10 Mar
2000
10 Mar
'00
1:34 p.m.
<Old Pentium class computers make excellent kids computers. But if you're
Whats wrong with an old 386 or 486 box? I have a 386sx/16 running W95
and despite what you might believe it's a decent quick and dirty
printserver to a HP4L. Another 286sx/25 has a ISA based logic probe
and analog card in it. I have two 486DX2/66 one running NT4/SP4 on 4.3gb
and the other running Linux (RH5.2) on 500mb, both are a kick to use and
perform surprizingly well. Both support SVGA 1mb, have networking and
CDrom. Don't put down those older and often free to cheap 386/486 boxen.
When did pentium become the required cpu?
Allison
10 Mar
10 Mar
1:51 p.m.
It's just that most kids don't want to play with a print server! ;)
Seriously, the unfortunate fact of the matter is that the current crop of
educational materials available for kids (which are, IMO, vastly superior
to their predecessors) *do* require a pentium. I think the requirements
for the last Reader Rabbit CD I bought was a P75 with 16 megs of ram.
I was a little shocked at how much these games require, and have been
building/distributing lower pentium-class machines to other kids in the
area for a year or so now. I get the parts cheap/free, and it has the
potential to make a drastic difference in a child's (and the entire
family's) life.
Aaron
On Fri, 10 Mar 2000, Allison J Parent wrote:
<Old Pentium class computers make excellent kids
computers. But if you're
Whats wrong with an old 386 or 486 box? I have a 386sx/16 running W95
and despite what you might believe it's a decent quick and dirty
printserver to a HP4L. Another 286sx/25 has a ISA based logic probe
and analog card in it. I have two 486DX2/66 one running NT4/SP4 on 4.3gb
and the other running Linux (RH5.2) on 500mb, both are a kick to use and
perform surprizingly well. Both support SVGA 1mb, have networking and
CDrom. Don't put down those older and often free to cheap 386/486 boxen.
When did pentium become the required cpu?
Allison
11:06 a.m.
Date: Fri, 10 Mar 2000 16:51:31 -0800 (PST)
From: Aaron Christopher Finney <af-list(a)wfi-inc.com>
To: classiccmp(a)classiccmp.org
Subject: Re: Kids computers
Reply-to: classiccmp(a)classiccmp.org
Seriously, the unfortunate fact of the matter is that
the current crop of
educational materials available for kids (which are, IMO, vastly superior
to their predecessors) *do* require a pentium. I think the requirements
for the last Reader Rabbit CD I bought was a P75 with 16 megs of ram.
Actually, former machine was Am5x86-133 which is hidous than
P5-75 and no cache, too small ram 20MB also. The proper kids machine
is more of P5 100 w/ L2 cache minimum but best is 133 or 166,
40~64MB, 2GB minimum, 6 ed programs do push the capacity of hd.
Older 16 bit sound card, 8X minimum cdrom. I just finished working
on like this.
Correct these current ed. kids programs demands that much in hardware
area that Aaron noted. Last thing for kids is problems; ie too
small HD and slow, and cpu & tiny ram lousy performance, ie: long
pauses than some software's built in does.
Aaron
> Whats wrong with an old 386 or 486 box? I have a 386sx/16 running W95
These chips do fine with matching older software from that time.
DX2 66 w/ 16MB is pushing the limits on 95.
> When did pentium become the required cpu?
Bloat and more fancy graphics in latest software in general.
95/98 generally are more reliable at least 40 to 64MB. I'm running
64MB and that is what 9x needs except for ram hungry software like
graphics work ie: photoshop.
> Allison
PS: Win 2K is expressly designed for slot 1 and A, socketed cpus
above 500MHz and mid to high end HD. Be it IDE or SCSI, either
5400rpm and 7200rpm, 8GB+, 128MB or more, proper video card not ATi,
Trident and half-assed video chipsets.
Wizard
11 Mar
11 Mar
5:32 a.m.
Date sent: Fri, 10 Mar 2000 16:51:31 -0800 (PST)
From: Aaron Christopher Finney <af-list(a)wfi-inc.com>
To: classiccmp(a)classiccmp.org
Subject: Re: Kids computers
Send reply to: classiccmp(a)classiccmp.org
It's just that most kids don't want to play
with a print server! ;)
:)
Seriously, the unfortunate fact of the matter is that
the current crop of
educational materials available for kids (which are, IMO, vastly superior
to their predecessors) *do* require a pentium. I think the requirements
for the last Reader Rabbit CD I bought was a P75 with 16 megs of ram.
So where is the deal ? A 486DX2/66 is already the same class than
a low end Pentium. Private rule of thump:
486/66 (2x33) ~= P40 (Well, ok, there was never a P40 :)
486/100 (3x33) ~= P50
486/100 (2x50) ~= P60
486/133 (4x33) ~= P75
486/160 (4x40) ~= P90
in some situations a late 486 system will even perform better
when comparing real world applications - for example will a
486/120 on a well designed VLB board with an aprobiate VLB VGA
outperform most P100 designs (of the same time) with PCI cards
(when comparing hardware of the same age - of course will a PCI
GeForce boost both systems).
and for the '*do* require a Pentium' part, I doubt thet this
software is checking for a Pentium ID - so if you use a decent
486, you'll get what you payed for (see equivalence chart above).
Also often the amount of memory and your graphics card will have
more influence - 32MB on a 486/133 will outperform any 16 MB P133
(using Windows).
Gruss
H.
--
VCF Europa am 29./30. April 2000 in Muenchen
http://www.vintage.org/vcfe
http://www.homecomputer.de/vcfe
10 Mar
10 Mar
2:59 p.m.
At 07:34 PM 3/10/00 -0500, Allison wrote:
When did pentium become the required cpu?
At about 1995 or so. When my kids were younger an old P90 (Intel Mobo)
sufficed running Win3.1 for all their edutainment needs, but as they got
older and their tastes more refined it became less and less satisfactory.
In about 1995 I picked up a game/utility that was just too much for that
processor given the inefficiencies of Windows. Since I had upgraded my
"multi-session terminal" (aka my Win95 desktop) to a newer processor, my
old one replaced the "lab" computer (which runs all the vendor supplied CAD
tools [its more a piece of test equipment than a PC]) and the lab computer
became the new kids computer.
Interestingly enough (and to bring this message back on topic), my 9 yr old
is now learning about programming on the VAX. Why the VAX? Well I can put a
VT320 in her room and not worry about her surfing the net (when she figures
out how to do that I'll consider her "graduated'!) and there is very little
"clutter" between the computer and her education. (She still plays games on
the PC in the living room though.)
--Chuck
11 Mar
11 Mar
5:32 a.m.
Date sent: Fri, 10 Mar 2000 17:59:41 -0800
To: classiccmp(a)classiccmp.org
From: Chuck McManis <cmcmanis(a)mcmanis.com>
Subject: Re: Kids computers
Send reply to: classiccmp(a)classiccmp.org
At 07:34 PM 3/10/00 -0500, Allison wrote:
When did pentium become the required cpu?
At about 1995 or so. When my kids were younger an old P90 (Intel Mobo)
sufficed running Win3.1 for all their edutainment needs, but as they got
older and their tastes more refined it became less and less satisfactory.
In about 1995 I picked up a game/utility that was just too much for that
processor given the inefficiencies of Windows. [...] my 9 yr old [...]
Well, wait some more years - my 20 year old is still ok with her K5-100.
:)
Gruss
H.
--
VCF Europa am 29./30. April 2000 in Muenchen
http://www.vintage.org/vcfe
http://www.homecomputer.de/vcfe
10 Mar
10 Mar
7:57 p.m.
Hello Allison
On 10-Mar-00, you wrote:
<Old Pentium class computers make excellent kids
computers. But if you're
Whats wrong with an old 386 or 486 box? I have a 386sx/16 running W95
and despite what you might believe it's a decent quick and dirty
printserver to a HP4L. Another 286sx/25 has a ISA based logic probe
and analog card in it. I have two 486DX2/66 one running NT4/SP4 on 4.3gb
and the other running Linux (RH5.2) on 500mb, both are a kick to use and
perform surprizingly well. Both support SVGA 1mb, have networking and
CDrom. Don't put down those older and often free to cheap 386/486 boxen.
When did pentium become the required cpu?
Allison
It happened when Intel and William Gates speaketh and the world followed
obediently.
I soldier on with my 68030 @ 25mHz in a 10 yr old design. Like the VW
Beetle (original one) that was designed in the 30's and was built in the
70's and beyond.
Gary Hildebrand
11:17 p.m.
When did pentium become the required cpu?
Read the side of some current boxes of software. Besides its a sad day when
one of us scroungers can't dig up a pentium 166mmx class machine for $100
or less. I think a nice 17" monitor is pretty essential as well.
Unless its "interesting" I don't bother taking home anything below a
486/66, 68040/25, etc. I strip the parts where I find them and leave the
hulks behind. It isn't because they have so little value, and they do have
little value, its a question of my time and storage space.
9:37 a.m.
New subject: Cute computers (was) Kids computers
Unless its
"interesting" I don't bother taking home anything below a
486/66, 68040/25, etc.
Well, since the ONLY "interesting" computers predate those...
10:46 a.m.
New subject: Cute computers (was) Kids computers
>> Unless its "interesting" I
don't bother taking home anything below a
>> 486/66, 68040/25, etc.
>Well, since the ONLY "interesting" computers predate those...
I kind of like cute computers, really small ones,
items with odd features.
Unisys made a series of computers used in banks that I like, very cute.
A blinken light computer is interesting, not cute, but
valuable, so I would
take that so I could offer it to other list members for 1.2* postage. (in
your dreams)
Now, that's a cute offer...
H.
--
VCF Europa am 29./30. April 2000 in Muenchen
http://www.vintage.org/vcfe
http://www.homecomputer.de/vcfe
8897
days inactive
8898
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10 comments
8 participants
participants (8)
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af-list＠wfi-inc.com -
allisonp＠world.std.com -
cmcmanis＠mcmanis.com -
eric＠brouhaha.com -
ghldbrd＠ccp.com -
Hans.Franke＠mch20.sbs.de -
jpero＠cgocable.net -
mikeford＠socal.rr.com