BL> 1.  My only ISA modem is the Sportster 14400. I'd have to buy an
BL>    external 56K modem, and the $120-odd is more than the old box is
BL>    worth. What I use is a cheap PCI WinModem with a Linux driver. 

DD> Geez! If you're that hard up I'll give you a V.54 external modem!

 I use an internal modem because I like it that way. I'm not
fascinated by coloured lights...

BL> 2. How do I network? John gave me two ISA ethernet network
BL> cards but I'm short an ISA slot in the new computer and my PCI
BL> network card isn't ethernet... I'd rather use wireless anyway.

DD> Wireless is slower than a cabled network - and subject to
DD> peculiarities if you have a steel reinforced concrete/brick
DD> house. It can also be adversely affected by cordless phones and
DD> microwave cookers. 

 slower! I din't know that... but in any case speed is not an issue
for a server that only networks a modem.

BL> Where do I run the Linux GUI in your scenario? I see nothing
BL> but trouble trying to use the old box as a server, when I can
BL> have a brand-new one for $800 - 2GHZ, 256Mb RAM, cable modem,
BL> network, USB, and run full Linux at the same time.

DD> Use that as your worksation, and the Linux box as your
DD> firewall/gatway. 

 I want to run Linux and Windows, and re-booting every time gives me
the shits! They're both incredibly slow to boot. My idea is to use
*this* computer as the Linux box (firewall/gateway, KDE and all), and
buy a new one for Windows that I can network off the old one and run
Win311 on too.

 Since last we spoke, I actually tried to load Linux on the old 486,
and as expected it barfed. It doesn't like my VESA IDE controller.

 Linux HELP tells me to buy a new BIOS. I *love* these Uniwankers! It
runs perfectly well under Win311 and DOS (and OS/2) for ten years, but
they have the gall to say that Unix is a better system that needs
perfect hardware to work. ROFL! Better, my skinmny arse it is.

 The joke was that IBM said *exactly* the same thing about OS/2 when
I tried to load it on my (very) old 386. Buy a BIOS... so I did, and
it *still* wouldn't load.

BL> What's an Athlon CPU motherboard worth nowadays, with 256Mb and
BL> basic video?

DD> Buggered if I know, I've never had an Athalon powered machine.

 It's cheaper (and faster) than Pentium4 without the hidden links to
Microsoft. So... what's a Pentium 4 mother worth? Just take $50 off.

Regards,
Bob



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