Whos running the oldest PC?

rmg1

NiftyDigits wrote: »

Get on with it. Get a HDD for under a fiver. You don't need to use the original XP disc to reinstall XP, especially if it's an SP1 disc. You could slipstream the service packs in, but again more messing around. When it comes to it I talk you through an easier process.

I've got some spare HDDs kicking around that still work. It's time to sort it I haven't got.
The disc is an OEM version and I haven't a clue about the product key (no sticker on the base unit).

Any help would be gratefully received.

Cycrow

rmg1 wrote: »

I probably have got the numbers wrong, but I'm going back 20 years or so :eek:
Now I do feel old!!

at a rough guess i would say its most likly an 386 or 486.
486s have been around since 1989. so would have been the most common about 20 years ago
the 8086's were around in the 70's

rmg1

It definitely said 8086 on the front of the machine, that much I do remember.

Coveredinbees!!!!

Dunno how old it is but the mobo was 2nd hand off a mate, had to change the PSU recently as the 5v had dropped and it kept crashing, fine ever since. It's an Athlon xp3200+ running windows XP. It have a new laptop running windows 8 but I prefer using the old machine much more user friendly.

ThemeOne

I use 3 machines regularly, all date from around 2006-7, and all are perfectly fine.

I have quite a few other machines of much older vintage which should probably be thrown out, but I tell myself they might be useful for parts - probably mostly untrue!

gterr

I was a PhD student at Cambridge when my department took delivery of its first ever "micro computer" which was a BBC Micro, in 1981 I think. I wrote my thesis on this using WordStar, and printed it with a daisy-wheel printer on 80gsm paper continuous feed with micro-perforations. This caused some consternation because I was supposed to submit the "top copy and two carbon copies", the office being unable to comprehend any other format.

My first (works) computer was an all-in-one thing with a green screen running CP/M, and my first home computer was an Amstrad 1512 with twin floppies (no hard drive). I seem to remember this could run MS-DOS and CP/M and had a GUI called GEM (though that might have been the later 1640).

The oldest PC we still have in the house (well, in the loft actually) is an 80386 PC clone. It was still working when we put it up there, and I can't bring myself to chuck it.

[Deleted User]

My father-in-law is still using my Dell desktop, purchased for the grand sum of £280 in 2006. It doesn't run too badly either.

I'm now on a 1 month old Windows 8 laptop (for work) with a 500gb SSD. It runs like it is on rocket fuel From turning on, i can be using outlook in under a minute.

Ratboy

Cycrow wrote: »

at a rough guess i would say its most likly an 386 or 486.
486s have been around since 1989. so would have been the most common about 20 years ago
the 8086's were around in the 70's

I bet the manufacturers wishes that 3/486 was available in the '80's!!!! not available until (486), till late 90's

And also 8086/7, were not available in the '70's either! So both posts wrong!

Why do people post rubbish that they made up? Check up or remember your past!

Wordstar was a CP/M program on the Amstrad 2512/9512, that was mentioned.

Cycrow

Ratboy wrote: »

I bet the manufacturers wishes that 3/486 was available in the '80's!!!! not available until (486), till late 90's

And also 8086/7, were not available in the '70's either! So both posts wrong!

Why do people post rubbish that they made up? Check up or remember your past!

Wordstar was a CP/M program on the Amstrad 2512/9512, that was mentioned.

maybe you need to get your facts straight

486's were not available in the late 90's
i had a 486sx 25 in 92, i had a 486 DX4 120 in 95

The intel 8086 was released in 1978 (which im pretty sure is in the 70's)

the late 90's was when the pentiums were around
infact, i even had a 6x86 in the late 90's

Mr_Toad

Next to my old desk at work there's a cabinet with a mid 1990s IBM PC running OS2.

It was purchased for a project to act as a document server. Still there and still running.