Can I run XP?

[Ed]

Hi,
I have an old Toshiba notebook that the family used
just for e-mail, and a little bit of web browsing. It has
a Pentium MMX-266 processor and 96MB of RAM. The XP box
says that's enough to run it, but it reccomends more.
I need to upgrade the OS because I just got DSL and I
want to install a wireless card for this machine as the
family e-mail device. Do you think it can handle running
it and will it be stable? Speed and other "cool" stuff
are not my primary concerns for this machine - it just
needs to be an e-mail and web browsing unit for relatively
light use.

Ed

 

[Jim Macklin]

When you can buy a new Dell for less than $500 (way less
sometimes) and it will have XP and such, buying and spending
money on an "old Toshiba notebook" doesn't make much sense.
IMHO.


| Hi,
| I have an old Toshiba notebook that the family used
| just for e-mail, and a little bit of web browsing. It has
| a Pentium MMX-266 processor and 96MB of RAM. The XP box
| says that's enough to run it, but it reccomends more.
| I need to upgrade the OS because I just got DSL and I
| want to install a wireless card for this machine as the
| family e-mail device. Do you think it can handle running
| it and will it be stable? Speed and other "cool" stuff
| are not my primary concerns for this machine - it just
| needs to be an e-mail and web browsing unit for relatively
| light use.
|
| Ed

 

[Tom Pepper Willett]

I think you will have a lot of problems without at least 128 MB of RAM.
Tom
| Hi,
| I have an old Toshiba notebook that the family used
| just for e-mail, and a little bit of web browsing. It has
| a Pentium MMX-266 processor and 96MB of RAM. The XP box
| says that's enough to run it, but it reccomends more.
| I need to upgrade the OS because I just got DSL and I
| want to install a wireless card for this machine as the
| family e-mail device. Do you think it can handle running
| it and will it be stable? Speed and other "cool" stuff
| are not my primary concerns for this machine - it just
| needs to be an e-mail and web browsing unit for relatively
| light use.
|
| Ed

 

[Ed]

I agree. My problem is that I don't have the room for a
desktop, so it needs to be a notebook so now I'm up to
$800.00 very minimum. This is a hard decision to make at
this point because the machine is really just for e-mail.

Ed

 

[Jim Macklin]

I've got a mid-size tower, 17 inch CRT and keyboard in a
2.5x2.5 ft. space on my desk. I wanted to keep the tower
off the floor to reduce dust getting in the case. I could
reduce this to 1.5x1.5 by going vertical with a little
imagination.

Laptops have higher costs for upgrades (if they can be done
at all). To upgrade you'll spend money for XP, about $100,
you will need more RAM, probably 128 or 256 total just to
run XP decently at what ever that will cost for your old
Toshiba, and the laptop WiFi. You're getting close to the
cost of a new Dell (they sell factory refurbs with full
guarantee, too). The smaller and cheaper desktops with a 15
inch LCD take up very little space.

A wireless card will run just fine with W98 or ME (I presume
that's what you have now), most of those are PCMCIA for
laptops. You also need a wireless router.

Be sure to turn on all the security in the WiFi, WEP or
better still WAP and turn the system ID broadcast off and if
you can, MAC filtering so only computers you want can get on
your DSL service and in your network.


| I agree. My problem is that I don't have the room for a
| desktop, so it needs to be a notebook so now I'm up to
| $800.00 very minimum. This is a hard decision to make at
| this point because the machine is really just for e-mail.
|
| Ed
|
| >-----Original Message-----
| >When you can buy a new Dell for less than $500 (way less
| >sometimes) and it will have XP and such, buying and
| spending
| >money on an "old Toshiba notebook" doesn't make much
| sense.
| >IMHO.
| >
| >
| message
| >| >| Hi,
| >| I have an old Toshiba notebook that the family
used
| >| just for e-mail, and a little bit of web browsing. It
| has
| >| a Pentium MMX-266 processor and 96MB of RAM. The XP
box
| >| says that's enough to run it, but it reccomends more.
| >| I need to upgrade the OS because I just got DSL
| and I
| >| want to install a wireless card for this machine as the
| >| family e-mail device. Do you think it can handle
| running
| >| it and will it be stable? Speed and other "cool" stuff
| >| are not my primary concerns for this machine - it just
| >| needs to be an e-mail and web browsing unit for
| relatively
| >| light use.
| >|
| >| Ed
| >
| >
| >.
| >

 

[Gary Tait]

I agree. My problem is that I don't have the room for a
desktop, so it needs to be a notebook so now I'm up to
$800.00 very minimum. This is a hard decision to make at
this point because the machine is really just for e-mail.

Ed

I'd leave 95 or 98 on it, and use a wired network, if you cannot get
wireless to work on that machine with 95 or 98.

 

[Ken Blake]

In

I think you will have a lot of problems without at least 128 MB of
RAM. Tom

*Maybe* 128MB will be enough if his use is as light as he says it
is, but it's a rare person who doesn't need at least 256MB.

 

[Lem]

You don't say what OS currently is on the laptop. I have an IBM laptop
running Win98se that I use with a Linksys wireless router and a Linksys
pcmcia wireless adapter in the laptop. It works fine. Although my
laptop has a faster cpu and more RAM than yours does, Win98se ought to
work OK with your hardware. If you have something older than 98se on
your laptop, you can probably find 98se fairly cheaply on eBay or the like.

 

[Ed]

I'm running a 98 upgrade from 95, and it's very buggy. 95
was installed on the machine, and I was eligable for the
98 upgrade as soon as it came out. But the upgrade has
issues with sound drivers and it won't currently let me
install the wireless network card either.

I had not thought about buying 98SE on ebay. That's a
good idea. Thanks.

Ed

 

[Jim Macklin]

Get a full install W98se so you won't have any issues. By
this I mean that there is a W98update CD as well as a
W98upgrade CD. The upgrade will do a full install, the
update CD is just to bring W98 to se configuration.

Be sure you don't get a previously install OEM, be sure to
get a retail CD, with the manuals.


| I'm running a 98 upgrade from 95, and it's very buggy. 95
| was installed on the machine, and I was eligable for the
| 98 upgrade as soon as it came out. But the upgrade has
| issues with sound drivers and it won't currently let me
| install the wireless network card either.
|
| I had not thought about buying 98SE on ebay. That's a
| good idea. Thanks.
|
| Ed
|
|
| >-----Original Message-----
| >You don't say what OS currently is on the laptop. I have
| an IBM laptop
| >running Win98se that I use with a Linksys wireless router
| and a Linksys
| >pcmcia wireless adapter in the laptop. It works fine.
| Although my
| >laptop has a faster cpu and more RAM than yours does,
| Win98se ought to
| >work OK with your hardware. If you have something older
| than 98se on
| >your laptop, you can probably find 98se fairly cheaply on
| eBay or the like.
| >
| >
| >Ed wrote:
| >> Hi,
| >> I have an old Toshiba notebook that the family
| used
| >> just for e-mail, and a little bit of web browsing. It
| has
| >> a Pentium MMX-266 processor and 96MB of RAM. The XP
| box
| >> says that's enough to run it, but it reccomends more.
| >> I need to upgrade the OS because I just got DSL
| and I
| >> want to install a wireless card for this machine as the
| >> family e-mail device. Do you think it can handle
| running
| >> it and will it be stable? Speed and other "cool" stuff
| >> are not my primary concerns for this machine - it just
| >> needs to be an e-mail and web browsing unit for
| relatively
| >> light use.
| >>
| >> Ed
| >
| >.
| >

 

[Plato]

I have an old Toshiba notebook that the family used
just for e-mail, and a little bit of web browsing. It has
a Pentium MMX-266 processor and 96MB of RAM. The XP box
says that's enough to run it, but it reccomends more.
I need to upgrade the OS because I just got DSL and I
want to install a wireless card for this machine as the
family e-mail device. Do you think it can handle running
it and will it be stable? Speed and other "cool" stuff

It will be a horrific mess if you put XP on it.

 

[Gary Tait]

A wireless card will run just fine with W98 or ME (I presume
that's what you have now), most of those are PCMCIA for
laptops. You also need a wireless router.

AFAIK, they are mostly Cardbus (32 bit version of PCMCIA), 16 bit
PCMCIA being the rarity.

 

[Peter Hutchison]

Hi,
I have an old Toshiba notebook that the family used
just for e-mail, and a little bit of web browsing. It has
a Pentium MMX-266 processor and 96MB of RAM. The XP box
says that's enough to run it, but it reccomends more.
I need to upgrade the OS because I just got DSL and I
want to install a wireless card for this machine as the
family e-mail device. Do you think it can handle running
it and will it be stable? Speed and other "cool" stuff
are not my primary concerns for this machine - it just
needs to be an e-mail and web browsing unit for relatively
light use.

Its too old and slow for XP, I suggest getting Windows 2000 Pro
instead (its like XP but w/o the fancy features), for what you want.
All you need to add is Windows 2000 SP4, IE6 SP1, plus the Support
Tools and you just about there.

Peter Hutchison
Windows FAQ
http://www.pcguru.plus.com/