OT: Did you miss me?

Julia, I can empathize with you. My DH still uses a 133 mHz machine. I upgraded it with a CD-R drive and a larger hard drive a while ago. I was able to get a 233 mHz machine from my former job and just got some new memory for it which will be installed tomorrow. The PC that my stepson uses (another 133) when he visits (he turned 17, got his license, got a truck and we haven't seen him since!) has a larger hard drive in it so I am going to cannablize that one to upgrade the 233 which only has a 2 GB drive in it. He'll then get the 133 with the CD-R since he likes to burn CDs. I use Win98 on all of them just to keep it simple. I may just breakdown and surprise my DH with a brand, spanking new PC for his birthday next month. Then I can install a wireless network so he can share my cable modem instead of using a 56k modem to dial into Juno. I have a bunch of old PCs in the basement that still work - some with 5.25" disk drives! I can't give them away! They will probably end up getting tossed in the next community PC recycle day.

Now, we both have probably lost half the group.........

Good point. The DH has an office in the basement so we would be 3 floors apart. Don't think it would work.

It's amazing how simple the PCs were in "the good old days". I can dismantle a 133 in no time and put it back together with a blindfold on. Took a course in PC troubleshooting not too long ago and the instructor made us take our PCs apart so all we had left was a pile of assorted screws, nuts and PC components. He then said "have a nice evening, see you in the morning". In the morning, we were required to reassemble our PCs, and proved that they booted up. That was our final. I passed with flying colors - and no screws left over!

ohhhhhhhhhhhh, can i learn that online ya think? now thats something i'd love to know how to do. jeanne*

Still have my Commodore 64 in the basement! Tape drive and all! I'm self taught as well. If I needed to learn it, I found a way to learn about it. Going back to school in the fall to become a Certified Internet Webmaster! Need a few courses and then passed the dreaded exam. Looking forward to it, though.

I took a A+ certification course after I retired and I had to do that same test. I learned so much about troubleshooting. Saved alot of money fixing little things. I was older than everyone by 30 years and at the end of the course only 6 survived and I was the only "girl". Never too old to learn.

My DH has a basement room full of old computers from Z-100's, CPM's with 8" floppies to old 286's. I don't tell him to tidy up his room and he stays out of mine. I miss the DS's (ages 35 and 37) but their rooms sure come in handy. Donna in Bellevue

You can learn anything online! ( well pretty much. I haven't seen any videos yet on brain surgery, but I'm sure they're out there! ) I took electronics in high school, first girl ever! This was back when the first Four Function calculator cost 500.00, had a red display, and was about the size of a digital camera. Really thick! The first computer I had was a Radio Shack Color Computer. Hooked up to the TV, cassette tape drive, no such thing as a hard drive then. It had all of 2k memory. We modified it by piggybacking the memory chips and soldering them together to make all of

Elena

Isn't it funny that they are now talking about how boys are underperforming in mathmatics when they've spent so many years trying to encourage girls that it's okay to be smart in that?

Elena

I was doing ok until I got to the direct satellite feed into the internet. Now I am really jealous!

We have wireless on our DSL, and can access it from anywhere in our two story house. The funny thing is, DH was just up at his sister's house, and he opened up his laptop, and found that he was "connected" to what we assume is the wireless from the guy downstairs in another apartment! ROFL...

Don't forget our firewalls, friends!

The Blessed Fiddy, Patroness Saint of the Disorganized LC in Sunny So Cal Personality Development Specialist (Full-Time Mom!)

I just bought a Palm Tungsten C that has WiFi capability. I haven't connected yet since I still use my Palm VII, but I've been told that you can actually drive down streets and connect to wireless networks that people set up in their homes and don't know enough to put firewalls on them. I'm going to try to find a local "freespot" which allows you to connect without charge just to try the WiFi button out. Most of the Starbucks and Borders here have wireless, but you need an account with T-Mobile or similar service.

MAM!!!!

Suzie B

-- "From the internet connection under the pier" Southend, UK

DH still uses a 486 in the office! (It acts as the answering machine,etc) The firewall is an IBM 586 (scrounged(sp)). The file server I'm using to read news on is the most recent and up-to-date machine he could afford and I only get to use it 'cause it's in the privacy of the 'dining' room, which looks more like the baby's room than a dining room.

I really like to reduce, reuse, recycle but I hate to part with computers that still work. Unfortunately, you can't replace parts or software in many cases. Now, many of the new machines don't even have a 3.25" floppy drive or they are installed as an option.