Reply
Old November 7th, 2002 Top | #1
 
Mr. K's Avatar
OSNN Occasional
Joined: September 2002
Location: Ottawa, Canada
Posts: 75
Reputation: 10
Power: 118

Default recommended OS for 486 laptop?

Hello all,

I've got a Compaq LTE 4/40CX laptop:

40MHz 486 DX2 CPU
20MB RAM
540MB hard drive

It's currently running Win95... decently. However, I'm wondering whether there's a free/downloadable alternative OS that will run on it. I just want to try something different.

Ideally it would have a GUI and be relatively simple to install/run. Does anyone have any ideas? Any older versions of Linux derivatives?

Thanks!

pk
Mr. K is offline   Reply With Quote
Old November 7th, 2002 Top | #2

OSNN Folding Team  
Electronic Punk's Avatar
The Last High
Joined: December 2001
Location: London
Posts: 18,510
Blog Entries: 51
Reputation: 3652
Power: 349

Default

Yeah was gonna say Windows95 would me the highest MS os you could put on it

Electronic Punk is offline   Reply With Quote
Old November 7th, 2002 Top | #3

OSNN Folding Team  
NetRyder's Avatar
Tech Junkie
Joined: April 2002
Location: New York City
Posts: 13,256
Reputation: 4260
Power: 297

Default

Slackware Linux 8.1
http://www.slackware.org/install/sysreq.php

Not sure if it'll work very well if you install X-Windows (the GUI)
NetRyder is offline   Reply With Quote
Old November 7th, 2002 Top | #4
 
SPeedY_B's Avatar
I may actually be insane.
Joined: March 2002
Location: Midlands, England
Posts: 15,800
Reputation: 2877
Power: 310

Default

40mhz, 20mb ... Not sure that'll Run Xfree86.
You can get a CLI linux/bsd on that no problems, but if your after a gui, your best of sticking with windows for that spec i think.
SPeedY_B is offline   Reply With Quote
Old November 7th, 2002 Top | #5
 
Tabula Rasa's Avatar
Stranger Than Kindness
Joined: July 2002
Location: Israel
Posts: 3,233
Reputation: 450
Power: 157

Default

Defiantly windows 95 , but make sure you update your IE version or else you will have some language problems.
Tabula Rasa is offline   Reply With Quote
Old November 7th, 2002 Top | #6
 
SPeedY_B's Avatar
I may actually be insane.
Joined: March 2002
Location: Midlands, England
Posts: 15,800
Reputation: 2877
Power: 310

Default

Yup, if using Windows 95 Update everything that can be updated.
SPeedY_B is offline   Reply With Quote
Old November 16th, 2002 Top | #7
Leevoy
 
Leevoy's Avatar
Unregistered
Posts: n/a

Default

Well I have an old laptop i got from cash converters for my Girl friend, she wanted something for the kids in the class that need the extra help during wet plays etc.. It came with win95 (no disk).

I had an old c edition of 95 o.e.m, which also had win 3.11 on it too. I have also the disks to install win 3.1 on it.

It has a 2.4 gig hd and 32meg ram. Has a 28 k modem intenral a cd rom 6 speed and a detachable floppy.

For £100 not bad, but it took me a month to find drivers, hunt down the toshiba sites forums etc for upto date drivers. odd I tried installing win 98 s.e. on it, it updated drivers but hell it became very slow.

So I formatted stuck to win 95 c because all the free education stuff at downloads runs under 95 and is free. Even some written for 3.11 also runs fine.

So for £100 and a little phone bill I got a portable notebook for the kids in my girls class at her primary school.

Well if you know me I do write long waffle and do eventually get to the point.

My advice is bro, get to a computer fair or some kind of junk computer place/store get some more ram, check for a larger hd if you want a diferent o.p.s.

Or if it aint broke dunny fix it..Stick to win 95.
Agreed update the browser to v6 sp1 or even v4 sp xx.xx

But with that in mind if you wanna use it on the net then it will drag that ram with a larger browser.

Gl with it, if in doubt give Linux a clout, PC magasines in England come stuffed with softaware, linux mag gives their o.p.s free on it and ne other software you want will be on pc magasines.

regards Leevoy
  Reply With Quote

Reply

Bookmarks

Thread Tools

Posting Rules

Similar Threads
Thread Thread Starter Forum Replies Last Post
Recommended Monitors WildOptic General Hardware 17 January 3rd, 2004 11:39pm
Recommended Headphones Teddy General Hardware 10 December 1st, 2003 2:50am
Recommended keyboard ( ? ) Cosmin General Hardware 6 June 17th, 2003 12:22am
Please Choose My New Sig - Not 56k Recommended! SkazzyUK Desktop Customisation 12 May 8th, 2003 2:13am
Help with recommended running and recommended max temps indyjones General Hardware 4 May 1st, 2003 5:57pm