Old PCs are contenders

Most of the trouble Mac users have with Web browsing -- if they're not using OS X -- doesn't bother PC users at all. You see, since Microsoft abandoned the Mac platform entirely, and since both Safari and Firefox will NOT run on Mac OS 9 or earlier, using the Web on an older Mac is a major crapshoot.

Not so for Windows PCs, where Internet Explorer 6 (surprisingly good) and Firefox 2 will both run on Windows 2000 and 98. Minimum specs for Firefox are Windows 98 with 64 MB RAM and a 233 MHz processor, with "recommended" specs being Windows XP, 500 MHz processor and 256 MB RAM.

I'm not sure which Firefox version I have on This Old PC, but I'm right on the edge -- in between the minimum and recommended specs with a 333 MHz processor, 262 MB RAM (although I've two 128 MB SIMMs and one 64 MB SIMM on the mother board -- that's all it will address) and Windows 2000.

Firefox 1.5.0.8 is still available for the rest of us and will be "maintained with security and stability updates until April 24, 2007."

Internet Explorer 6, the minimum system requirements are: 486/66 MHz processor (Pentium recommended), Windows 98 or 98se, Me, NT 4.0 with SP6a and higher, 2000 and XP. Memory: 16 MB for 98 and 98se (oy!), 32 MB for ME and 2000 and XP. Trust me, you want more power than this, but it will work.

So between these two browsers, especially IE 6 -- which I predict has a few years of MS support left in it -- there's a lot of hope for your older PC in terms of general Internet browsing.

Don't cheap out on the Wi-Fi

I recently installed an Orinoco Silver PCMCIA wireless card in my Powerbook 1400 (it'd work in a PC laptop, too, but I'd only recommend it if your slot wasn't Cardbus-compatible, otherwise you can get cheaper, better 802.11g cards -- this one is strictly 802.11b).

In side-by-side comparisons to This Old PC's Wi-Fi, using the AirLink 101 internal card from Fry's, the Mac and the Orinoco connected much more easily -- and stayed connected longer -- to far-away routers. I can't help but thinking that a name-brand Wi-Fi card and software (Netgear, Linksys, D-Link) would do a better job for This Old PC. If you'll recall -- and as this blog began -- I had to upgrade from Windows 98 to 2000 just to get the thing to work. I'm glad I did the upgrade, because the whole box works a lot better (although the password situation annoys me -- it keeps asking me to change passwords, and I'd rather it stopped). And if the router was in the same room, the Fry's card (cost me about $10) would be fine, but I'd feel a whole lot better with improved hardware and software.

Anyhow, this is just my from-experience suggestion that you avoid off-brand routers and Wi-Fi cards. I'm pretty happy with my free Netgear router -- I wish I had a newer one, but this piece of equipment is pretty rock-solid.

This OId PC vs. This Old Mac

I can debate the merits ot This Old PC vs. This Old Mac, the computers themselves, all day -- and I will, but when it comes to the blogs, the posting goes in stages, depending on which machine I'm working on at that particular time. But the number of posts is roughly the same, about 25 to 30 for each, and at this point, This Old PC is in the lead in terms of visitors, with 420 uniques to This Old Mac's 341.

I don't think that either of these blogs has a daily following, and it's mostly through searches that people find their way here. Nothing wrong with that. If you do manage to drop in due to a Google or other search, there's lots here to read/comiserate with/learn from.

If you've benefited in any way from these blogs, I am grateful. And if you've decided to rehabilitate an old PC or Mac, I hope you're having more fun than frustration (c'mon -- even the frustration is fun, admit it.)