NationStates Jolt Archive

Ok, I have a question for everyone who would care to answer.
I recently came into possession of a fairly recent, and fully functional computer, and I'm wondering what to do with it. I have a cable connection, so using it as a server for something is not out of the question.
However, it has only a five gigabyte hard drive, and I don't want to spend any money, (or at least, less than one hundred dollars). Note, software is not an issue.

Ergo, a challenge. Given:
Celeron 850 Mhz
256 MB RAM
5 GB HDD
Cable Internet
DVD drive
$100 USD

Do something cool with it all. Thanks in advance :D

Why not set fire to it? It might be fun, if you've never burned down a computer before.

Ok, I have a question for everyone who would care to answer.
I recently came into possession of a fairly recent, and fully functional computer, and I'm wondering what to do with it. I have a cable connection, so using it as a server for something is not out of the question.
However, it has only a five gigabyte hard drive, and I don't want to spend any money, (or at least, less than one hundred dollars). Note, software is not an issue.

Ergo, a challenge. Given:
Celeron 850 Mhz
256 MB RAM
5 GB HDD
Cable Internet
DVD drive
$100 USD

Do something cool with it all. Thanks in advance :D


Get a new Hard drive

http://www.newegg.com/app/ViewProductDesc.asp?description=22-148-015&depa=0

80 gb for 62 bucks ( I would get more ram but hard to get that and the hard drive which you need more for under 100)

Then I would server it

should technicaly be able to run server 2003 on it ... or maybe try your hand at a *nix box

I would recomend BSD personaly

I once heard of a website where you can connect your computer and let SETI use it to help search for intelligent life on other planets. Dedicate your new computer to that.

I once heard of a website where you can connect your computer and let SETI use it to help search for intelligent life on other planets. Dedicate your new computer to that.
http://setiathome.ssl.berkeley.edu/

yup

Ergo, a challenge. Given:
Celeron 850 Mhz
256 MB RAM
5 GB HDD
Cable Internet
DVD drive
$100 USD

A computer of that speed is usless in today's world. It is too slow to be any type of server.

Ok, I have a question for everyone who would care to answer.
I recently came into possession of a fairly recent, and fully functional computer, and I'm wondering what to do with it. I have a cable connection, so using it as a server for something is not out of the question.
However, it has only a five gigabyte hard drive, and I don't want to spend any money, (or at least, less than one hundred dollars). Note, software is not an issue.

Ergo, a challenge. Given:
Celeron 850 Mhz
256 MB RAM
5 GB HDD
Cable Internet
DVD drive
$100 USD

Do something cool with it all. Thanks in advance :D
Trade it in for alienware. That would be cool

*goes back to worshipping 3.4GHz 2Gb DDR-RAM 160GB hard-drive ATI Radeon 9700 graphics card.....all in a laptop*

You can get a CD burner and leave it on all day connected to your favorite file sharing service and download stuff to burn later.

I always take my old machines out to a remote field and shoot them full of holes. Very satisfying.

I always take my old machines out to a remote field and shoot them full of holes. Very satisfying.
Hmm...there was something about you that made me think you'd do something like that...

...wait, let me think....

...hold on....

..got it! The 'Gaming Master' bit gave you away! :D


Alienware is the expensive way forward

I always take my old machines out to a remote field and shoot them full of holes. Very satisfying.
Why not just blow them up? Explosives are fun!

I'm sure there is an organization in your area that operates on a low low budget that could use a slightly out of date computer.


But that's just the dirty hippie in me talking.

Nice Third Man quote in your sig, Tribes....

Start working on a Beowulf cluster.

1. Donate it.
2. Install Linux on it and make it an FTP or HTTP server. Make your own site with loads of stuff.
3. Install Linux and make it a Firewall/Router for your home or wireless network.
4. Use it as music repository, so you can access your whole collection from anywhere in your home/wireless network. (Of course, you'll need a larger hard drive, but those are cheap).
5. Combine 2 and 4 to get access to your files from anywhere.
6. Use it to automatize your house. You know turn the lights on or off at a certain time, get the heat going, etc.
7. Set up a kind of call center for yourself.

There are surely more.

ADD:

8. Install MAME and make it an old fashioned arcade machine.

A computer of that speed is usless in today's world. It is too slow to be any type of server.
For a server it's quite useless.

But it quite useful for daily applications.
For a computer of it's age.
It has a decent amount of ram,
Tiny Hard drive
If it has a Decent Video Card you could watch DVDs on it.

You should be able to Run XP RRO just fine. I run it on a 600 Celeron, no problems.

If you have a decent video card you could probably get away with playing HALO on PC.

http://folding.stanford.edu

And if you don't want to, then give it to me, I'll Fold with it. Screw SETI, lets fix the problems we have first.

http://folding.stanford.edu

And if you don't want to, then give it to me, I'll Fold with it. Screw SETI, lets fix the problems we have first.
Nice! I didn't know this project existed. You are right. Screw SETI.

you could let your nerdy friends test thier computer viruses on it.

or, go to

www.feetman.com

over and over again. my friend said they don't have that webpage anymore but i am too scared to look. :(

Thanks everyone for your suggestions. I'll run Fold@home on it.

http://folding.stanford.edu

And if you don't want to, then give it to me, I'll Fold with it. Screw SETI, lets fix the problems we have first.
bah screw fold ... do the multi project BOINC

http://boinc.berkeley.edu/

They do a host of projects (essentialy a project that NEEDS massive computing works with berkeley and gets it setup) you can choose which projects you want to donate processing to

Its great stuff ... and good because most of these projects wouldent be able to pull off finding and funding someone to create a coustom distributed processing server/client ... not because their cause is not worthy but lack of funding and it is HARD to do in the first place

Anyways way better then fold ... and a whole host of project objectives