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thanatoid's computer is 10 years old today, Sept. 27, 2007!
thanatoid's computer is 10 years old today, Sept. 27, 2007!
(As one of my good friends in news.software.readers branded me, I am proud to be a "reverse hardware snob".) *** Computer custom-ordered and built by some shop in some city in some country. Intel Pentium 166 MMX (original) PC Chips M572 MB (I originally got the M571, two died and there were no more in stock but the M572 had just come in so they gave me one) 4 x 16MB EDO RAM DIMM's (original, changed 2 of them for one 64MB DIMM about 6 months ago, total RAM now 96 MB) Matrox Mystique PCI (original) Creative AWE64 Sound Blaster (original) U.S. Robotics Sportster 33.6 Fax internal modem (original) LG CED-8080B CD-RW (upgraded from Toshiba 12x CD-ROM player 5 or 6 years ago) 8.4 GB Seagate HD (upgraded a few years ago after various drives ranging from 3GB to 40GB in size kept on dying - so far so good) 15" Sony Trinitron Multiscan 100sx monitor (original, image quality is exactly the same as it was 10 years ago) Dell AT-101W switch keyboard (upgraded about 7 years ago from a pre-Win keyboard that someone gave me) Logitech Track-Man Marble (Omron switches replaced a couple of years ago) APC Back-UPS Pro 280 HP LaserJet 6L printer (original, second cartridge installed about a year ago - I don't print much) Beyer unidirectional microphone (over 30 years old but studio quality) Realistic Optimus STS 50AV shielded 2-way speakers *** DOS 6.22/Win95B OEM (Tweaked for several years until it finally ran the way I wanted it to.) Last system "patch" or "update" - I put in the ME versions of scandisk and defrag a few years ago. *** Core applications: (N.B. - nothing by Microsoft except the OS) Total Commander 6.55 OffByOne 3.5a Opera 7.53 Xnews 5.4.25 nPop 1.01 FileHound 1.2.2 Adobe Pagemaker 6.52 Edxor 1.60 Micrografx Picture Publisher 7 ACDSee 2.22 STP mp3 player Acronis TrueImage Deluxe TaskInfo2000 2.2 WinRAR 3.11 CDRWin 4 *** Boot time from BIOS password entry to full Windows load: 45 seconds Overall speed - IMO, fast as heck Crashes or hangs - only when I do something really stupid or hit too many wrong keys at the same time. *** What it CAN do: Everything I need it to except music and video editing (see below). (It actually CAN convert - not edit - music or video, but it takes hours and hours, which is why I got the other machine.) What it can NOT do: Play games less than 10 years old (but I am not a gamer), watch/edit/convert video or music (but I have a 2GHz machine for that). (It CAN however *record* flv video - and any audio, obviously - as well as allow me to talk online and listen to internet radio - although the last time I bothered with either of those was about 8 years ago.) Many "new" programs or later versions of old ones don't run on 95B. I find the older versions smaller, stabler, and faster, IOW, much better. AFAIAC, there hasn't been anything new worth using written for years. (Not counting certain new developments like mp3 and other audio and video compression methods, DVD- RW's, or Skype - which won't run on 95, but I have no one to talk to anyway.) *** Advantages: I don't have to worry about patches, updates, crashes, latest drivers, etc. I know the machine pretty well and don't worry about anything going wrong (it hasn't for a very long time). I get everything done faster than I would on an XP let alone Vista machine (except as mentioned, audio and video which are handled on the 2GHz machine). I get to spend money on other things. Disadvantages: Ridicule by people who enjoy spending several hours a week patching, updating, or reinstalling their OS's; "learning" to use useless new features; putting the computer in the living room as the second Idiot Box; and throwing their money away on bloated "new" versions of software for the most part originally conceived by someone else in the late 80's and early 90's. I also can't DL DVD's or use torrents, but since I prefer reading and music to movies and TV, I don't care. P.S. I realize it's almost the 28th, but while I've planned this announcement for about 6 months, I decided yesterday that I wasn't going to bother and then changed my mind about an hour ago. Also, I was in a different time zone, and did not take "delivery" of the system until the 28th or 29th, so I think it's OK. Hope you agree. |
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thanatoid's computer is 10 years old today, Sept. 27, 2007!
Congratulations. I am glad you are happy with your older PC. Is there any
reason you stick with Windows 95B instead of 98 Second Edition? |
#3
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thanatoid's computer is 10 years old today, Sept. 27, 2007!
=?Utf-8?B?RGFu?= wrote in
: Congratulations. I am glad you are happy with your older PC. Is there any reason you stick with Windows 95B instead of 98 Second Edition? Thank you. The "other machine" I mentioned runs 98SE Lite. I see no reason to put that OS on my first machine. The OEM 95 "B" release had almost everything worthwhile that 98 offered (like FAT32), minus USB which I am not interested in, certainly not on THAT machine. IOW, it does all I need it to do, so why mess with it? And I am NEVER going to XP or Vista. If I can't get 98 drivers when (if...?) these 2 machines die, I am going to Linux. |
#4
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thanatoid's computer is 10 years old today, Sept. 27, 2007!
Yeah, I am thinking of trying out Unix/Linux next year as well as
perhaps Apple. BTW, have you ever checked out secunia.com where you can research vulnerabilities in all sorts of computer software. I also like the us-cert site which is run by the Department of Homeland security on issues. Currently, there is a Gmail issue that I am trying to research in more depth. It helps to have a few emails over different service providers. I currently use Google Mail, Yahoo Mail, Hotmail aka Live Mail, and an APS email for my work at the Albuquerque Public Schools. Fortunately, I am on paid leave from APS because of recent events that I have mentioned here in the past in too much detail but what is done is done and so I accept that as life and will try to learn from my mistakes, although I usually do not learn, because I have a stubborn streak, as I know many users like Gary and PCR already know. grin Anyway, on Windows 9x, I think it would be awesome if Microsoft would sell their IP if they do not want to use the consumer source code anymore to develop a new operating system because of high costs and just stick with NT but this is just a hopeful wish that I realize will probably never happen but I can hope at least. I have been fairly pleased with XP Professional but it still has security issues. Windows Vista is very secure but it still annoys me due to doing things automatically, lack of backwards compatibility and still the occasional driver issue. I turned off user control in Vista Home Premium since it was annoying me with constant notices when I was installing Itunes on my fairly new toshiba laptop. I am still considering whether I should get a program like BING and I have tried it and liked it in the past and I think it would be very helpful for my home computer with 98SE and XP Pro. especially with making more partitions on XP side to test Microsoft operating systems in the future like I tested Vista for security issues in 2006. smile |
#5
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thanatoid's computer is 10 years old today, Sept. 27, 2007!
thanatoid,
Like you, I am quite happy with my nearly 10 year old machine. It is a PII 300Mhz unit, built by Quantex (long gone), delivered Feb 1998 with Win 95, upgraded to 98, then 98SE. Other upgrades: 2 - 20 GHz hard drives 320Mhz memory CD Burner 32 MHz video card I'm still using the 1998 vintage HP DeskJet 890C printer and HP ScanJet 5100C scanner. I have had NO hardware problems with any of this gear. I use my computer on the average of 5 hours/day. Like you, thanatoid, I am not a gamer. I use my machine for email, still pix editing, Google searching, and as a word processor (MS Office 97). I have 50-60 apps that run nicely -- albeit sometimes slowly -- on this machine. Using free stuff like Ad-Aware, SpywareBlaster, Hosts file, ZoneAlarm , and Avast!, spyware/virus problems are non-existent. I am connected to the internet via broadband cable (always on). When WinXP came out, I considered buying a new machine but never got around to it and now that Vista is out, I'm still having problems trying to justify a new machine. I am so satisfied and comfortable with what I've got that I just don't want to give it up. I rarely see a BSOD or freeze. I've tried Firefox, Opera, Maxthon and several other browsers but always return to IE6 SP1. I'm sure there are millions of others like me that intend to use Win98SE as long as it can do the things we need safely and efficiently. Leave XP/Vista to the bells- and- whistles guys Viva Windows 98SE! |
#6
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thanatoid's computer is 10 years old today, Sept. 27, 2007!
If you want to talk about really old school, then how about my IBM PCjr from
1984 that still works or my IBM 486 with 66mhz. and Windows 3.1 and DOS 5 that I still use and it is not in storage. |
#7
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thanatoid's computer is 10 years old today, Sept. 27, 2007!
"bobster" wrote in
: thanatoid, Like you, I am quite happy with my nearly 10 year old machine. It is a PII 300Mhz unit, built by Quantex (long gone), delivered Feb 1998 with Win 95, upgraded to 98, then 98SE. SNIP When WinXP came out, I considered buying a new machine but never got around to it and now that Vista is out, I'm still having problems trying to justify a new machine. Vista = Disasta. (Having read a few recent links, that seems to be the consensus among those who are not out to buy a nice new appliance for their living room.) XP = XtraProblems There is nothing I am interested in doing that I can not do with 95B or 98SE. Not to mention they are faster and have virtually no security problems in comparison. Vista is just a big trojan. XP was a small one. I am so satisfied and comfortable with what I've got that I just don't want to give it up. I rarely see a BSOD or freeze. Same here. Why fix it when it ain't broke and does everything you want? I've tried Firefox, Opera, Maxthon and several other browsers but always return to IE6 SP1. I consider IE/OE just dangerous, apart from bloated. I haven't used it since version 3, BION. IE and Office is where 99% of trouble gets into your machine. Try an older version of Opera (www.oldversion.com). They are fast and once you get used to them, VERY nice. And just look at the DL sizes! IIRC, Maxthon uses the IE components, as do about 30 "other" browsers out there, they just add a "better" interface, but it's still the same old hog with some more stuff on top. The only REALLY different ones are Firefox and Opera. I tried Firefox a little while ago and thought it really sucked. I use OffByOne 99% of the time. It does not do Java, swf, or the ftp protocol (I use FileHound or WS-FTP for that) but it is 10 times faster than anything else and completely safe. Give it a try. New version added tabs, but I used to open up to 10 separate windows on my 166 with 64MB of RAM! www.offbyone.com I'm sure there are millions of others like me that intend to use Win98SE as long as it can do the things we need safely and efficiently. Leave XP/Vista to the bells- and- whistles guys Viva Windows 98SE! Amen. |
#8
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thanatoid's computer is 10 years old today, Sept. 27, 2007!
=?Utf-8?B?RGFu?= wrote in
: If you want to talk about really old school, then how about my IBM PCjr from 1984 that still works or my IBM 486 with 66mhz. and Windows 3.1 and DOS 5 that I still use and it is not in storage. Oh, I know there are older computers still working (I myself have an HP Vectra 486/66 which I never use, but it works just fine and it's built like a tank), but I have been using this one 5-10 hours a day for 10 years for internet access, DTP, writing, etc. And I enjoy proving that "it'll last 4-5 years if you're lucky" is just NOT true. (Not to mention I have a PC Chips motherboard!!!) |
#9
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thanatoid's computer is 10 years old today, Sept. 27, 2007!
thanatoid wrote:
| thanatoid's computer is 10 years old today, Sept. 27, 2007! | | (As one of my good friends in news.software.readers branded me, | I am proud to be a "reverse hardware snob".) | | *** | | Computer custom-ordered and built by some shop in some city in | some country. | | Intel Pentium 166 MMX (original) | | PC Chips M572 MB (I originally got the M571, two died and there | were no more in stock but the M572 had just come in so they gave | me one) | | 4 x 16MB EDO RAM DIMM's (original, changed 2 of them for one | 64MB DIMM about 6 months ago, total RAM now 96 MB) | | Matrox Mystique PCI (original) | | Creative AWE64 Sound Blaster (original) | | U.S. Robotics Sportster 33.6 Fax internal modem (original) | | LG CED-8080B CD-RW (upgraded from Toshiba 12x CD-ROM player 5 or | 6 years ago) | | 8.4 GB Seagate HD (upgraded a few years ago after various drives | ranging from 3GB to 40GB in size kept on dying - so far so good) | | 15" Sony Trinitron Multiscan 100sx monitor (original, image | quality is exactly the same as it was 10 years ago) | | Dell AT-101W switch keyboard (upgraded about 7 years ago from a | pre-Win keyboard that someone gave me) | | Logitech Track-Man Marble (Omron switches replaced a couple of | years ago) | | APC Back-UPS Pro 280 | | HP LaserJet 6L printer (original, second cartridge installed | about a year ago - I don't print much) | | Beyer unidirectional microphone (over 30 years old but studio | quality) | | Realistic Optimus STS 50AV shielded 2-way speakers | | *** | | DOS 6.22/Win95B OEM (Tweaked for several years until it finally | ran the way I wanted it to.) | | Last system "patch" or "update" - I put in the ME versions of | scandisk and defrag a few years ago. | | *** | | Core applications: | (N.B. - nothing by Microsoft except the OS) | | Total Commander 6.55 | OffByOne 3.5a | Opera 7.53 | Xnews 5.4.25 | nPop 1.01 | FileHound 1.2.2 | | Adobe Pagemaker 6.52 | Edxor 1.60 | Micrografx Picture Publisher 7 | ACDSee 2.22 | STP mp3 player | | Acronis TrueImage Deluxe | TaskInfo2000 2.2 | WinRAR 3.11 | CDRWin 4 | | *** | | Boot time from BIOS password entry to full Windows load: 45 | seconds | Overall speed - IMO, fast as heck | Crashes or hangs - only when I do something really stupid or hit | too many wrong keys at the same time. | | *** | | What it CAN do: | Everything I need it to except music and video editing (see | below). (It actually CAN convert - not edit - music or video, | but it takes hours and hours, which is why I got the other | machine.) | | What it can NOT do: | Play games less than 10 years old (but I am not a gamer), | watch/edit/convert video or music (but I have a 2GHz machine for | that). (It CAN however *record* flv video - and any audio, | obviously - as well as allow me to talk online and listen to | internet radio - although the last time I bothered with either | of those was about 8 years ago.) | | Many "new" programs or later versions of old ones don't run on | 95B. I find the older versions smaller, stabler, and faster, | IOW, much better. AFAIAC, there hasn't been anything new worth | using written for years. (Not counting certain new developments | like mp3 and other audio and video compression methods, DVD- | RW's, or Skype - which won't run on 95, but I have no one to | talk to anyway.) | | *** | | Advantages: | | I don't have to worry about patches, updates, crashes, latest | drivers, etc. I know the machine pretty well and don't worry | about anything going wrong (it hasn't for a very long time). I | get everything done faster than I would on an XP let alone Vista | machine (except as mentioned, audio and video which are handled | on the 2GHz machine). I get to spend money on other things. | | Disadvantages: | | Ridicule by people who enjoy spending several hours a week | patching, updating, or reinstalling their OS's; "learning" to | use useless new features; putting the computer in the living | room as the second Idiot Box; and throwing their money away on | bloated "new" versions of software for the most part originally | conceived by someone else in the late 80's and early 90's. I | also can't DL DVD's or use torrents, but since I prefer reading | and music to movies and TV, I don't care. | | P.S. | I realize it's almost the 28th, but while I've planned this | announcement for about 6 months, I decided yesterday that I | wasn't going to bother and then changed my mind about an hour | ago. Also, I was in a different time zone, and did not take | "delivery" of the system until the 28th or 29th, so I think it's | OK. Hope you agree. I don't know if I can agree with that, but congratulations on lasting 10 years anyhow. Very impressive. I see on my sales ticket that I purchased this Compaq 7470 on 1/14/00-- but I never plugged it in for maybe 3 months! -- Thanks or Good Luck, There may be humor in this post, and, Naturally, you will not sue, Should things get worse after this, PCR |
#10
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thanatoid's computer is 10 years old today, Sept. 27, 2007!
snipped for length concerns
I like Mozilla Firefox and I tried Opera 9 but did not like the features of it. I know the latest Opera does not have any known security vulnerabilities according to secunia.com but I just found the browser to be annoying. Internet Explorer is okay and I like some features of it better than Mozilla Firefox. I like Mozilla Firefox and the 256 cipher strength and not having Active X vulnerabiliites. I like Internet Explorer in how you can choose not to display non secure items on encrypted pages. This really bugs me and why would companies like Verizon Wireless and Google on their Gmail site do this. My thought is to save money and if that is the case then that is really annoying because as a consumer with such a page I do not know if my information has been encrypted or not. I think this is another problem with companies that could potentially lead to identity theft. Anyway, I am just venting about problems with the industry again and now back to Windows 98/98SE. |
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