My wife's boss is giving her an old computer from work so we can have a second computer. It is a 486 and I am wondering if it will work with DSL, windows, or ethernet cards before we accept it?
2006-09-10 10:17:58 · 6 answers · asked by CylonLover 2 in Computers & Internet ➔ Hardware ➔ Desktops
A 486 is plenty fine. You may want to find yourself a copy of Windows 95 to use on it. Win95 will run on computers as old as 386 and is much more stable than Win98 or Win98SE.
And even if you have a very old PC with a 286 it can run Windows 3.10
If you have an ancient 8088, then you can only use Windows 1.x or 2.x
Even computers as old as an 8088 running DOS have ethernet cards for them... So networking is not an issue.
2006-09-10 10:28:10 · answer #1 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 0⤋
Me personally, I *might* take a 486DX-100 if it's in excellent condition, just to use for some small hardware projects.
For you, it is absolutely useless. You should actually be insulted at being "given" that computer. I think your wife's boss just doesn't want to take the trouble of throwing it out.
I threw three 486s in the trash just last fall.
Honestly, you're much better off going to a local computer shop and asking them to build a bare-bones machine for you (with an AMD mainboard and CPU). That should only cost you about $300. And you might want to try getting it without a copy of Windows. That will save you some money. You can install Ubuntu Linux on that computer instead.
2006-09-10 17:29:22 · answer #2 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 0⤋
no its worthless, do not bother with it, just say no thanks, that why she is giving it to you. a 486 was designed before there was an internet so how can it work with DSL. It was designed to run DOS based software not windows the only Windows you might be able to run is Windows 3.0, it does not have the power to for a modem or ethernet card. even if it had the power you will not find any software for it.
2006-09-10 17:28:37 · answer #3 · answered by zqx357 5 · 1⤊ 0⤋
This box can probably support win98 and ethernet but unless it has an ethernet already you will need to find a source for a ethernet card that fits on the old style bus. Even then the capabilities will be very limited by todays standards.
2006-09-10 17:23:15 · answer #4 · answered by Interested Dude 7 · 1⤊ 0⤋
it's probably a 66Mhz processor 8Mb memory 340Mb harddrive with obsolete ISA bus instead of the common PCI. In those days network interface cards are connected by BNC plugs much like the cable connectors on your analog tv and i have no idea how you can even connect it to a modern LAN both physically & logically. I know it can run Word 6.0 with windows 3.1 and even windows 95 on only 4Mb memory...
2006-09-10 17:53:12 · answer #5 · answered by James H. Wadd 3 · 1⤊ 0⤋
they can run win 98 for 10 seconds, maybe 95 i think don't really remember. i say strip the gold off the chip and toss it , or keep it as an antique.
2006-09-10 17:23:51 · answer #6 · answered by MASQUE 3 · 1⤊ 0⤋