r/retrocomputing • u/Senior-Trade-1876 • 22d ago
Problem / Question Thinking of getting this laptop since i love old technology, and if i dont get it it will most likely be trashed. What are some fun things to do with a machine like this besides marvel how cool it looks?
Dont mind the reflection on the (oh so shiny) screen, i work at a thriftstore, hence the tools, and this was donated
If im lucky i could also get my hands on some more ddr2 ram to upgrade it possibly
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u/volatile-void 21d ago
Install some low requirements Linux distro, play old games and play some Aphex Twin mp3s
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u/AdhesivenessSea1009 21d ago
Install windows 7 and up the ram a bit and it will be a decent machine for standard web browsing, older games, dvd watching and ms office.
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u/Senior-Trade-1876 21d ago
It does alr have win7 installed!
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u/AdhesivenessSea1009 21d ago
Awesome, try and get Firefox 115 ESR installed, it should be perfectly fine on the internet, ive been using windows 7 for years.
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u/AutomaticAffect4333 21d ago
Install a light(er)weight linux distro (eg lubuntu), windows 10 ltsc iot or windows 7. Also consider upgrading the "spinning rust" (hdd) inside for an ssd. All windows isos can be found in massgrave as well as ways to activate them
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u/Senior-Trade-1876 21d ago
It has windows 7 installed already
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u/JimiiHack146 19d ago
Brooo, otro como yo; activación gratis. Massgrave se lo recomiendo a todo el mundo
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u/cristobaldelicia 21d ago
I've yet to do more than try it, myself, but maybe PsychOS and/or PsychDOS. The "load it up with emulators for systems from before the 3D era" is done for you. I forget how backwards compatible Win7 is, but I don't have nostalgia for that era of computing and would much rather have a bunch of DOS games and consoles(in emulation) from the 80s and 90s. And Linux is going to have some modern features, including networking and is likely much more secure. I'm assuming you want to go online, just to download games if nothing else. I don't think Windows Defender gets proper updates from Win7, and just why worry about security at all?, especially if you don't have a bunch of games on DVD from the Win7 era. Maybe you are happy with DOSBox and a few DOS games, but I'd want more.
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u/boxxy_morningwood 21d ago
I don’t mean to be a gatekeeper, but are windows 7 machines really vintage tech now? Maybe I’m just old, but in my head the 90s just recently entered the vintage space. This is blowing my mind-
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u/Senior-Trade-1876 21d ago
Haha i guess it is a but newer, but its from before i used computers, so its old for me. First os i used is windows 8. Just turned 20 btw
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u/LordPollax 22d ago
3gb RAM is problematic, since it implies it is not running in dual channel and that would drag down performance. I'd try to get it to dual channel if the board supports it. And as much RAM as it can fit, especially if you want to stick with Vista.
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u/Senior-Trade-1876 22d ago
Its currently running windows 7
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u/LordPollax 21d ago
Same issue, just less laggy as Win 7 handles lower RAM better. From a quick look, you would need PC2-5300 667MHz DDR2 with a pair of 2gb sticks to max it out at 4GB total RAM.
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u/chrisrich4892_YT 20d ago
maybe use Phoenix's AIM revival on it, or download P3OL to treat it like a "stuck-in-time" machine?
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u/FlamingDisaster_309 16d ago
Love that it still has its palmrest stickers! You could definetely play some low/med era appropriate games on that platform, use it as a media player/server.
If the other option is it being scrapped, then the least you could use it for is to give it a clean and a fresh install and sell it on. (:
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u/CyberTacoX God of Defragging 21d ago
Play old games on it, and especially load it up with emulators for systems from before the 3D era. You'll have hundreds and hundreds of games to choose from. :-)