Go Back   Forums > Community Chatterbox > Tech Corner
Memberlist Forum Rules Search Today's Posts Mark Forums Read
Search Forums:
Click here to use Advanced Search

Reply
 
Thread Tools Display Modes
Old 13-01-2006, 09:41 PM   #1
Grinder
Funkpilz Inc.


 
Join Date: Feb 2005
Posts: 476
Default

I'm thinking about getting an early Pentium Laptop for use with DOS.
I always wanted a desktop PC, but it occured to me I don't really have the space for it and a Laptop would be nice. So I was browsing about eBay and I found an IBM ThinkPad 380ED.
As you probably don't know the ThinkPads by their Numbers, here's the specs:
Pentium 166 MHz
32 MB RAM
12.1" screen
1,44MB FDD
CD-ROM drive
Soundblaster 16 compatible Soundcard
It comes with a power cord, and I don't know wether
the battery still works, but I would be using it on the desk, anyway.
The price is 99€. I think I just fell in love with it,
but what do you think?
Grinder is offline                         Send a private message to Grinder
Reply With Quote
Old 13-01-2006, 11:56 PM   #2
Wolf Thug
Super Freak
 
Wolf Thug's Avatar

 
Join Date: Feb 2005
Location: Durban, South Africa
Posts: 162
Default

WELL IVE GOT ONE SIMILER TO THAT BUT 200MHZ ITS GOOD CAUSE YOU AN PLAY GAMES LIKE AGE OF EMPIRES ETC GO FOR IT...
Wolf Thug is offline                         Send a private message to Wolf Thug
Reply With Quote
Old 14-01-2006, 12:00 AM   #3
Gandalf
Newbie

 
Join Date: Jan 2006
Location: ,
Posts: 21
Default

I had an old Pentium III 600 Mhz laptop and I never had much fun using it with pure DOS. The on-board sound chip used to crash with a horrible *creeeeeach-crrzzzl* out of the speakers soon after I started a DOS game with sound. After a while I figured that it was in fact a combined driver/hardware problem. The DOS driver wasn't fully compatible and caused the chip to lock up until reboot. It didn't occur in Windows (Millenium Edition btw LOL), maybe because this driver had a higher priority in development which resulted in better testing. Of course this is a very specific an possibly unique problem, but you never know what you will get.

Also the LCD had some problems adjusting to the old games' screen resolution. Often I got only a tiny view with huge black borders. And if the display managed to adjust it to fullscreen, then the quality of the resized image was awful. (At least nowhere near of today's fullscreen interpolation.) This is surely a more common problem.


Now you know about my laptop's adventures in the lands of DOS. (May it rest in peace...)

Hopefully yours will be more lucky.
Gandalf is offline                         Send a private message to Gandalf
Reply With Quote
Old 14-01-2006, 04:10 AM   #4
Bp103
Game freak
 
Join Date: Dec 2005
Location: Elkton, United States
Posts: 111
Default

I would buy it if I were you
Bp103 is offline                         Send a private message to Bp103
Reply With Quote
Old 14-01-2006, 05:23 PM   #5
Grinder
Funkpilz Inc.


 
Join Date: Feb 2005
Posts: 476
Default

me too. But I'm still thinking. I don't know why not to buy it, but still im hesitant.
Do any of you have experience with pure dos laptops?
Grinder is offline                         Send a private message to Grinder
Reply With Quote
Old 14-01-2006, 06:28 PM   #6
Cockroach
Abandonia nerd

 
Join Date: Dec 2005
Location: ,
Posts: 71
Default

Well...It could always have been dropped or something....So I would be cautious if I couldn't see it running before spending that much.

As for DOS on laptops. I ran mine dual boot DOS/Linux for about 6 months. Had about 150mb of disk space for DOS and some games, and used CDs and a Zip250 to swap things in and out when I wanted something new.
Cockroach is offline                         Send a private message to Cockroach
Reply With Quote
Old 14-01-2006, 07:48 PM   #7
Don Andy
Game Wizzard

 
Join Date: Mar 2005
Location: Shella, Kenya
Posts: 252
Default

Do it.

This PC seems just right for me, if you want to use pure DOS. I'm not really a tech expert, but I would buy that thing.

Also, if you experience serious troubles with DOS at any time, you should always be able to upgrade this thing to Win 3.1 or 95.
Don Andy is offline                         Send a private message to Don Andy
Reply With Quote
Old 14-01-2006, 08:09 PM   #8
Abi79
Home Sweet Abandonia

 
Join Date: May 2005
Location: Oradea, Romania
Posts: 829
Send a message via Yahoo to Abi79
Default

If you want to play DOS only games on it you may buy it, but the price seems too big to me.

(though a Pentium II 266 MHz, 128 MB RAM, 3.92 hard disk and a 2 MB Video Card wouldn't be very expensive -I think- and on it you could also install Windows 98 SE which has MS-DOS and thus be able to do more things on it)
Abi79 is offline                         Send a private message to Abi79
Reply With Quote
Old 14-01-2006, 08:34 PM   #9
Grinder
Funkpilz Inc.


 
Join Date: Feb 2005
Posts: 476
Default

It's never been used. Although you're right about the price.
I'm still looking for alternatives.
Grinder is offline                         Send a private message to Grinder
Reply With Quote
Old 14-01-2006, 09:07 PM   #10
Abi79
Home Sweet Abandonia

 
Join Date: May 2005
Location: Oradea, Romania
Posts: 829
Send a message via Yahoo to Abi79
Default

What's never been used ? (sorry if this is a stupid question, but it's 11PM here and I'm sleepy...)
Abi79 is offline                         Send a private message to Abi79
Reply With Quote
Reply


Similar Threads
Thread Thread Starter Forum Replies Last Post
Advice fo a old laptop Juanca Tech Corner 31 01-04-2009 04:08 PM
Laptop Repairs GTX2GvO Introductions, Farewells and Returns 6 22-03-2009 05:27 PM
New Commodore Laptop zafo999 Blah, blah, blah... 2 03-09-2008 02:26 PM
Which Laptop Is Best? Xikarita Tech Corner 13 27-09-2005 08:24 AM

Thread Tools
Display Modes

Posting Rules
You may not post new threads
You may not post replies
You may not post attachments
You may not edit your posts

BB code is On
Smilies are On
[IMG] code is On
HTML code is Off
Forum Jump
 


The current time is 09:34 AM (GMT)

 
Powered by vBulletin® Version 3.7.1
Copyright ©2000 - 2024, Jelsoft Enterprises Ltd.