Puppy Linux Discussion Forum

[hayden]

Thanks. I think of Java as the greatest tool for slowing down computing since Windows so I wonder how this will work out on antique hardware.

I am working with the 233Mz machine now and will post what I learn as I learn it. I discovered the chip is a Cyrix 686. It is supposed to be like a Pentium 300 in performance (at least if you do not do heavy math.). 233 MHz is the maximum speed for the 1997 P5TX-A MB as is the installed 256Mb of memory. People talking about old computers often say "memory is cheap" but it ain't necessarily true for antique memory chips (though you might be able to find some for free is you scrounge around). There are also the issues of how much memory the board can handle, and finding out what sort of chips it requires. In any case, I noted that Puppy 2.02 had NOT activated the swap file yet performance was fine for just running the desktop and opening the default applications. No promises if you try to install KDE4 or edit movies;-)

As I joke I hooked up a USB Blu-Ray drive that I use for backups and was able to read files from a Blu-Ray disk. Pretty good for a 25-year-old system. Performance was rather slow with USB 1.0.

I see these antiques as useful for a variety of audiences. Poor kids who can use if for school. (Maybe it is a feather if it CAN"T be used for play?-) Older folks who want to get on the Internet and receive email from grandchildren who don't write real letters, or check the news and weather online, maybe shop a little. Someone who wants to write a book. but has no money.

[Dewbie]

hayden wrote: