Not that anyone really cares, but here's an update on my "newest" PC
hardware acquisitions...

On the Scavenging Front
-----------------------
- I nearly lucked out on a LD 55" 4K UHDTV. It worked for several days
before the backlight died and strange artifacts started appearing on
screen. Probably repairable, if I had the space to open it up, but
also probably not worth the cost and effort. 55" is a bit too large
for my needs anyway, although I wouldn't have minded FINALLY owning a
4K screen.

Well, easy come, easy go. Hopefully The Gods Of The Bin will bless me
with another TV eventually.

- I also nabbed a Logitech gaming keyboard from a friend. It's a
mechanical keyboard with RGP keylights; I mostly wanted it for the
former more than the latter. I haven't owned a mechanical keyboard in
a dog's age, and wanted to see if it really made as much a difference
as proponents claim. And you know what; it does... but not in a
positive way. It's probably because I've been ruined by years of using
rubber-dome boards, but I found the mechanical just too heavy (both in
construction and in force needed to depress the keys) for long-term
use. It's also pretty garish and bulky. I'll keep the keyboard, of
course, but it's not gonna be my main driver.

On the Beige Windows95 PC
-------------------------
I've decided to swap hardware again. The hardware configuration was
feeling just too modern for a Win3/Win95 machine. Unfortunately, I
couldn't do anything about the CPU but the rest of the PC has since
been downgraded: I've replaced the 3DFX Voodoo3 video card with a
Matrox Mystique and Voodoo 1 card; I pulled the SoundBlaster AWE 64,
and switched the 120GB for an 80GB hard-drive. I kept the Gravis
Ultrasound, though. After all, the GUS is really the whole point of
the build.

The only problem is the 3DFX card (a Canopus Pure 3D 6MB) requires a
very specific VGA pass-through cable, so - until I acquire that - I
need to switch the VGA input every time I jump from 2D to 3D mode. ;-)

On the Windows98 PC
-------------------
After this build's ABit KT7A-RAID motherboard died, I was planning to
replace it with an ASUS motherboard. But there were two problems with
that plan. First (and most minor), I was going to have to buy a new
power-supply to get the thing running, and that felt like an
unnecessary expense. Secondly, the end-result - a machine with a 3000+
Athlon XP, 512MB DDR2 RAM, and a GeForce 4 video card - seemed far too
powerful for my intended Windows98 build. It was all XP-era hardware.
I wanted something more contemporary to the OS' release.

But by freeing up the Voodoo3, I decided I'd just revert to the
original Pentium II-400 MHz build I had started with four months ago.
I was actually quite happy with that setup, and the only reason I had
changed it was because I needed a video-card for the Windows95
machine. But now that I've settled on the Matrox/3DFX combo, the
Voodoo3 can go back to where it belongs.

Of course, now I'll have TWO PCs running the same CPU, but you know
what? I'm fine with that. Optimally, the DOS/Windows95 PC would be
running something a bit slower, but it really doesn't matter in the
long run.

Spalls Hurgenson <spallshurgenson@gmail.com> wrote:
....
> On the Scavenging Front
> -----------------------
> - I nearly lucked out on a LD 55" 4K UHDTV. It worked for several days
> before the backlight died and strange artifacts started appearing on
> screen. Probably repairable, if I had the space to open it up, but
> also probably not worth the cost and effort. 55" is a bit too large
> for my needs anyway, although I wouldn't have minded FINALLY owning a
> 4K screen.

Wow. I still don't have a 4K display. I finally went to HD 1080 in the late
2014. Yeah, I am slow and don't care. :)
--
"Six days do your work, but on the seventh day do not work, so that your ox and your donkey may rest and the slave born in your household, and the alien as well, may be refreshed." --Exodus 23:12. 3 dentist appts. 4 Colony. 2morrow is MS updates day!
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/\___/\ Ant(Dude) @ http://aqfl.net & http://antfarm.home.dhs.org.
/ /\ /\ \ Please nuke ANT if replying by e-mail.
| |o o| |
\ _ /
( )

On Monday, August 7, 2023 at 3:29:06 PM UTC-7, Ant wrote:
> Spalls Hurgenson <spallsh...@gmail.com> wrote:
> ...
> > On the Scavenging Front
> > -----------------------
> > - I nearly lucked out on a LD 55" 4K UHDTV. It worked for several days
> > before the backlight died and strange artifacts started appearing on
> > screen. Probably repairable, if I had the space to open it up, but
> > also probably not worth the cost and effort. 55" is a bit too large
> > for my needs anyway, although I wouldn't have minded FINALLY owning a
> > 4K screen.
> Wow. I still don't have a 4K display. I finally went to HD 1080 in the late
> 2014. Yeah, I am slow and don't care. :)

Guess I'm lagging a lot then as I went to 1080p in 2019 on a 27" and still
think the monitor is too big, but at least 1080p works with the size.

Next one's probably going to be a 24", but who knows how long that'll be.

- Justisaur

On Mon, 7 Aug 2023 19:03:12 -0700 (PDT), Justisaur
<justisaur@gmail.com> wrote:

>On Monday, August 7, 2023 at 3:29:06?PM UTC-7, Ant wrote:
>> Spalls Hurgenson <spallsh...@gmail.com> wrote:
>> ...
>> > On the Scavenging Front
>> > -----------------------
>> > - I nearly lucked out on a LD 55" 4K UHDTV. It worked for several days
>> > before the backlight died and strange artifacts started appearing on
>> > screen. Probably repairable, if I had the space to open it up, but
>> > also probably not worth the cost and effort. 55" is a bit too large
>> > for my needs anyway, although I wouldn't have minded FINALLY owning a
>> > 4K screen.
>> Wow. I still don't have a 4K display. I finally went to HD 1080 in the late
>> 2014. Yeah, I am slow and don't care. :)

>Guess I'm lagging a lot then as I went to 1080p in 2019 on a 27" and still
>think the monitor is too big, but at least 1080p works with the size.

>Next one's probably going to be a 24", but who knows how long that'll be.

I don't have a 4K screen either.
Like I said, the TV died so it went to ewaste.

I like having a big screen but, honestly, the lack of 4K doesn't
bother me. If I squint, I can see the difference between 2K and 4K...
but the benefits are almost invisible when things are moving quickly
(like, say, while watching a movie or playing a video game). Aging
eyes have some benefit, I guess.

Plus, being limited to HD does wonders for the framerate. ;-)

I'm not really in a rush to upgrade to 4K... but, you know, if one
happens to fall in my lap neither am I going to refuse it.

But it hasn't happened yet. At least, not with a WORKING 4K screen.
;-P

Spalls Hurgenson <spallshurgenson@gmail.com> wrote:
> On Mon, 7 Aug 2023 19:03:12 -0700 (PDT), Justisaur
> <justisaur@gmail.com> wrote:

> >On Monday, August 7, 2023 at 3:29:06?PM UTC-7, Ant wrote:
> >> Spalls Hurgenson <spallsh...@gmail.com> wrote:
> >> ...
> >> > On the Scavenging Front
> >> > -----------------------
> >> > - I nearly lucked out on a LD 55" 4K UHDTV. It worked for several days
> >> > before the backlight died and strange artifacts started appearing on
> >> > screen. Probably repairable, if I had the space to open it up, but
> >> > also probably not worth the cost and effort. 55" is a bit too large
> >> > for my needs anyway, although I wouldn't have minded FINALLY owning a
> >> > 4K screen.
> >> Wow. I still don't have a 4K display. I finally went to HD 1080 in the late
> >> 2014. Yeah, I am slow and don't care. :)

> >Guess I'm lagging a lot then as I went to 1080p in 2019 on a 27" and still
> >think the monitor is too big, but at least 1080p works with the size.

> >Next one's probably going to be a 24", but who knows how long that'll be.

> I don't have a 4K screen either.
> Like I said, the TV died so it went to ewaste.

> I like having a big screen but, honestly, the lack of 4K doesn't
> bother me. If I squint, I can see the difference between 2K and 4K...
> but the benefits are almost invisible when things are moving quickly
> (like, say, while watching a movie or playing a video game). Aging
> eyes have some benefit, I guess.

> Plus, being limited to HD does wonders for the framerate. ;-)

> I'm not really in a rush to upgrade to 4K... but, you know, if one
> happens to fall in my lap neither am I going to refuse it.

> But it hasn't happened yet. At least, not with a WORKING 4K screen.
> ;-P

Ditto. I don't care for the newest stuff anymore. I just want stuff to work, stable, cheap, etc.
--
"Do not work for food that spoils, but for food that endures to eternal life, which the Son of Man will give you. On him God the Father has placed his seal of approval." --John 6:27. Slammy Tues. after a somewhat slammy Mon. with 3 dentist appts. 4 da colony. More 2morrow?
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/\___/\ Ant(Dude) @ http://aqfl.net & http://antfarm.home.dhs.org.
/ /\ /\ \ Please nuke ANT if replying by e-mail.
| |o o| |
\ _ /
( )

On 08/08/2023 03:03, Justisaur wrote:
> On Monday, August 7, 2023 at 3:29:06 PM UTC-7, Ant wrote:
>> Spalls Hurgenson <spallsh...@gmail.com> wrote:
>> ...
>>> On the Scavenging Front
>>> -----------------------
>>> - I nearly lucked out on a LD 55" 4K UHDTV. It worked for several days
>>> before the backlight died and strange artifacts started appearing on
>>> screen. Probably repairable, if I had the space to open it up, but
>>> also probably not worth the cost and effort. 55" is a bit too large
>>> for my needs anyway, although I wouldn't have minded FINALLY owning a
>>> 4K screen.
>> Wow. I still don't have a 4K display. I finally went to HD 1080 in the late
>> 2014. Yeah, I am slow and don't care. :)
>
> Guess I'm lagging a lot then as I went to 1080p in 2019 on a 27" and still
> think the monitor is too big, but at least 1080p works with the size.
>
> Next one's probably going to be a 24", but who knows how long that'll be.
>

I got a new monitor about six years ago and I did think about going for
27" but because of the cost went for 24" instead especially as I think
once the novelty had worn off it would make no practical difference.

On 8/10/2023 1:41 AM, JAB wrote:
> On 08/08/2023 03:03, Justisaur wrote:
>> On Monday, August 7, 2023 at 3:29:06 PM UTC-7, Ant wrote:
>>> Spalls Hurgenson <spallsh...@gmail.com> wrote:
>>> ...
>>>> On the Scavenging Front
>>>> -----------------------
>>>> - I nearly lucked out on a LD 55" 4K UHDTV. It worked for several days
>>>> before the backlight died and strange artifacts started appearing on
>>>> screen. Probably repairable, if I had the space to open it up, but
>>>> also probably not worth the cost and effort. 55" is a bit too large
>>>> for my needs anyway, although I wouldn't have minded FINALLY owning a
>>>> 4K screen.
>>> Wow. I still don't have a 4K display. I finally went to HD 1080 in
>>> the late
>>> 2014. Yeah, I am slow and don't care. :)
>>
>> Guess I'm lagging a lot then as I went to 1080p in 2019 on a 27" and
>> still
>> think the monitor is too big, but at least 1080p works with the size.
>>
>> Next one's probably going to be a 24", but who knows how long that'll be.
>>
>
> I got a new monitor about six years ago and I did think about going for
> 27" but because of the cost went for 24" instead especially as I think
> once the novelty had worn off it would make no practical difference.
>
I use a pair of 27" monitors. I frequently will have several different
programs running on my personal computer that I want to be able to
monitor. I also have a couple of A/B switches so I can use them for my
work supplied laptop where I will have a minimum of five different
windows open at a time. I need the extra screen real estate.

--
I've done good in this world. Now I'm tired and just want to be a cranky
dirty old man.

On Thu, 10 Aug 2023 08:35:01 -0700, Dimensional Traveler
<dtravel@sonic.net> wrote:

>On 8/10/2023 1:41 AM, JAB wrote:
>> On 08/08/2023 03:03, Justisaur wrote:
>>> On Monday, August 7, 2023 at 3:29:06?PM UTC-7, Ant wrote:
>>>> Spalls Hurgenson <spallsh...@gmail.com> wrote:
>>>> ...
>>>>> On the Scavenging Front
>>>>> -----------------------
>>>>> - I nearly lucked out on a LD 55" 4K UHDTV. It worked for several days
>>>>> before the backlight died and strange artifacts started appearing on
>>>>> screen. Probably repairable, if I had the space to open it up, but
>>>>> also probably not worth the cost and effort. 55" is a bit too large
>>>>> for my needs anyway, although I wouldn't have minded FINALLY owning a
>>>>> 4K screen.
>>>> Wow. I still don't have a 4K display. I finally went to HD 1080 in
>>>> the late
>>>> 2014. Yeah, I am slow and don't care. :)
>>>
>>> Guess I'm lagging a lot then as I went to 1080p in 2019 on a 27" and
>>> still
>>> think the monitor is too big, but at least 1080p works with the size.

>>> Next one's probably going to be a 24", but who knows how long that'll be.

>> I got a new monitor about six years ago and I did think about going for
>> 27" but because of the cost went for 24" instead especially as I think
>> once the novelty had worn off it would make no practical difference.

>I use a pair of 27" monitors. I frequently will have several different
>programs running on my personal computer that I want to be able to
>monitor. I also have a couple of A/B switches so I can use them for my
>work supplied laptop where I will have a minimum of five different
>windows open at a time. I need the extra screen real estate.

Preach on!

Once you start using multiple monitors, it's REALLY hard to go back to
a single monitor. It seems unnecessary at first - why waste all that
desk space / money / electricity when you can just minimize the other
windows*? - but once you get that second monitor, you won't want to
give it up.

I've gotten so many people hooked on dual monitor set-ups that
flat-screen manufacturers ought to be sending me kickbacks...

But be careful; once you have two, it becomes easier to justify
three... or four. And the good thing is, they don't HAVE to be
identical monitors. Sure, that's optimal but you can pick up a new
monitor and keep the old one. Or two. Or three.

But when you consider buying an extra video-card just so you can
support more than four monitors, then it may be time to seek
professional help. ;-)

Not that I'm speaking from experience, of course.

On 8/10/2023 10:19 AM, Spalls Hurgenson wrote:
> On Thu, 10 Aug 2023 08:35:01 -0700, Dimensional Traveler
> <dtravel@sonic.net> wrote:
>
>> On 8/10/2023 1:41 AM, JAB wrote:
>>> On 08/08/2023 03:03, Justisaur wrote:
>>>> On Monday, August 7, 2023 at 3:29:06?PM UTC-7, Ant wrote:
>>>>> Spalls Hurgenson <spallsh...@gmail.com> wrote:
>>>>> ...
>>>>>> On the Scavenging Front
>>>>>> -----------------------
>>>>>> - I nearly lucked out on a LD 55" 4K UHDTV. It worked for several days
>>>>>> before the backlight died and strange artifacts started appearing on
>>>>>> screen. Probably repairable, if I had the space to open it up, but
>>>>>> also probably not worth the cost and effort. 55" is a bit too large
>>>>>> for my needs anyway, although I wouldn't have minded FINALLY owning a
>>>>>> 4K screen.
>>>>> Wow. I still don't have a 4K display. I finally went to HD 1080 in
>>>>> the late
>>>>> 2014. Yeah, I am slow and don't care. :)
>>>>
>>>> Guess I'm lagging a lot then as I went to 1080p in 2019 on a 27" and
>>>> still
>>>> think the monitor is too big, but at least 1080p works with the size.
>
>>>> Next one's probably going to be a 24", but who knows how long that'll be.
>
>>> I got a new monitor about six years ago and I did think about going for
>>> 27" but because of the cost went for 24" instead especially as I think
>>> once the novelty had worn off it would make no practical difference.
>
>> I use a pair of 27" monitors. I frequently will have several different
>> programs running on my personal computer that I want to be able to
>> monitor. I also have a couple of A/B switches so I can use them for my
>> work supplied laptop where I will have a minimum of five different
>> windows open at a time. I need the extra screen real estate.
>
> Preach on!
>
> Once you start using multiple monitors, it's REALLY hard to go back to
> a single monitor. It seems unnecessary at first - why waste all that
> desk space / money / electricity when you can just minimize the other
> windows*? - but once you get that second monitor, you won't want to
> give it up.
>
> I've gotten so many people hooked on dual monitor set-ups that
> flat-screen manufacturers ought to be sending me kickbacks...
>
> But be careful; once you have two, it becomes easier to justify
> three... or four. And the good thing is, they don't HAVE to be
> identical monitors. Sure, that's optimal but you can pick up a new
> monitor and keep the old one. Or two. Or three.
>
> But when you consider buying an extra video-card just so you can
> support more than four monitors, then it may be time to seek
> professional help. ;-)
>
I have a big desk but not THAT big.

>
> Not that I'm speaking from experience, of course.
>
No, of course not. ;)

--
I've done good in this world. Now I'm tired and just want to be a cranky
dirty old man.

On Thursday, August 10, 2023 at 10:20:03 AM UTC-7, Spalls Hurgenson wrote:
> On Thu, 10 Aug 2023 08:35:01 -0700, Dimensional Traveler
> <dtr...@sonic.net> wrote:
>
> >On 8/10/2023 1:41 AM, JAB wrote:
> >> On 08/08/2023 03:03, Justisaur wrote:
> >>> On Monday, August 7, 2023 at 3:29:06?PM UTC-7, Ant wrote:
> >>>> Spalls Hurgenson <spallsh...@gmail.com> wrote:
> >>>> ...
> >>>>> On the Scavenging Front
> >>>>> -----------------------
> >>>>> - I nearly lucked out on a LD 55" 4K UHDTV. It worked for several days
> >>>>> before the backlight died and strange artifacts started appearing on
> >>>>> screen. Probably repairable, if I had the space to open it up, but
> >>>>> also probably not worth the cost and effort. 55" is a bit too large
> >>>>> for my needs anyway, although I wouldn't have minded FINALLY owning a
> >>>>> 4K screen.
> >>>> Wow. I still don't have a 4K display. I finally went to HD 1080 in
> >>>> the late
> >>>> 2014. Yeah, I am slow and don't care. :)
> >>>
> >>> Guess I'm lagging a lot then as I went to 1080p in 2019 on a 27" and
> >>> still
> >>> think the monitor is too big, but at least 1080p works with the size.
>
> >>> Next one's probably going to be a 24", but who knows how long that'll be.
>
> >> I got a new monitor about six years ago and I did think about going for
> >> 27" but because of the cost went for 24" instead especially as I think
> >> once the novelty had worn off it would make no practical difference.
>
> >I use a pair of 27" monitors. I frequently will have several different
> >programs running on my personal computer that I want to be able to
> >monitor. I also have a couple of A/B switches so I can use them for my
> >work supplied laptop where I will have a minimum of five different
> >windows open at a time. I need the extra screen real estate.
> Preach on!
>
> Once you start using multiple monitors, it's REALLY hard to go back to
> a single monitor. It seems unnecessary at first - why waste all that
> desk space / money / electricity when you can just minimize the other
> windows*? - but once you get that second monitor, you won't want to
> give it up.

I used to have dual monitors, but with the 27" it's just too big and I'd have
to have it off center (more than it already is.) I might be able to fit one
of the 19" in portrait mode off to the side, but space is already at a
premium and I too have a couple laptops I have to do work on. An A/B
switch would interfere with having all 3 open.

Would that I could afford a bigger house with more room for a bigger
desk.

- Justisaur

On 10/08/2023 16:35, Dimensional Traveler wrote:
> On 8/10/2023 1:41 AM, JAB wrote:
>> I got a new monitor about six years ago and I did think about going
>> for 27" but because of the cost went for 24" instead especially as I
>> think once the novelty had worn off it would make no practical
>> difference.
>>
> I use a pair of 27" monitors.  I frequently will have several different
> programs running on my personal computer that I want to be able to
> monitor.  I also have a couple of A/B switches so I can use them for my
> work supplied laptop where I will have a minimum of five different
> windows open at a time.  I need the extra screen real estate.
>

My PC is purely for bog standard home use so although there's the odd
time it be nice to have two screens it's fairly rare and I really
couldn't justify the cost for what would basically be a convenience. I
do occasional use the iPad if I'm stuck on a game and I want to see how
I progress but that's about it really.

These days it seems like I'm spending more time tinkering with old
hardware than I am using my new computers ;-)

New acquisitions
--------------------------
Yet another keyboard unnecessarily added to the pile. It's a
"Thermaltake Challenge Prime" gaming keyboard; a cheap membrane board,
it has the usual RGB, oh-so-cool design aesthetic and lots of extra
programmable keys I know I'd never use! But this 'board might not be
with me long; I'm not sure it's in good working condition. Sometimes I
press a key and get an unexpected results; maybe there's a dodgy chip
or I need to check the USB cable. Or it could be the programmable
stuff; I have to install the software first and see if I can reset it
to factory condition before I give up on it. Either way, a fun little
project once I eventually get around to it.

The Retro PCs
--------------------------
My "Windows98 PC" (aka, "Project98") is finally all back together.
After the previous motherboard started acting up, I had to replace it
(and the hard-drive, while I was at it). I've been fiddling around
with it on-and-off for the past few weeks. It would have gone faster
except copying 120GB of data (mostly games!) takes a while. But it is
now the 'dream machine' I originally envisioned; in fact, it's now
actually /better/ than it was back when I first built it in March. I
finally hammered out all the hardware and driver issues that had been
initially plaguing me.

Having learned my lesson, I put all the necessary drivers and
applications onto a CD-ROM so, should I ever have to re-re-install
everything, the procedure will go a bit more smoothly. No more
bootstrapping from floppy-disks! I even created a special wallpaper
for the thing! This will now be my go-to PC for whenever I get a
hankering to play late-90s era PC games.

I'm less sanguine about my "BeigePC" running Windows95. It's okay, but
it doesn't make me quite as happy as the Windows98 computer. It really
only exists because a) it's beige, and b) it supports my Gravis
Ultrasound card. But the limitations of DOS/Win95 are grating, and
there are a number of hardware issues I still need to work out. Plus,
while the beigeness of the PC is the whole point, visually it isn't
very exciting. Unlike the Win98 PC, I expect I'll only resort to using
the BeigePC when I need to run an app or game that is so finicky that
even Windows98 is too modern for it (or whenever I get the hankering
for genuine GUS MIDI tunes ;-)

Also, I finally gave the Abit KT7a-RAID motherboard (the one that
failed me in the Win98 PC prior to its rebuild) a look-over. It's hard
to see, but I think there may be some cracked solder around the ATA
connectors. Since I was suspecting the IO chip, this is good news;
re-flowing the solder (or just replacing the connector entirely) is a
lot easier than trying to pinpoint - much less source a replacement
for - a faulty chip. But the work is a bit too finicky for me; I'm a
poor solderer to start with, and those pins are /really/ tiny. A
colleague has offered to take a look at the board though, so
eventually the Athlon-900 may roar back to life.

Of course, having finished these two projects (minus a few tweaks) I'm
somewhat at a loss as what to do next. Perhaps I'll revitalize my
previous PC (the one I was using as my main until just a few months
ago). It probably could use a good clean-out (its thermal paste is
probably a decade old!) and OS refresh...

Alternately, the Bin-gods may present me with some other
distraction...

A Reverse Acquisition
---------------------

One of the problems of salvaging old PCs is that you end up with more
computers than you have space to store them. Well, today I cleverly
discovered a solution to the problem: break the PC so it doesn't work
anymore and you have to send it to e-waste!

So say goodbye to my Intel Core2 Duo 3GHz, which was my 'main' PC
circa 2006. This PC accompanied me through my adventures in Elder
Scrolls Oblivion, Gears of War, Rainbow Six: Vegas, and many more
games. For years after, it served as my 'emergency' back-up PC,
dutifully standing by should its replacement go down. But as year
after year passed (and I kept getting replacements to its
replacements) it mostly just collected dust. As the stack of new PCs
kept growing, I grudgingly started to consider that maybe - just
maybe! - I might have to part with my old friend.

And while I hadn't yet made that pivotal decision, such thinking did
lead me to give the PC a thorough cleaning. Like I said, even unused
it had gathered quite a lot of dust. So ever-so carefully, I
dismantled the PC, piece by PC, delicately cleaning every component.

Oh! Had I just been happy with the dust! For on cleaning the PC, I
made a momentous - if disastrous - discovery: LGA sockets are very
much like Velcro, and would very much like to permanently mate with
micro-fiber cloth. Not that I was attempting to make such a discovery,
but a careless toss of the offending rag landed it directly onto the
CPU socket and - once joined - it proved near impossible to separate
the two.

TL;DR: The motherboard is ruined.

In my defense, in my long career of breaking things, this is only the
SECOND motherboard I've destroyed.

Anyway, with great sadness in my heart, I weepingly dismantled the PC,
keeping some components, disposing of others. Long-story short, I
didn't really save all that much space. ;-)

I do wish, though, that all this had all happened six or more months
ago, when I was actively searching for a chassis and power-supply to
finish my Win98 build. It would have simplified things greatly.

Oh well. Now I have an empty spot in the closet. Say, I wonder if the
Bin Gods have anything for me...

Am 27.08.23 um 23:43 schrieb Spalls Hurgenson:
> One of the problems of salvaging old PCs is that you end up with more
> computers than you have space to store them. Well, today I cleverly
> discovered a solution to the problem: break the PC so it doesn't work
> anymore and you have to send it to e-waste!
exactly and thats for instance the reason why I have settled on a MistER
fpga for my retro computing needs.
I still have way too much hardware accumulated over the years, which I
have a hard time to get rid of, but I guess I have to do a collective
"get rid off everything unused" soon!
My wife will thank me for it!

On Mon, 28 Aug 2023 11:08:35 +0200, "Werner P." <werpu@gmx.at> wrote:

>Am 27.08.23 um 23:43 schrieb Spalls Hurgenson:
>> One of the problems of salvaging old PCs is that you end up with more
>> computers than you have space to store them. Well, today I cleverly
>> discovered a solution to the problem: break the PC so it doesn't work
>> anymore and you have to send it to e-waste!

>exactly and thats for instance the reason why I have settled on a MistER
>fpga for my retro computing needs.

>I still have way too much hardware accumulated over the years, which I
>have a hard time to get rid of, but I guess I have to do a collective
>"get rid off everything unused" soon!

When it comes to old games, I /mostly/ rely on emulation. 99% of my
DOS gaming is through DOSBox. I long ago ripped my PS1/2 CDs and are
played via an emulator. The selection of Apple II games I still own
are only revisited through an emulator.

But when it comes to Win9x games, emulation isn't /quite/ there yet.
It's good but there are still some games (I'm looking at you,
Hyperblade!) that - either because of emulation or performance issues
- play better on real hardware. DemoScene stuff has a lot harder time
on emulators too.

Plus, there's something fun about the old stuff. Just the sound of it
is appealing: the roar of the fans, the ticking of the HDDs, the
wonk-wonk of the floppy-seek at boot-up. My "BeigeBox" DOS-Win95 PC
exists solely because I wanted to hear a real-not-emulated Gravis
Ultrasound again.

But I probably could survive without that old Dell Windows10 desktop
or that moldering Gateway PC. If I really had to.

I don't gotta, though. Not yet, anyway.

On 28/08/2023 10:08, Werner P. wrote:
> Am 27.08.23 um 23:43 schrieb Spalls Hurgenson:
>> One of the problems of salvaging old PCs is that you end up with more
>> computers than you have space to store them. Well, today I cleverly
>> discovered a solution to the problem: break the PC so it doesn't work
>> anymore and you have to send it to e-waste!
> exactly and thats for instance the reason why I have settled on a MistER
> fpga for my retro computing needs.
> I still have way too much hardware accumulated over the years, which I
> have a hard time to get rid of, but I guess I have to do a collective
> "get rid off everything unused" soon!
> My wife will thank me for it!
>

Not heard of MistER FPGA before but the price is a bit steep for me so I
think I'll stick to MAME etc. for my needs.

Am 29.08.23 um 10:12 schrieb JAB:
> On 28/08/2023 10:08, Werner P. wrote:
>> Am 27.08.23 um 23:43 schrieb Spalls Hurgenson:
>>> One of the problems of salvaging old PCs is that you end up with more
>>> computers than you have space to store them. Well, today I cleverly
>>> discovered a solution to the problem: break the PC so it doesn't work
>>> anymore and you have to send it to e-waste!
>> exactly and thats for instance the reason why I have settled on a
>> MistER fpga for my retro computing needs.
>> I still have way too much hardware accumulated over the years, which I
>> have a hard time to get rid of, but I guess I have to do a collective
>> "get rid off everything unused" soon!
>> My wife will thank me for it!
>>
>
> Not heard of MistER FPGA before but the price is a bit steep for me so I
> think I'll stick to MAME etc. for my needs.
Yes it indeed is not cheap!

On 29/08/2023 12:12, Werner P. wrote:
> Am 29.08.23 um 10:12 schrieb JAB:
>> On 28/08/2023 10:08, Werner P. wrote:
>>> Am 27.08.23 um 23:43 schrieb Spalls Hurgenson:
>>>> One of the problems of salvaging old PCs is that you end up with more
>>>> computers than you have space to store them. Well, today I cleverly
>>>> discovered a solution to the problem: break the PC so it doesn't work
>>>> anymore and you have to send it to e-waste!
>>> exactly and thats for instance the reason why I have settled on a
>>> MistER fpga for my retro computing needs.
>>> I still have way too much hardware accumulated over the years, which
>>> I have a hard time to get rid of, but I guess I have to do a
>>> collective "get rid off everything unused" soon!
>>> My wife will thank me for it!
>>>
>>
>> Not heard of MistER FPGA before but the price is a bit steep for me so
>> I think I'll stick to MAME etc. for my needs.
> Yes it indeed is not cheap!
>

It has meant I've fired up Fuse, a Speccy emulator, and played Adventure
A: Planet of Doom. That was one of the first games I ever played.