September 8, 2003

Ghetto Computing

So, we're sitting here, Clyos and I, and it's like "Well, what do we do?" "Dunno. Let's play some multiplayer MC2." "Don't we need another computer for it?" "Well, yes." "Where do we get one, then?" "How about all those spare parts you have?" "Well, we can try."

So we do.

We end up using the corpse of my old Pentium 500 for it. P500, 128 MB of RAM, my old 16 meg vid card, and we hope onboard sound of some sort. And then we rip parts out of the old P233 - the old trayless 24x CD-ROM, the old 64 MB of RAM, the floppy. And we wrestle with old battleship steel cases a lot. This is ghetto computing at it's finest, here.

So then we try for Win XP.

Can't run it from DOS. CD isn't bootable. We try copying setup files, we try LAN booting it... nuh-uh.

"Well, maybe we need an XP boot disk."

*grabs floppy*

*pops open CD-ROM drive*

"Uh..."

After we get done laughing, we start formatting disks. 6 of them later, or rather I should say 6 that work (many other floppies flop their last here), including a 1992 Lotus Organizer disk, an AOL disk, and a 1993 MS Mouse driver disk, we toss in the XP boot disk, and it...installs. This is good.

Meanwhile, Cole's over here slicing up the faceplate for the CD-ROM in an effort to make it work. Fun with Xacto knives. And the mini saw. And the Dremel. After we recharge the Dremel, that is.

And eventually we have installed it all.

But no sound. So we go digging in the ancient manual for my Micron (this is why we keep old manuals), and find out that I have an Intel SE440BX. Ok. Google tells us that there are drivers. So we download them. And they are installed. Or...not. So a sound card is in the works.

But games can be installed anyway. This is good.

Posted by Dwip at September 8, 2003 10:50 PM
Comments

this is why I don't bother trying to learn too much about comps ;)

Posted by: toasty at September 9, 2003 10:30 AM

Next time I need a computer, I will call you up and you can come over and build me one, instead of my buying one. ;)

Posted by: Regina at September 10, 2003 5:05 AM

Psssht. He'll just have me design it, then he'll build it and claim he's a computer building God.

Posted by: Whir at September 10, 2003 6:58 AM

Which is actually mostly true. IE, Whir designed Marechal's comp, Whir and Samson designed my new one. :P

Posted by: Dwip at September 10, 2003 7:18 AM

cool thing. Maybe I should ask you to design one for me too... Then I'd just have to come up with the cash :-/

Posted by: toasty at September 10, 2003 8:55 AM

Although Dell factory-direct computers with whatever the latest Windows version is are serving me fine just now, since I only need to run Microsoft Word, The Sims, and the internet and AIM once I get to college and have a comp with an internet connection. :P

Posted by: Regina at September 10, 2003 3:26 PM

don't forget ICQ, don't forget that ;)

Posted by: toasty at September 10, 2003 3:39 PM

Dells are excellent value for the dollar considering you actually get the software and support with them. Where they get you is that as advertised, they don't come with monitors. Then they charge up the ying-yang for 'em. You can get a good Dell system for any college kid for $800 to your door, then go online and order a monitor that's better than theirs for half the price.

Otherwise you kit build like Dwip and I and then you have to either buy or steal your software. Dwip bought his. Well, Dwip's parents bought his.

I'd never order a pre-built desktop. And I try like hell to be able to customize a laptop. I'd only buy a laptop from Dell, IBM, or Alienware right now.

But if anyone wants a computer, I'm always looking for a build challenge. ;)

Posted by: Whir at September 10, 2003 8:45 PM

Since I don't game any longer, I don't really need it...but it's always fun just checking what you can do. I made one over at vodoo, almost got it to $5k :D Yeah, like I'm actually gonna buy that...

Posted by: toasty at September 11, 2003 8:10 AM

Heh. Go have fun at Apple's site. I've had one up to 22K before. :)

Posted by: Whir at September 11, 2003 11:47 AM

I wasn't really trying though....I didn't even get a monitor or multiple harddrives (I could've gotten 6 harddrives, that'd add on 3k I think, but yeah).

We could have a contest :P

Posted by: toasty at September 12, 2003 5:42 AM

I bet I could win. ;)

Posted by: Whir at September 12, 2003 10:51 AM

alright, if you say so. It's gotta be built by those comp-building companies though, cause otherwise I could get a videocard for like 2k which would seriously suck...

1 week, eh? Starting....now!

Posted by: toasty at September 13, 2003 3:39 PM

I bet the government could beat both of you. :P

Posted by: Dwip at September 13, 2003 5:56 PM

that's cause they cheat!!! :p

Posted by: toasty at September 14, 2003 12:24 PM