Lowest Spec System

LapsedPacifist · Post by **LapsedPacifist** » 2004-10-08 10:55am

What's the lowest spec system that you would contemplate using? I've got the opportunity to pick up a HP Omnibook 133Mhz system. Now, I haven't used a 133 since '98 or so, but this is a pretty clever little laptop (If you've ever seen an omnibook it has the little mouse that ejects out the side and is driven off a stick). The actual dimensions are 8x11 or so, and its very light. The monitor is good, and it has a 4gb HD in it. I'm thinking about throwing SSH, a light text editor, and a light browser on it... And XCOM, I gotta have XCOM.

I'm losing a territorial war for office space with my girlfriend, who's a freelance designer and works out of the apartment. The plan is to set up a wireless network so I can still browse forums and check email without taking up space in the office anymore.

So for $50 would you purchase a 133Mhz laptop?

LP

General Zod · Post by **General Zod** » 2004-10-08 10:58am

$50.00 seems reasonable for the type of system offered. For alot of refurbished systems the stores around my area offer them at roughly $1.00 on the MhZ. though a 133 is the absolute lowest i'd ever consider using, chances are i wouldn't shell out money for it unless i had cash to spare and wanted it as an antiquity or something.

LapsedPacifist · Post by **LapsedPacifist** » 2004-10-08 11:00am

The absolute biggest flaw in the system, other than the speed, is the lack of USB. There is no way to attatch a better mouse to the system...

LP

General Zod · Post by **General Zod** » 2004-10-08 11:02am

LapsedPacifist wrote:The absolute biggest flaw in the system, other than the speed, is the lack of USB. There is no way to attatch a better mouse to the system...

LP

does it have a PCMCIA slot? if so you can buy a usb pc card for expandability.

Ace Pace · Post by **Ace Pace** » 2004-10-08 04:22pm

Are you going to run linux? otherwise I don't think even windows 2000 can run on that.

darthdavid · Post by **darthdavid** » 2004-10-08 04:29pm

You could run 'Doze 98, or 95. Or *shudder* me. Maybe me. But I wouldn't. And you shouldn't.
Edit, Looks like you could run 2000

Minimum Requirements
Computer/Processor 133 MHz or higher Pentium-compatible CPU
Memory 64 megabytes (MB) of RAM recommended minimum; more memory generally improves responsiveness
Hard Disk 2GB hard disk with a minimum of 650MB of free space

Einhander Sn0m4n · Post by **Einhander Sn0m4n** » 2004-10-08 04:31pm

This one I'm on, right now. I'd much rather be on a 4GHz ship...

Pu-239 · Post by **Pu-239** » 2004-10-08 06:10pm

120 MHz PI
32 MB RAM

Crayz9000 · Post by **Crayz9000** » 2004-10-08 06:32pm

I can use anything, for almost any purpose. It's really the use of the hardware that drives its lower limit; for example, while I have an old Zenith 8088 *ahem* "laptop" *ahem*, it's useless beyond word processing so it simply sits in a corner and does nothing.

On the other hand, I have a 33Mhz 486 sitting in another corner and running firewalling software from a floppy disk.

So the usability, again, really depends on what you want to use something for. For a desktop system, I'd say that a Pentium I is the absolute lower limit -- one with USB is a definite plus.

Admiral Valdemar · Post by **Admiral Valdemar** » 2004-10-08 06:36pm

Christ, I wouldn't go on anything lesser spec than my PDA (a 133MHz, 32MB RAM Casio Cassiopeia). My brother's Sony-Ericsson P800 phone even excels past that.

Sokartawi · Post by **Sokartawi** » 2004-10-08 07:16pm

Currently using an overpowered 486@166 MHz with 128MB of fast-page RAM, 2 linked videocards with a total of 20MB videocard memory, and an 80GB harddrive in it and running on Win98.

I've been using it with Win98 since it was 100MHz, 32MB RAM, 4MB videomemory and a 2GB harddisk, and before that it was 40MHz, 16MB RAM, 500MB harddisk and running on DOS/win3.11 and my cool expensive 16k dial-up and one of the first versions of netscape so I could download win3.11 patches for the Warcraft 2 map editor.

Before that we had an overpowered XT machine that was so insanely fast that everyone thought it was a 386.

I'd consider everything as long as it can run windows3.11 and wordperfect 5.1. Being able to play Crusader, Alien Odyssey, Albion, High Seas Trader, Thunderscape, HiOctane or Privateer would be a plus.

Pu-239 · Post by **Pu-239** » 2004-10-08 07:54pm

Current PC is a PII-450 with a ridiculous amount of RAM for a PII (512).