Minimum spec for broadband please?

Conor_3

Red_Rose_Exile wrote: »

It should really be running Windows 98 SE, Windoze 95 SR2 and 98 original just wouldn't be suitable for most BB suppliers

Absolute tosh. You can get online with DOS. What you can't do though is run a USB Modem. You'd need to use an ADSL or Cable router to do the connection to the broadband and connect the PC to the router via a network card and cable.

Red_Rose_Exile

just wouldn't be suitable for most BB suppliers

Most of the ISPs will NOT give you any support whatsoever if you cannot get on line. They won't even entertain you. Nobody said that you couldn't, just that you 'll get sweet nothing in the way of support.

Terms and conditions of provision for most ISP is that you have a suitable operating system, and the ISPs expect 98SE and above for provision of a BB service. Whether you consider it suitable or not is immaterial, they are the providers

spud17

Just checked Virgin, they suggest a minimum of Win2000pro, 128RAM,300mhz processor.
I agree with Red Rose Exile in that you will not get any support, but I cannot see a problem with a system based around Win98se.
I have a 2ndPC with 500mhz,256mb ram, Win98se using Opera,Avg etc it's much faster than a neighbours much higher spec machine running AOL bloatware browser and MacAffee.
Keep it simple and lean, you should be OK.

HugoSP

The good news is that I've just located a laptop running Win 98SE. It's not exactly the latest technology being a Toshiba Tecra 8000 with probably around 6gb of hd space and some 128mb of memory.

The downsides are that the battery is apparently up the duff and one of the hinges on the monitor is broken, but it can still be used whilst plugged into the mains. So we will effectively have a small desktop computer.

It has only one USB port apparently, so printing and browsing at the same time could be a problem unless we find a USB hub....

Now we need to find out which is the cheapest broadband supplier for him.

[Deleted User]

If you do get a laptop with such a small hard drive, it might be worth buying an external hard disk to store data on... 6gb won't go very far at all anymore (you can buy memory sticks bigger than that now)

Something like this would be great: (gets power from USB, silent, 'small' capactiy) http://www.maplin.co.uk/Module.aspx?ModuleNo=217649&source=1&DOY=27m12
or
(plugs in mains to get extra power, has a fan, larger capacity)
http://www.maplin.co.uk/Module.aspx?ModuleNo=217653&source=1&DOY=27m12

If you hunt around there are probably cheaper ones

Little_John

The battery is up the duff? how did that happen? do they start out life as a button cell battery and grow through AAA AA C and D cells? I always wondered how batteries were made.

About 6 months ago pipex base package worked out the cheapest over the period of the minimum contract.

Any pc with a network connection and capable of running a web browser can connect to the internet. the reason ISP's gie minimum spec's is that they used to almost all provide USB modems and the drivers/installs required a minimum spec. I have used really old windows 3.11 486 pc's on the internet. back in the day.

Red_Rose_Exile

I have used really old windows 3.11 486 pc's on the internet. back in the day

I have used 386s on t'internet, but only on an abysmally slow 9600 baud, hardly the Broadband we are so accustomed to these days. I have to admit I don't hark back to those days at all!

HugoSP

I actually have a 40mb hd with windows XP preinstalled on it. It came off a laptop that went off for repair. I guess I would need to upgrade the memory to 256mb of ram to run XP though.

At least XP would be more robust than Win 98SE.

Apparently people have been successful running XP on these machines.

ormus

it will prob work ok, but i would use win2k on it.
shouldnt be too expensive to find a copy:)

(pm me if req):)

vyseyboy

I'm using a Toshiba Tecra laptop right now, PII 233 Mhz, 256 Mhz ram, Belkin PCMCIA wireless adapter. And Windows XP, tweaked a bit.

It absolutely blazes, and I can get a full 7.2 Mbps, which is as much as the ISP provides usually.

There is no real lower limit, but you'd definately be able to get something more than suitable on freecycle for free, if you told them what you told us, and got a techie friend to set up a suitable OS.