What Old, Non-Gaming Hardware Do You Use Regularly?

Post by **racketboy** » Mon Nov 05, 2007 5:20 pm

Gaming isn't the only area in which I stick with older hardware, and I'm probably not the only one.
Has been sticking with certain vintage hardware for any reason other than price?

My best examples are my Thinkpad 600X and my first-gen iPod Shuffle.

The 600X is a 500Mhz Pentium II, but I love it so much that I haven't found a suitable replacment. They keyboard is the best one I've ever felt on a laptop and the thing is built like a tank without being too heavy.

While the shuffle isn't especially old just yet, most people would move onto a newer model. Personally, I like the first gen shuffles as they are sturdy and don't have a screen that I have to worry about scratching. It's not so small that I would worry about losing it, but its the perfect size for carrying in my pocket at all time. I also like the standard USB port on the bottom for dockless changing (on any computer with USB) and syncing.

Post by **Daniel Primed** » Mon Nov 05, 2007 8:41 pm

My mobile phone is the cheapest and most out of date phone you can buy now days. Also we still use the VCR at home, constantly taping over the same tapes, past their recomended recording limit.

Thats pretty much it though.

Post by **Droid party** » Mon Nov 05, 2007 9:04 pm

I still love to use ZIP discs. I don't know why, they are slow, have abismal storage space and are kinda big to carry around. Besides that I have a bunch of usb thumb drives and external HDD's, so why I still love my Zip drive is a little beyond me.

Post by **claudio** » Mon Nov 05, 2007 9:09 pm

I sleep with my "Sleep N' Snore Ernie"

Post by **Droid party** » Mon Nov 05, 2007 9:19 pm

claudio wrote:I sleep with my "Sleep N' Snore Ernie"

Um...k?

Post by **pixelbender** » Mon Nov 05, 2007 10:24 pm

The last time I used a zip disc it was to install Win95 on a Libretto 50, which unfortunately I stepped on and destroyed!

I also have a thinkpad 600, I was using it with Win98 to play some abandonware games. I like it, but the DOS ones run at native resolution and there is no option in the BIOS to force it to fill up the screen (as many of the other thinkpads do). If anyone can recommend a laptop that is a good Win98 machine, that I can hookup a Gravis (original) gamepad to, please let me know! (Has to play DOS games fullscreen).

Racket - a Thinkpad T40 might be a great replacement for that 600 if you get around to it - I use one at work.

I use(d) a 350mhz G4 Powermac for a while, but I think the MB is dying as it randomly resets.

I've also used a Voodoo 3 w/video out in college a few years back to play older games on my TV.

Til recently, I was also using a SE T616 and it rocked.

Post by **Mozgus** » Mon Nov 05, 2007 11:31 pm

I have a 3DFX capture card that still works and is handy. It does have gamma problems when used on XP though, but at least it has zero lag, which makes it ideal for playing games through it, unlike my USB capture device.

Post by **racketboy** » Tue Nov 06, 2007 12:01 am

pixelbender wrote:Racket - a Thinkpad T40 might be a great replacement for that 600 if you get around to it - I use one at work.

I also have a T21. I got it because the T series is the successor to the 600 series and it was an affordable speed boost.
The keyboard isn't as nice and it got much hotter on the bottom. (I'm really picky)
I'm a little hesitant to try anything else.

If I can unload the T21, I may try an early X series to see how those fare....

Post by **Yackom** » Tue Nov 06, 2007 2:05 am

One thing that really sticks out in my mind is my ti89 calculator. I use that thing all the time still and I got it I think 9 years ago now. Its funny but there has been quite literally NO innovation in graphing calculators since.

Post by **otaku** » Tue Nov 06, 2007 4:36 am

Well in addition to having old game systems (and new) I also still have alot of old tvs. I love my 5 year old inspiron 8200 it does everything I need and is built very well. My old nokia is also far more likeable than my newer samsung phone. And finally recently went back to film cameras from digital (shooting with an old leica minilux right now)