Excuse to get into retro PCs

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I'd love to get into retro PCs like Windows 3.1 etc. But have no idea what to use them for. I don;t do gaming or anything like that.

I use Word a lot on Windows 10 but hate having to sign in and all the data Microsoft gets, so maybe I can use Windows 3.1 for typing? Problem is backing up and sharing all my critical documents.
 
Soldato
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To be honest if you need an "excuse" you may find yourself getting bored very quickly!

Some people play games, some people are just interested in the hardware. I'm interested in both but I knew that coming into retro PCs. Benchmarking, building, comparing, finding unusual parts etc.

Depending on what you're typing you can probably use Office or Works on Windows 3.1 and make .rtf files that will open on new /365 version of office.

You can run Office 2000 on Windows 98 and install a MS released converter for docx to doc. So you can open a standard/ new word doc on Windows 98.
 
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I just love putting the hardware together.

I love games, but am terrible at them.

I love listening to old-school PC gaming audio on all the various PC soundcards that I own. Stuff from LGR and Phil's Computer Lab have been inspiration here.

For Windows 3.11, I have an ethernet card so I can download / upload files. I have a dot matrix printer attached. I listen to Midi files. I install all quirky software from my youth including route planners, web browsers, label makers. I play minesweeper, hearts and solitaire.

Yes you could emulate the above, but there's something truly magical in hearing an old desktop PC do its thing.

What do you ideally want to do on a retro PC? The possibilities are endless. Try recreating your first PC and OS.
 

kar

kar

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The main reason to get into retro computers is simply to learn problem solving.

Best place to start would be the pentium (p5) arch platform, once you have PCI slots and usb support and atx power supplies, everything gets a little simpler, the pentium era boards were mostly good quality and survive well today, mid range pentium processors are pretty cheap, 166mmx is nice, fast (for the era) and cheap. 233 mmx is better but then you start paying a premium.

Once you've assembled your rig, then getting an old version of linux running up on it and learning some x86 assembly, low level VGA programming is very fun and you have _complete_ control of the system. You can run some games, some basic music apps, you can connect it to a network, you can do quite a bit with such a machine.
 
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I think if you're interested in having a potter about on old stuff just 'because', you'll quickly find that old hardware was a bit... rubbish.

If, however, you're in it to have a go at programming in a different environment, really want to play a selection of certain era games, or just fancy dabbling in old hardware - go for it. Doesn't have to be expensive.
 
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If I ever did get off my arse and actually went about making functioning retro pcs out of the huge piles of bits I have kicking about, it would be to do something like LGR does with having a MS-DOS specific machine, a windows 98 machine and a windows XP machine, with the incentive being this would enable to never run into problems if I ever wanted to run that old program which is either so old that modern windows just laughs at it, or has just succumbed to the latest windows update which removes another level of compatibility for older stuff. Up to now it is a combination of virtual machines and just being to lazy to get round to it that have stopped me, but the option is always there for when I do eventually get the urge. So it is a sort of incentive in waiting more than anything for me.
 
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Don't really see much point in retro pcs but each to their own. Personally I find it more fun to mess with old commodores, ataris and spectrums. They have some great hardware to mess with.

Getting an A1200 online and browsing the web is a great feeling
 
Soldato
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Don't really see much point in retro pcs but each to their own. Personally I find it more fun to mess with old commodores, ataris and spectrums. They have some great hardware to mess with.

Getting an A1200 online and browsing the web is a great feeling
I recently bought a machine from late 90s (still to arrive) Lockdown project to bring back some of the memories (good and bad!) of Windows 98 and specifically gaming on a 3dfx Voodoo card. Emulation isnt great for the Glide API.
Amiga 500 was my first machine as a child and had some great memories but wanted a project I can adapt and changes part in as I please whilst also being able to transfer required drivers and software
 
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I quite like the idea of trying to find an 80s/90s style beige box case (with floppy disk drive, zip disk, 5.14" floppy drive , etc) and filling it with modern components for the aesthetic. Maybe something with a brand that no longer exists but was big back in the day like Packard Bell, Amstrad, or Time. Perhaps even one of the early Alienware or first generation Dell XPS cases!

I'm not sure I see the appeal in actually using old hardware components though! :D

I quite like retro hardware generally (80s & 90s 8/16 bit computer and console systems) but ,for me at least, old computer components don't have the same appeal as a bespoke consumer product like a zx spectrum or an original Gameboy/NES/etc.
 
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Soldato
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packard bell, man that at Tandy bring back some memories. but the past should stay in the past. :p


Still use a Packard Bell every day. Vintage 1996, still with the sticker over the space bar

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Older makes I rememeber were Gateway, Tiny, Trust, Altec Lansing
 
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I'd love to get into retro PCs like Windows 3.1 etc. But have no idea what to use them for. I don;t do gaming or anything like that.

I use Word a lot on Windows 10 but hate having to sign in and all the data Microsoft gets, so maybe I can use Windows 3.1 for typing? Problem is backing up and sharing all my critical documents.
If you just want it for typing documents then Linux with Libra Office would be a good choice and then you can share your documents.

If your wanting a bit of nostalgia Windows 2000 with the unofficial service packs lets you run newer software like Open Office I haven't tried Libra Office in Windows 2000.

I still use some of the old MS Office applications. I have two MS Office 97 boxed one sealed and never opened and I have MS Office 2000, MS Office 2007 all original.
 
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