exotic bomb, I’ve decided not to take it on an aircraft.
That is a great story. That’s thinking ahead.
True, but to be a bit self-deprecating, the Curta calculator was and is such a superbly made, slightly quirky, mechanical gem, that it was immediately obvious the electronics would obsolete it and that it wold become a collectible. All I had to do was sit on it for 42 years to wait for it to ripen. It’s also such a super cool little gadget that I never wanted to get rid of it.
Rifle Range = Target Practice. Even more fun if you get some Tannerite!
You have to be a little handy at this but the computer does have ports, both serial and parallel. If old enough it will also have a RS232 port. All of these can be connected to outside devices. (I once saw a fellow operate Christmas light shows and fountain water shows long ago with a PET processor on less than 1meg CPU & 16K of memory)
Also there just HAS to be software out there that would support this use in the great cyber library. I’d start at MajorGeeks.com Do a search, check into it.
I assumed that your PC has no USB. If it does.....YOUR HOME FREE !! It’s a real easy set up with CCD cameras
I have three of my own computers here in my home office (not counting the wife's machines). This one runs W7, one runs Linux Mint, and the third runs on Mepis (Mepis is good for running on older hardware).
Sometimes when I've got my work laptop fired up, I'll have all 4 machines running at once. Why do I do it? Because I can.
:)
It's fun to experiment with different operating systems and not having to worry if you trash anything and have to start over.
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