Acmlm's Board - I2 Archive - Hardware/Software - Uses for an Old PC
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Ailure
Posts: 3552/11162 |
Just be sure it's not too old HH otherwise it may skip whenever it shows a DVD movie. A 450 mhz runs a DVD movie quite nice from what I know thought. 
I have been thinking on making a own console from a old computer, I would use emulators on it. And maybe also use stepmania on it.  |
drjayphd
Posts: 478/1477 |
You could just get PVR software, though, couldn't you, HH? Then the VCR would only be for watching or offloading anything you've recorded, and even then if you felt like going up to a DVD burner, you could just get a VCP. |
HyperLamer
Posts: 1258/8210 |
This is an idea I had, that I'll probably try sometime. (I already posted this once, but since IE's stupid, it got screwed up.  ) Get a half-decent old system, 3-500mhz maybe. Put these in...
-TV Tuner Card
-TV Out Card
-DVD-ROM
-Very big HD
-Wireless HD/Mouse
-Infrared port, located at front
-Decent sound card w/ line in
-CD-ROM
-AM/FM Tuner Card, if you ever use the radio
With some custom software you could program it to respond to IR signals from a remote you have around. There you have it, an ultimate home theater system. What I'd really like to do, though, is somehow rig up an old VCR to it too. 
JJ64
Posts: 697/919 |
I actually have a system. Whenever I get a new computer, the old one goes to my father's comic store, mainly used for internet and work files. The one from the comic store, gets buried somewhere in the store in case it's needed. |
elixirnova
Posts: 17/177 |
eh turns out my power supply broke on my old comp so since the supply from this pc wouldnt fit i moved everything into its old case which is much more roomy and i am going to spray paint it purple today O_o maybe ill upload some pics O_o |
psilocybin
Posts: 4/25 |
That computer would make an excellent FreeBSD web/file server. GNU/Linux would work too. |
drjayphd
Posts: 424/1477 |
If the salient parts didn't melt down, I would've actually recycled most of my last comp (AMD K6-2/450) into a MAME machine, complete with cabinet. But the way I've been going, by the time I have anywhere to put one, I'll probably be using this comp for that. ;P
Although the private server idea sounds shveet... it'd be kinda hard to do that with a home theater PC the way I was planning on (HTNESPC, anyone?). |
Emptyeye
Posts: 454/2273 |
not that I'm particularly adding anything new at this point, but I would go with either a Linux box, or just taking it apart as a useful exercise in what part X looks like--this is the hard drive, the video card, etc. |
Prier
Posts: 1865/8392 |
Originally posted by elixirnova
Hey i gots an old Gateway with a P2 300mhz processor cdrom drive 128ram 16-32mb video card (havnt checked) in a case with 3 extra 5 1/2" bays and a pretty good sized hard drive any ideas on what to use it for??? ive thought about trying to mod it but i dont know exactly how.........
Same amount of RAM and a better vid card than I have on my 1.0 GHz Shitpaq.
If you ever need to scrap something for compatible parts to add on to a system, I'd do that...that's what I used to do back in the day on my 200. |
Rydain
Posts: 179/738 |
If you have several computers in the house and want a nice way to make music, movies, and various other files available to all of them, I'd suggest putting some sort of free Unix variant (Linux, FreeBSD) on the old computer and using it as a private file server. We have a Frankensteined computer with rather old parts (except for the humongous hard drives ) that is serving that purpose. It used to be our router as well, but we recently got a hardware router. |
Ailure
Posts: 3144/11162 |
Keep in mind, using Linux is not a cake walk. I'm not stopping you, but don't expect it to be very easy to use.
Personally I would install Windows 2000 on it (or make a Windows2000/Linux dual booting system. Which I am going to do with a 300 mhz soon maybe). I find 300 mhz useful for old games, mainly multiplayer ones. I can invite over my friends to play some old classical games against each other.  |
Dylan
Posts: 94/1407 |
Take out its graphics card and monitor, then set it up on your current PC with dual monitors. |
NightHawk
Posts: 235/621 |
Well, you could always use it for a gateway/proxy server, print/file server, or something along those lines.
Should be easy enough with Linux if you're already familiar with it. |
WaiWaiWario
Posts: 9/14 |
I use one opf my old ones for testing parts..another has Linux on it..another I use for Half-Life/quake/whatever else server. I have one next to my bed that I use for a nightstand. There's three or four others nder my bed that I think hold up the mattress. Got a few more that just kinda sit there. |
FreeDOS
Posts: 554/1657 |
If you have a nice Internet connect and ISP, you could use it as a Web server.
Put Linux on it... follow security instructions found on various sites, and you'll have an excellent one. And if you're serious about it, you could always buy a domain. |
Xkeeper
Posts: -3554/-863 |
I'd like my computer back than-- oh, wait, it's a Gateway, never mind.
That's pretty much my computer in a nutshell, but I don't know what my vid card is (ATI Rage 3D pro) and I have 191 MB ram... still though 
You could always pawn it off XD Or just save it / use it for testing or something. I dunno. |
elixirnova
Posts: 16/177 |
Hey i gots an old Gateway with a P2 300mhz processor cdrom drive 128ram 16-32mb video card (havnt checked) in a case with 3 extra 5 1/2" bays and a pretty good sized hard drive any ideas on what to use it for??? ive thought about trying to mod it but i dont know exactly how......... |
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