Old Laptop... Needs Job

[MetalheadGautham]

I have a really old laptop towards which I have nostalgic feelings; it was my first computer ever, and I got it as a kid.

Company: TwinHead

CPU: Intel i486E

RAM: No Idea

HDD: No Idea

Input Slots: One 3.5" Floppy Drive - thats all I can remember

Screen: Really small. I can estimate its around 10"

OS: Some old windows(guess its 95) along with DOS

Made: Somewhere in 1992


now I need a good estimate as to what the remaining configuration may be.

The scroll ball is not functional anymore due to some dust inside the thing.

The screen connection was broken when my mom dropped the laptop from 3 feet hight; I want to know how I can get it fixed.


Now I need to find a good use for this laptop. I am thinking in the angle of a thin client, or a machine running some light weight OS and being used for only surfing the net and email.

Do not suggest me to sell it or throw it away, as I have lots of fond memories associated with it

Please help.

 

[RCuber]

Lot of work here.. main question is if it can handle network connection
first question.. does it have a ethernet port? even if its 10mbits its ok.. the laptop wont have any usb port so I wont ask the question abt usb .

Now to my point.. this system cannot be used as a standalone system .. you have to use it as a hybrid thinclient with a minimal OS to allow you to dial to your desktop computer.
I had previously worked in a network which none of the clients had harddisk , the system used to boot from floppy and then connect to the network server.. those clients were either 286 or 386. but in your case its a laptop and its hard to find spares for it.

if your harddisk is in working condition then you need to load a super simple linux distro.If this is done then you can use either the network or serial link to connect to your desktop PC.

if you can load any Linux OS and enable the network or even serial link then your work is 70% done

 

[Sumeet_naik]

If da display was proper then it could have been used wit geexbox as a multimedia comp..

 

[RCuber]

If da display was proper then it could have been used wit geexbox as a multimedia comp..

have you worked on a 486 computer before? forget playing videos in a 486. Mp3 .. maybe.. not sure..

@Gautham .. please let us know additional hardward details abt your laptop.

 

[Sumeet_naik]

have you worked on a 486 computer before? forget playing videos in a 486. Mp3 .. maybe.. not sure..

@Gautham .. please let us know additional hardward details abt your laptop.

Ya... Started my journey wit pc running only dos.. And i tried geexbox on a old intel pc.. Not sure bout ram or hard disk.. So thought it might be of some help..

 

[MetalheadGautham]

I am unable to find more data since the computer is just lying in its case now.
I think its too dirty and has some fungal infestations.

Whenever I DO dare to open it, I see that its not got any other information on it.

I need to find a place to fix the display. Any idea where ? What about the cost of doing so ?

And how much do you think such computers, minus the screen issue, fetch ? (Just curious. I am NOT selling it)

 

[RCuber]

@gautham: just take the pics of all the port and post it, at least we can see what ports it has.

 

[MetalheadGautham]

bump...