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Using an old lappy as a permanent webcruiser...

post #1 of 11
10/12/05 at 5:44pm
Thread Starter 
I want to set up my old Gateway Solo 2300 laptop in my workshop as a permanent web surfing fixture. I don't like using my other old Gateway laptop (Solo 9550, still a pretty decent machine w/ a 1.066 CPU), and certainly not my new Dell I9200, because it's a dirty environment. I'm a jeweler and that means metal dust!
Anyway, the Solo 2300 has a 266 MHz CPU w/ 384 MB RAM. It needed a PCMCIA phone card to connect to the web when it was new, and I'm wondering how well, if at all, it will perform as a simple web surfer with a PCMCIA Ethernet card installed.
I have Windows 2K on it. I don't expect to view streaming video, but would I be able to play online radio through it?

Thanks
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post #2 of 11
10/12/05 at 6:45pm
I used to have an IBM thinkpad that was a 266Mhz with 256mb of ram and also ran Windows 2K. I connected to the net via a PCMCIA 802.11G card and it worked very well.

Granted it did seem a little slow, but it wasn't that bad at all. I was just used to the speed of a more current computer. I'm sure if you disable a lot of the background programs, seeing as how it's for web only, it should run extremely well.
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post #3 of 11
10/12/05 at 7:58pm
I recently set up a friend's 10 year old Dell laptop (now running Win2k--originally came with Windows for Workgroups!) for Shoutcast streaming with Winamp. It works just fine.

But the only DSP it would power was this early version of Enhancer....
http://www.winamp.com/plugins/details.php?id=11318
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post #4 of 11
10/12/05 at 11:34pm
As long as the RAM amount is 256 or higher, I'm sure it could run 98 at a fast pace. As for 2000, meh.
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post #5 of 11
10/12/05 at 11:39pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by Gold Beater
I want to set up my old Gateway Solo 2300 laptop in my workshop as a permanent web surfing fixture. I don't like using my other old Gateway laptop (Solo 9550, still a pretty decent machine w/ a 1.066 CPU), and certainly not my new Dell I9200, because it's a dirty environment. I'm a jeweler and that means metal dust!
Anyway, the Solo 2300 has a 266 MHz CPU w/ 384 MB RAM. It needed a PCMCIA phone card to connect to the web when it was new, and I'm wondering how well, if at all, it will perform as a simple web surfer with a PCMCIA Ethernet card installed.
I have Windows 2K on it. I don't expect to view streaming video, but would I be able to play online radio through it?

Thanks
I think your biggest problem is the dialup connection. After that, 266mhz may be a little slow to run java, flash, shockwave, or other renderers.
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post #6 of 11
10/13/05 at 12:02am
Thread Starter 
Quote:
Originally Posted by imhotep
I think your biggest problem is the dialup connection. After that, 266mhz may be a little slow to run java, flash, shockwave, or other renderers.
I forgot to mention I have cable. (Errr. ) That's what my whole question was all about & I forgot to explain the point!
-I want to know if this lil' thing is gonna choke on the speed of cable.
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post #7 of 11
10/13/05 at 12:06am
Quote:
Originally Posted by Gold Beater
I forgot to mention I have cable. (Errr. ) That's what my whole question was all about & I forgot to explain the point!
-I want to know if this lil' thing is gonna choke on the speed of cable.
It will be slower but it won't choke.
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post #8 of 11
10/13/05 at 12:12am
It shouldn't be an issue at all, as long as you can get a network connection to it there shouldn't be any problems.
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post #9 of 11
10/13/05 at 1:48pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by antseezee

As long as the RAM amount is 256 or higher, I'm sure it could run 98 at a fast pace. As for 2000, meh.
Win2k runs fine with 128 megs RAM, even on a 10 year old laptop. But it ain't gonna run "at a fast pace" with any RAM amount/OS, although the speed will be quite adequate for web surfing and streaming media.
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post #10 of 11
10/13/05 at 2:44pm
Thread Starter 
Cool. Thanks guys.

If I get a PCMCIA Ethernet card, I will have to find a driver for it, correct?
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post #11 of 11
10/13/05 at 3:59pm
^^ The card should come with its own driver/setup disc. Windows may load the correct driver as well.
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