SG Broadband Community

Okay, there's a chance that I'm going to be getting my hands on a lot of outdated computers (not sure how many, but at least 20). Now, in order to decide whether I should get my hands on them or just let them get trashed, I kinda need some ideas and tips on what to do with them (or even personal experiences). They'd be ranging from a couple of 386's and 486's to mostly Pentium class PCs. I don't know exactly what they'd be until I have my hands on them, but chances are that most of them are in decent working condition.

Now, what is something useful that I can do with these (either seperate or networked together)?

Originally posted by BIGJIMSLATE:
Okay, there's a chance that I'm going to be getting my hands on a lot of outdated computers (not sure how many, but at least 20). Now, in order to decide whether I should get my hands on them or just let them get trashed, I kinda need some ideas and tips on what to do with them (or even personal experiences). They'd be ranging from a couple of 386's and 486's to mostly Pentium class PCs. I don't know exactly what they'd be until I have my hands on them, but chances are that most of them are in decent working condition.

Now, what is something useful that I can do with these (either seperate or networked together)?

can you make a few good ones and donate them to a public school?

I'd put a PC in EVERY room of the house, and donate the rest to a school. When I say every room, I mean EVERY room, like the bathroom and kitchen, and also one by your bed

Maybe one big folding network? You could fold like a madman.

i'd keep the pentium machines and use them as internet or play mp3's

Myabe refurbish those that are worthwhile, and go for a big tax write-off?

As for the pentiums, MPS, Folding, Server, Router and so on and so on. 486's, and under 166's Pentiums, I give them to the kids in the neigborhood that dont have a puter, After I make sure they are running properly as long as i havnt had to put any money into them. Keep some hardrives and junk a couple of machines so you can increase storage on the ones you keep.

take all the best parts and make a few decent machines(decent for the parts available) and trash what you cant use then donate the rest.

at the very least youll have fun messing around with the parts.

Actually, one of my ideas did involve donating some equipment towards a local school or something along that line.

Hm...assuming I get some stuff ranging from 486/50~Pentium200, any suggestions? Giant MP3 storage space? What about OS's...what's the best one to use on lower end PC's (I don't mind learning Linux or BSD)?

big: prolly 95B or 98se for the OS.. u could use one of them as a nix router for ur house..put puters here and there if u need em..and use for just workstations (random stuff like word processing and net..as they won't handle much more) a 200 could be ok for most stuff tho

The chips in em have a significant amount of gold on em (at least thats what I saw on a tv show.) Some German company crushed em, melts em down and recovers the gold. Doubt 20 is enough to make much of a nugget. Anyways its something to look into.

I think only the old (pre-1990 ???)computers use any gold in them. And yeah, its probably such a minimal amount with so few computers.

95b runs very nice on teh 166 and up pentiums.

What about 98:SE? What's the minimum computer speed where it can at least run well? The only reason I ask that is that its my favorite non-NT Windows OS (read: crashes the least often ).

Also, what are (approximate) speed and memory requirements for non-MS OS's such as BSD or Linux (any distro of them)?

they would be great for folding. I don't think it would be good for mp3 storage because it would be tough to hook up all the computers to a speaker system. but I can't think of anything else, just folding. maybe word processing or just email. I think the best idea so far is donating all the extra computers to local kids who want to have a computer but can't afford one. good luck w/ whatever decision you make.

Just fold all day long with them..they would fold, but just not that fast.

My wife is a teacher. She would Drool over the prospect of having a dozen 133Mhz w/ 16 MB of RAM for her students.

If they had a CD=ROM, Floppy & Monitor, she would be in Heaven.

She has some old 566MB IBMs, in her Classroom...and is thankful for those.

Don't under-estimate their value to a school.