All about PC's , (except the politically-correct stuff)

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Many of the computers listed here are indeed quite old (going back 15, or even 20 years). However, the older they are, the bigger enjoyment I'd get when finally being able to resuscitate them. Even when they are found to be decidedly dead, their components can still be salvaged to rescue or to test another machine at a later time.

When first starting my career as a software engineer, more than 40 years ago, the development tool that I used in my job was an Intel MDS sporting an 8-bit CPU (Intel 8080) with 64 KB of RAM, and a 1.2 MB floppy drive. It costed $10,000 back then, and allowed me to develop fully functional real-time operating software for various types of equipment. To me, therefore, even these Pentium-4 computers with just 256 MB of memory, real "dinosaurs" by today's standards and often dumped by the roadside, are still wonderful tools to have in my hands.


I am also a fan of the Linux operating systems. Linux-distros hopping is my kind of fun. These old computers enable me to test as many Linux OSes as I like, without any fear of losing my valuable personal data, which are safely stored in my more "modern" rigs. The Linux software systems are free and for many years now have been continually and abundantly offered by the open-source community. Some of these offerings are truly impressive, a real joy to work with. They also alleviate somewhat the nagging pain that I have long suffered from having to use Microsoft Windows in my job.

In addition to the notes about the hardware, some of my experiences with the Linux OS will also be recorded in this board since they are quite interesting, freely mixed with valuable insight.