First post, by moshehim
Hi,
I'm a noob regarding ole retro builds, and so I'm hoping for some tips.
I just got my hands on an IBE Thinkpad T23 laptop. It's a Pentium III, 1.4 GHz computer with 128MB of SDRAM SODDIM memory and 20GB 44-pin IDE HDD storage, though I'm looking to source a couple of half-gig RAM chips to replace the existing memory.
The laptop has Windows XP installed, but I intend to downgrade it to Windows 98 - I actually managed to acquire an original license and installation CD for it!
But first, I've a few questions:
1. I understand Win98 comes with DOS 7.1 - is it okay for running DOS games, or should I dual boot with DOS 6.22? Can I even do it to begin with? If so, how? Is there a guide somewhere?
2. I'm told Pentium 3 / win98 systems only support hard-drives of up to 20GBin size? Does that mean the physical size, or can I use a larger HDD with 20GB partitions?
3. I don't have anything else that has IDE for the HDD, so, assuming I can actually use partitions, can I partition a larger HDD from inside my Pentium 3, or do I need to partition it elsewhere first, like from a docking station or something?
4. Assuming I can do that, should I go for a larger SD + SD-to-IDE adapter or should I settle for a larger HDD? What are the pros and cons?
5. Post installation, what basic software should I install, and where can I source it?
6. How about security software? Can I get any that will work? Do I even need it?
7, What's the down limit for older games? I dug up some old CDs like Wing Commander 1 & 2, Ultima 6, 8 & underworld 1&2 - will they even work on this system?
8. I don't actually own any Windows 98 games, as I spent the late 90's and early 2000's in the military and far away from any gaming rig... Win 95 was still all the rage when I joined, and Win XP was everywhere when I retired... I actually did fish an old Win98 game from a bin in a games store in 2002, but it didn't work on brand new winXP laptop, so it went to a bin of a different kind... So, would you recommend any games for me? Where would I buy them? Would GOG games work, for instance, or are they set up for more modern systems?
9. Anything else I should know before I embark on this venture?
Thank you for your help.
Regards,
Mo