Registered: Jul 2000
Location: Indiana
Posts: 84

Upgrading an old(er) computer

Hi folks,

I've got a Dell P166 w/ MMX. It's got 64 Meg RAM. I'm currently running Win95 on it. I have 2 USB slots in the back, and WIN 95 cannot utilize them (want to get that fast USB connection for my Visor cradle). Can I upgrade this computer to Win98 or WinMe with no ill side effects on the rest of the computer?

Thanks for your help. I'm very appreciative.

Registered: Oct 1999
Location: I'm not sure, but I see lots of lights everywhere.
Posts: 1287

Windows 98..yes.

Winblows ME...No!!!!!!!!!

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Re: Upgrading an old(er) computer

Originally posted by Morris:
I've got a Dell P166 w/ MMX. It's got 64 Meg RAM. I'm currently running Win95 on it. I have 2 USB slots in the back, and WIN 95 cannot utilize them (want to get that fast USB connection for my Visor cradle). Can I upgrade this computer to Win98 or WinMe with no ill side effects on the rest of the computer?

Yes, you should be able to go to either of them, although I'd personally lean towards 98 for a P166.

Registered: Oct 1999
Location: I'm not sure, but I see lots of lights everywhere.
Posts: 1287

By the way, what are the actual specs on your system; video card, sound card, etc...?

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Originally posted by foo fighter:
By the way, what are the actual specs on your system; video card, sound card, etc...?

More than likely a 4 or 8MB Number 9 video card and a SB16 compatible sound card. The blue tag in the top center of the faceplate would actually be the most helpful piece of information.

Or you could just check yourself...

http://support.dell.com/us/en/advisor/

edit: added 'self-help' and link

Registered: Oct 1999
Location: I'm not sure, but I see lots of lights everywhere.
Posts: 1287

quote:

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Originally posted by Toby
More than likely a 4 or 8MB Number 9 video card and a SB16 compatible sound card.

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Registered: Oct 1999
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As a side note, my very first PC was a 166mhz Pentium classic. It was an off brand Taiwan build PC called Magitronic.

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Originally posted by foo fighter:
Not sure about the video card,

Me either, but Number 9 GXEs were Dell's standard video cards on those from what I remember.

but that is exactly what I was guessing the sound card to be.

Yes, the good old Vibra 16.

Ah, the good old days of MMX, when 166mhz was actually considered fast!

heh...I've got four 200MMXs sitting on the floor in my workroom at the moment that one of our company scholarship students is working on (replacing motherboards). They make good terminal emulators still.

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Originally posted by foo fighter:
As a side note, my very first PC was a 166mhz Pentium classic. It was an off brand Taiwan build PC called Magitronic.

My first IBM-compatible was a Zenith XT-type machine. Dual floppy drives (one for OS/Programs, one for data). My first computer was a Commodore 64 (Apple IIe followed shortly).

Registered: Oct 1999
Location: I'm not sure, but I see lots of lights everywhere.
Posts: 1287

LOL! Remember the old S3Trio, Matrox Mystique, and Creative's GraphicsBlaster? Then along came 3dFX with a radical new 3d engine called Voodoo.

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Originally posted by foo fighter:
LOL! Remember the old S3Trio, Matrox Mystique, and Creative's GraphicsBlaster? Then along came 3dFX with a radical new 3d engine called Voodoo.

heh...yeah. Actually, I think I still had an old Mystique sitting spare on a shelf until last year. *sigh* I miss Number 9. They made good cards, and their support was good. At the very least, even if you had to sit on hold, they had the best hold queue music of any vendor I've ever had to deal with.

For those that don't know what I'm referencing, the founders of Number 9 were huge Beatles fans. The video BIOS tags were always in reference to the Beatles. Even the name of the company is a Beatles reference. Their hold music was nothing but Beatles songs.

Registered: Jul 2000
Location: Indiana
Posts: 84

I'm so glad that I could facilitate this walk down memory lane. Unfortunately, your nostalgia about the sunny days of the P166 is my reality for accessing the Net, etc.

But I appreciate how far the computer has come. I've gone from an Atari VCS to a Timex Sinclair to a TI-99/4A to a Burroughs B20 to an Epson (80286, if memory serves correct), to my homemade 386 (built with parts acquired at a Boston Route 128 computer show in 1989!) to my current Dell 166 w/ MMX. I've made it for years on this computer!

But now it's time to upgrade. The oversized media files are just killing my little Dell. And I've got an order placed to install DSL in my new home. Glad to know the Dell is a decent terminal box, as I was planning on making it a #2 computer on a new home network.

And I have no idea about the sound and video capacity of my Dell. I'm just going to pick up a copy of Win98 for $20 on the Net....

Thanks again, gang.

Registered: Jul 2000
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Originally posted by Morris:
I'm so glad that I could facilitate this walk down memory lane. Unfortunately, your nostalgia about the sunny days of the P166 is my reality for accessing the Net, etc.

heh...don't feel so bad, my Pentium 200 MMX is still in service at my house. Its current duty is as my daughter's educational software machine. My main machine would probably be considered slow by geek standards as well. It's only a K6-2/550.

But now it's time to upgrade. The oversized media files are just killing my little Dell. And I've got an order placed to install DSL in my new home. Glad to know the Dell is a decent terminal box, as I was planning on making it a #2 computer on a new home network.

It should serve fine in that capacity. Memory is cheap at the moment, too, if you wanted to bump it up a bit.

And I have no idea about the sound and video capacity of my Dell. I'm just going to pick up a copy of Win98 for $20 on the Net....

Dell's support site has a really excellent historical database of their systems. You can search by model or service tag number and find all of your config abilities and download the latest versions of drivers and whatnot you might need to upgrade.

Registered: Oct 2000
Location: Aberdeen, SD
Posts: 2531

I had a 33MHz pushing Win95 for a while. Then I went mac. I'm breathing life into ol' Bessy slowly, but surely, now. I have Linus Torvalds to thank for that. I'm working toward understanding her, but it's almost as difficult as understanding my wife (maybe harder, as I can't give ol' Bessy flowers to make everything okay).

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Registered: Jul 2000
Location: Indiana
Posts: 84

Just wanted to follow up and thank everyone for their responses. I just picked up a copy of Win98 on Ebay today...should get it shortly.

As always, I thank you for your help!