If you don't have a use for it, either mothball it or strip what's worth keeping and get rid of the rest. It's too easy to spend time trying to find purposes for stuff.

That computer needs:
- More memory.
- A lightweight OS.
- Both.

I really doubt HP shipped a computer with XP and only 128 Mb. I guess it was upgraded to XP or the memory was scavenged.

Or change harddisk to faster 80-120 gb drive and add ram to 512-768 mb and xp will run fine on that pc, or you can use 98SE with that but you must stick to max 512 mb RAM.

I have an HP Pavilion 4550Z that I like quite a lot after some upgrades. It still has the original 466MHz Celeron (66MHz FSB), and the previous owner upgraded it to 192MB SDRAM. I like the case form factor, so I put a few dollars into upgrades.

1. Upgraded the 100W PS. I found a NOS micro ATX 180W PS that provided just enough juice.
2. Added a front-loading CF-to-IDE adapter. This is my favorite part of the machine. I have a bunch of 6GB Hitachi Microdrives, and I use them like "cartridges": one for Win98SE, one for DOS. I may even make other ones for specific sound/video cards.
3. Added a Voodoo 3 3000 AGP. The Celeron is a good match for this card. It can play Unreal at 1600x1200 at 27 FPS. Also great for most DOS games save the most processor-intensive.
4. AWE64 Gold. Use it for DOS and Win98SE games.

I guess if you don't already have a Windows 98 machine and you have a genuine need for such a machine, then it might be useful in that regard, provided it has an AGP slot.

Otherwise, just remove the useful components (it's always nice to have some RAM sitting around) and pitch it.

Jorpho wrote:

I guess if you don't already have a Windows 98 machine and you have a genuine need for such a machine, then it might be useful in that regard, provided it has an AGP slot.

Otherwise, just remove the useful components (it's always nice to have some RAM sitting around) and pitch it.

Thanks guys for all the input. I was going to make it some kind of FTP server but I will do that on another of my old PC's using filezilla server. I will just take the good parts and recycle it. I already have a few windows 95 and a windows 98 machines so I dont really need this one. Thanks!

i dunno, seti folding or something.

Recycle it.

What about trying a different OS like BeOS, Haiku, OS/2 Warp/eComStation, BSD flavor, etc?

Zup wrote:

I really doubt HP shipped a computer with XP and only 128 Mb. I guess it was upgraded to XP or the memory was scavenged.

Nope, you do have big companies rushing to sell XP in 2001 with official 128MB configurations. I can confirm this for Compaq at least. I guess they weren't counting on service pack sludge.

I've seen XP computers with 64MB! Borderline unusable, but they did exist.

People would call and ask why their computer was so slow. That was always the easiest, most satisfying upgrade: Install an additional 256MB and see the machines fly! ...well, compared to before

Reminder: There were plenty and many of 32mb P3-class Celeron junkers in 2000, preloaded with Windows98SE and later Me. I do not know if they got 'refurbished' with XP in the following years for their stock.

(to be fair, The Sims can still run on 32MB, and some IE5.5 on the not-as-flash-loaded/popups/java sites there was)

Why not throw some RAM in there and sell it on eBay? It looks like the going price for that sort of machine is around $40-50.

If you care for privacy and have a reliable internet connection, you could try running an pop3/smtp e-mail server on it.

Sorry guys, some great ideas, but I had to pitch a couple PC's out today. 🙁\
An Emachines E-one iMac clone
the HP budget PC
and a shell of an old PC.

My dad wanted them gone, but at least I still have my other machines!

Do not feel bad. The world is still full of vintage / retro / scrap PCs and assorted equipment. 😈

PeterLI wrote:

Do not feel bad. The world is still full of vintage / retro / scrap PCs and assorted equipment. 😈

Less all the time thanks to the "thrower-outer" attitude.
However XP era stuff isn't usually worth keeping. If it's anything P4 based, you might as well trash it.

smeezekitty wrote:

PeterLI wrote:

Do not feel bad. The world is still full of vintage / retro / scrap PCs and assorted equipment. 😈

Less all the time thanks to the "thrower-outer" attitude.
However XP era stuff isn't usually worth keeping. If it's anything P4 based, you might as well trash it.

I find that a bit of a rigid opinion. Everyone's "retro era" is different. Mine happens to fall in the late P3 to P4/AXP era.

I beg you be mindful of the following: the time quickly approaches when you'll cry blood for having trashed these now seemingly useless P4's because computer hardware production will cease on a worldwide scale and what's already out there will be the only viable way to do any computing at all.

Nevertheless, high-end P4's + XP make excellent rigs for high end, late 90's - early 2000's gaming, though I understand the root of the perception of worthlessness associated with hardware that's neither older/different enough to merit a retro classification, nor new/powerful enough to run the latest thing.