Typing from my Toshiba Tecra 720CDT laptop...

[ppgrainbow]

As you may haven't noticed lately, I will soon be decommissioning my Pentium 4-based desktop computer very soon. I was successfully able to type this post from my Toshiba Tecra 720CDT laptop released in April 1996 (almost 18 years ago) and I want your opinion on this as I patiently wait for my new computer from AVADirect to arrive.

Do you ever know what it's even like to browse the MSFN forums and the internet under Windows 95 using Internet Explorer 5.5, Firefox 1.5 or even SeaMonkey 1.1.19? Let me tell you...

1. This is a very slow laptop. With a 133 MHz mobile Pentium processor and only 2 MB of video RAM, it is somewhat difficult, if not impossible to browse many websites, even graphics intense ones.

2. The EDO RAM maxes out at 144 MB (the laptop has 16 MB of memory soldiered to the motherboard, plus another 128 MB of EDO memory installed). This causes the physical memory to run out pretty quickly when launching a app or browsing a website. I have a 288 MB swap file that consumes at least 7% of the total disk space.

3. The BIOS doesn't properly support hard disks over 7.88 GB (~ 8.4 GB) due to the limit of 16,383 cylinders, 16 heads and 63 sectors per track. You can try to overcome the limitations by installing a dynamic drive overlay (DDO) software such as OnTrack. However, the Windows 95 operating system cannot even properly support hard disks over 32 GB (~ 34.5 GB) without a high probability of data corruption.

4. The good news is that laptop is capable of livestreaming internet radio broadcasts using the WinAmp 2.95 player. However, it is not very capable of browsing a lot of websites properly as most of the functions don't work properly anymore. This is due to almost all websites dropping support for older browsers, including Firefox 1.5 and SeaMonkey 1.1.19.

5. Along with memory, launching apps can put a drain on system, user and GDI resources. If the resources fall too low, Windows needs to be restarted. As I previously ran Windows NT 4.0 on this laptop, Windows NT 4.0 has no issues.

6. The Toshiba Tecra 720CDT laptop is not internet capable by default. If you want internet capability, you have to use a PCMCIA wireless network card and install the drivers (either for Windows 95, Windows NT 4.0 or Windows 98) in order for it to work.

7. Lastly, on top of all of this, I usually use this laptop, but only as a secondary computer. But since I stopped using this old computer, this creates massive compatibility issues. Almost all vendors ceased compatibility with Windows 95 and older hardware many years ago in order to improve the quality of products that they created.

When I get a new computer, I won't have to deal with this issue.

Thoughts anyone?

Edited February 20, 2014 by ppgrainbow

[jaclaz]

When I get a new computer, I won't have to deal with this issue.

Thoughts anyone?

WHICH issue?

Your post describes an idyllic situation in which you have a computer that can run (because you have the suitable drivers/and/or the "right" hardware) *any* of three different oldish OS, two of the DOS family and one of the NT one, you have a functioning PCMCIA Wireless card (BTW, a plainer wired one would have given connectivity as well, with the addition of a cable and would have been faster and probably also safer, though more inconvenient).

In 18 years from now, there will be HTML 11.2, or possibly the whole internet will be forced to be rewritten in XML or in NSAML or in GoogleML, java will be something that old men will describe to their nephews as a fable, around the fireplace ^[1] at night, no device with a screen resolution lower than QSXGA (2560x2048) will be able to access the internet (but there will be a Linux patch to the actual monitor firmware faking that resolution - for desktops - nothing for laptops).

jaclaz

^[1] Yes, you guessed correctly, the domotics system controlling every technological aspect of your home will have crashed (OS running Windows 21 HomeAppliance Edition) over a failed connection^[2] and you will be in total black out, freezing, and you will additionally later be fined by the Fire Department as you lighted a fire in your own house, in a certified fireplace BUT did not use Government Approved Wood only, or you failed to notify (electronic only, 24h advance minimum) about your intention to light up that fire.

^[2]There is a singular bug in Windows 21 Authentication System. It needs to contact MS servers every 31.7 seconds, and if it fails once it will try again in half the time elapsed in previous attempt, but the rounding algorithm is OK for 15.85 and for 7.925 and 3.9625 but strangely instead of 1.98125 it returns -1 and crashes, making the OS inactivated. For privacy reasons you cannot contact MS to reactivate it calling them through your mobile phone (but you can ask to them to wipe completely the anyone else's devices, of course), and the land line is under control of the Home Appliance system.

For privacy reasons (avoiding illegal interception) land lines will carry a fair 20.000V AC, so that you cannot legally bypass the system and connect your phone before the Home Appliance unless you are a Certified Electrician and carry a valid Court Order (or really know where your towel is, which will be made illegal in itself in 2023) so besides the fine you will have the risk of electrocution.

Edited February 21, 2014 by jaclaz

[ZortMcGort11]

(1) The world financial system collapses, huge companies go broke, PC sales crash, research and development is put on the back burner, food and shelter take precedence. Old computer parts are suddenly appreciated by the masses, after they realize they can still have fun and do practical things with old stuff. People can't afford the latest greatest doo hickies, so they get their hands on "junk" like old Pentium III and IV's, and lots of people stubbornly continue using XP, Vista, and Windows 7 for another 20 years. Windows 8 and 9 go over like lead baloons. The computer reaches a plateau while living standards fall in developed countries until they match, well, whomever is at the bottom. The 1% of rich people rule the world. The end.

Edited February 20, 2014 by LostInSpace2012

[ppgrainbow]

Jaclaz, the limitation issues involving the RAM that I'm facing on this laptop. Right now, FinitySoft Memory Manager is reporting just 3.11 MB of RAM remaining.

By the way, your comment is very brilliant!

I chose the MS-DOS family of operating systems, because it's plug-and-play (PnP) compatibile.

I can plug in devices to one of the two PCMCIA slots on this laptop and Windows 95 will be able to recognise them right away...that is if the hardware still supports it. The Linksys WPC11 PCMCIA v2.5 wireless network card and the 8 GB SanDisk Ultra Compact Flash card both work under Windows 95 OSR2 without problems.

Windows NT 4.0 on the other hand has no PnP support by default, but is much more stable than Windows 95.

Edited February 20, 2014 by ppgrainbow

[jaclaz]

Yep .

I have (and actually use, when I happen to be on the move) a now becoming aged (but still going strong) Asus notebook, slightly more recent than your Toshiba.

It came with Windows Me pre-installed (and yes I know, I know , but if you don't do strange things to it, it is not as bad as it is depicted ).

It triple boots with a NT 4.00 and 2K (actually it quadruple boots to BeOS too, don't ask).

It has 128 Mb of Ram.

It has a built-in (wired) NIC .

And yes, it works fine for everything (as it always had worked ) but for internet browsing, it is very easy using Opera under either the NT or the 2K to fill the RAM and get to the swap file on disk.

jaclaz

[ppgrainbow]

Good for you! The desktop computer that I used originally came with Windows Millennium pre-installed and it was originally branded as a HP Pavillion 8770c with only 128 MB of memory (512 MB maximum). The Pavillion 8770c had a 850 MHz AMD Athlon processor.

However when I first used it, the desktop computer frequently locked up, because the processor was faulty.

That was more than 13 years ago and this is now. It will only be a matter of time when I finally get the new computer.

[ironman14]

Just out of curiosity, why are you trashing your old PC? Is there a major issue with it that you can't fix?

Also, I thought you originally said your Win95 laptop had 144 MB RAM total, not 3. 144MB should be enough for YouTube, let alone to view MSFN.

Lastly, you aren't stuck with such old browsers on 95. Opera 10.10 works well on it, as does FF2 if u look at this:http://www.computing.net/answers/windows-95/how-to-install-mozilla-firefox-20-windows95/170446.html

I wouldn't recommend IE 5.5 on 95 at all. No kidding, once when I loaded 1 page, I got 3 blue screens of death while using it!

[M()zart]

I'd try to install XP on this PC - just for fun. Should work on it