RFI: I Finally Have A New Computer! ...now what?

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After what, three years now of offering me a computer for Xmas and then reneging, Dad finally got me one last weekend (a duron something-or-other with 1.1Ghz, 256MB RAM and 40GB HDD, spec-geeks). That's the good news.

It was also bought cheap via an ad in the paper, so has no support & no documentation. The keyboard needs replacing (that's ok, they're cheap) and i suspect the floppy drive is fucked too (hmm, not so cheap). It's big and scary and makes unfamiliar noises and I DON'T KNOW NUFFINK BOUT WINDOWS 98!!!

Like, um, how do tell it my ISP's phone number & login details? Or uninstall software that isn't in the install/uninstall menu, without trashing something i might need [and how do i know...]?

I'm back on my nice, safe, 11-year-old Quadra till someone kindly tells me what to do with this oversized paperweight. Suggestions?

― petra jane (petra jane), Tuesday, 6 January 2004 22:31 (twenty-one years ago)

the first thing to do is install windows 2000 or XP on it instead of 98 because 98 is crap. Then all your other issues will seem minor.

― anthony kyle monday (akmonday), Tuesday, 6 January 2004 22:49 (twenty-one years ago)

He's right, Petra - can you get hold of a free copy anywhere?

― Markelby (Mark C), Tuesday, 6 January 2004 22:55 (twenty-one years ago)

Download porn

― ModJ (ModJ), Tuesday, 6 January 2004 22:59 (twenty-one years ago)

The floppy drive is probably going to be cheap to replace, too; you can generally get a new brand-name drive for about $20 or less (Canadian), about the same price as an okay keyboard.

If the software doesn't appear in the Control Panel/Add and Remove Programs section, see if there's an "uninstall" option in the start menu submenu for the program.

If it's a new computer, yes, just install a new operating system on it and reformat the drive that's currently in there, because it'll clear up any little problems you may have with the remnants of whatever software is in there. But scour the drive for dirt on the previous owner first!!

― Sean Carruthers (SeanC), Tuesday, 6 January 2004 23:48 (twenty-one years ago)

Like, um, how do tell it my ISP's phone number & login details?
This you can generally set up either from the control panel or the start menu in a section called "Dial-Up Networking". It has been a while since I've used 98, but I am pretty sure there's an option to "Add a new connection", and then it will step you through all of the steps you need to set up a dial-up account with your provider.

― Sean Carruthers (SeanC), Tuesday, 6 January 2004 23:50 (twenty-one years ago)

i'd be wary of installing xp or 2000 in that they are less likely to support older hardware. plus they are expensive. i'm still using 98 here on a machine much smaller than yours (433 celeron, 20G disk, 64M) and it's fine, 98% of the time it's waiting for me to type something.

(it's 'my computer, dial up networking, make new connection' btw, sean was pretty spot on apart from the names)

andy

― koogs (koogs), Wednesday, 7 January 2004 20:48 (twenty-one years ago)

(petra, now the linux heads can all jump up and say install linux)

― Ed (dali), Wednesday, 7 January 2004 20:55 (twenty-one years ago)

thanks for the help you lot. i'm online on the new beast now. woohoo.

Linux is likely the next step, Ed. after i get the right lead for my (old mac's) nice exteral modem & check some driver availability things.

technology is fun, when it works.

― petra jane (petra jane), Wednesday, 7 January 2004 23:00 (twenty-one years ago)

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