My Vintage Dream PC

[Green Xenon]

Hi:

 

My vintage dream PC contains the most advanced motherboard [in terms of ability to handle the highest processor speed of it's type as well as maximum RAM capability] that contains the most amount of 16-bit ISA slots but does not contain any PCI or any other non-ISA slots either. It does not even have any EISA or SCSI.

 

Here are the other specs of my vintage dream PC

 

1. OSes: Windows 3.0 [not 3.0a, just 3.0] and the most advanced version of DOS fully compatible with the other softwares/hardwares in my vintage dream PC.

 

2. Sound Card: Most advanced version of SB16 ISA [all accessories -- such as speakers included] with Creative Music FM Synth but without any wavetable or sample-playback synthesis -- fully-compatible with the other softwares/hardwares in my vintage dream PC.

 

3. A video card that handles both 16 and 256 color with the highest refresh rate and pixel-X-pixel resolution and pixel-per-inch resolution fully-compatible with the other softwares/hardwares in my vintage dream PC.

 

3a. Most advanced monitor fully-compatible with the other softwares/hardwares in my vintage dream PC.

 

4. NDW [Norton Desktop for Windows] with Sleeper [screensaver] and batchrun.exe "Norton Desktop (Utility Suite) for Windows 3.0", I believe.

 

5. Canyon.mid [midi file often present with Windows OSes] -- Windows 3.0 version if the song specifically sounds different in 3.0

 

6. Window Entertainment Pack [including the Idlewild screensaver]

 

7. Most advanced version of Creative Lab's SB16 FM MIDI kit fully-compatible with the other softwares/hardwares in my vintage dream PC.

 

8. The CD-ROM disk that contains what's described in the following link: http://groups.google.com/group/alt.technology.obsolete/msg/a57ec0bb21f6d19b

 

9. Three most advanced ISA-card modems of their type fully-compatible with the other softwares/hardwares in my vintage dream PC for the following:

 

A. The 1st modem is to be used similar to phone and. Perhaps to talk over the phone via the PC

 

B. The 2nd modem is for dial-up internet access and is an MFSK-based ISA dial-up modem. Of course this assumes that MFSK-based modems would exist for internet access and be fully-compatible with the other softwares/hardwares in my vintage dream PC. If MFSK is not an option, then FSK is okay. Hoping for MFSK but prepared for FSK if MFSK is not possible.

 

FSK = Frequency-Shift Keying

 

MFSK = Multiple-Frequency-Shift-Keying.

 

If MFSK is indeed existent and fully-compatible with the rest of my system, then I would prefer that it be the type of MFSK which uses the most bits-per-baud that is fully-compatible with the rest of my system.

 

Even better if the remote PC that connects my PC to the internet also has the same characteristics as my dream PC and is located in Switzerland while my PC and I are in Southern California.

 

Yup! Long Distance International Dial-Up Internet Access!

 

C. The 3rd modem uses the European Deaf Telephone [EDT] protocol and can be used to communicate with the EDT devices in Switzerland. Of course, I'm assuming this even exists for PCs and is fully-compatible with the other softwares/hardwares in my system.

 

10. The most advanced Netscape-based browser the would be fully compatible with the other softwares/hardwares in my PC.

 

11. "The Software Toolworks Multimedia Encyclopedia", Version 1.5, Grolier, Inc. (1992) CD-ROM disc.

 

12. Most advanced versions of internet languages [such as JavaScript and CSS – or available equivalents] fully-compatible with the other softwares/hardwares in my vintage dream PC.

 

13. Most advanced CD-ROM player fully-compatible with the other softwares/hardwares in my vintage dream PC.

 

14. Most advanced HDD fully-compatible with the other softwares/hardwares in my vintage dream PC.

 

15. Most advanced RAM fully-compatible with the other softwares/hardwares in my vintage dream PC.

 

16. Most advanced CPU fully-compatible with the other softwares/hardwares in my vintage dream PC.

 

 

Thanks,

 

Green Xenon

Edited May 18, 2009 by Green Xenon

[Pangloss]

Ugh. Thanks for firing off neurons I had carefully placed on the "do not disturb" rack alongside Bee Gees lyrics and the names of every Encyclopedia Brown novel.

 

If you do that again I'm going to post the lyrics to the children's song "The Wheels on the Bus"!

[CharonY]

1. OSes: Windows 3.0 [not 3.0a, just 3.0] and the most advanced version of DOS fully compatible with the other softwares/hardwares in my vintage dream PC.

 

Hrum, 3.0? I wouldn't like to go through that again. This time I'd try OS/2 for serious.

[Green Xenon]

Hrum, 3.0? I wouldn't like to go through that again.

 

Why not?

[Phi for All]

Perhaps we need an Archeology sub-forum for Computer Science?

 

Would you call your dream machine the Necromputer?

[Pangloss]

Every now and then I sigh and remember how much fun it was to run AmigaDOS.

 

[CharonY]

Actually AmigaDOS is one of the reasons why I disliked windows 3.0. It felt sluggish and resource eating, and at that time I fondly recalled the Amiga Workbench in comparison. At least the latter did not freeze on a routine basis. (3.1 was relatively stable for me, though)

[darshanchande]

That sounds like a great configuration

[Green Xenon]

That sounds like a great configuration

 

Yes. What is the least expensive way for me to built my vintage dream PC?

[Pangloss]

Actually AmigaDOS is one of the reasons why I disliked windows 3.0. It felt sluggish and resource eating, and at that time I fondly recalled the Amiga Workbench in comparison. At least the latter did not freeze on a routine basis. (3.1 was relatively stable for me, though)

 

And best of all, even in the early days it multitasked. In 1985. I don't think Windows got multitasking until something like 1987 -- version 2? That one feature alone was worth the price of admission.

 

This reminds me of all the flame wars on CompuServe, GEnie and Prodigy over whether the Mac, PC or Amiga/Atari ST would end up reigning supreme. (I think I actually spent over $300 one month on CompuServe charges, back when it was $12.50 an hour!)

 

(Doh, damn this thread and its nostalgia-awakening ways!)