Gateway P-400, Ubuntu?

I have an 1998 Gateway PII-400 that has been upgraded with a Powerleap 1.4
overdrive kit, maximum amount of ram added, Audigy soundcard, 128gb ATI
video card, and a 400 watt power supply. I've been thinking about trying to
use Ubuntu Linux and adding a wireless network adapter card so I can go
online with it to check email, waste time (facebook maybe) etc. Is there a
specific network card that would work well in this PC? Any suggestions for
which version Ubuntu Linux to use? The PC worked really well years ago and
has been gathering dust the last 5 years, it's time to either experiment
with it or get rid of it.
Thanks in advance,
Ron

Wettlesheim wrote:
> I have an 1998 Gateway PII-400 that has been upgraded with a Powerleap 1.4
> overdrive kit, maximum amount of ram added, Audigy soundcard, 128gb ATI
> video card, and a 400 watt power supply. I've been thinking about trying to
> use Ubuntu Linux and adding a wireless network adapter card so I can go
> online with it to check email, waste time (facebook maybe) etc. Is there a
> specific network card that would work well in this PC? Any suggestions for
> which version Ubuntu Linux to use? The PC worked really well years ago and
> has been gathering dust the last 5 years, it's time to either experiment
> with it or get rid of it.
> Thanks in advance,
> Ron
>
>
Ron,

Ubuntu does a good job recognizing Linksys wireless cards. Start with
the latest Ubuntu 9.10, which includes very nearly the latest and
greatest Firefox, Thunderbird, and OpenOffice. Unlike Micro$oft, Linux
development and packaging is very careful not to drop support for older
hardware, altho I'm not sure a current version of Linux would install
and run on a 128MB Pentium... Ben Myers

In news:hcnatl$lhk$,
Ben Myers typed on Mon, 02 Nov 2009 14:11:49 -0500:
> ... Unlike Micro$oft, Linux development and packaging is very careful
> not to drop support for older hardware, altho I'm not sure a current
> version of Linux would install and run on a 128MB Pentium... Ben Myers

And Microsoft, unlike Linux will run Windows applications on any Windows
machine (for the most part). Although under Linux, this is all
different. Drivers and applications for one distro, will likely not run
on another. And worse, any Linux update has a nasty habit of breaking
your current drivers and applications. Nice, eh?

--
Bill
Asus EEE PC 701G4 ~ 2GB RAM ~ 16GB-SDHC
Windows XP SP2

In news:6WHHm.125732$,
Bill typed on Mon, 2 Nov 2009 16:11:26 -0500:
> "Wettlesheim" <> wrote in message
> news:5ZFHm.8563$...
>> I have an 1998 Gateway PII-400 that has been upgraded with a
>> Powerleap 1.4 overdrive kit, maximum amount of ram added, Audigy
>> soundcard, 128gb ATI video card, and a 400 watt power supply. I've
>> been thinking about trying to use Ubuntu Linux and adding a wireless
>> network adapter card so I can go online with it to check email,
>> waste time (facebook maybe) etc. Is there a specific network card
>> that would work well in this PC? Any suggestions for which version
>> Ubuntu Linux to use? The PC worked really well years ago and has
>> been gathering dust the last 5 years, it's time to either experiment
>> with it or get rid of it. Thanks in advance,
>> Ron
>
> I was thinking of trying the same thing with an old Dell I have but
> decided against it after reading the ubuntu forum.
>
> http://ubuntuforums.org/
>
> I don't have the time or energy to try and learn or grapple with this
> kind of stuff, as an e.g.
>
> http://ubuntuforums.org/showthread.php?t=1307019
>
> Good luck
> Bill

Those that knows of Linus Torvalds (he is the father of Linux) was
recently caught on camera of giving a big thumbs up to Windows. ;-)

http://img202.imageshack.us/img202/2...sathumbsup.jpg

And those of us who read his book, also knows he uses Windows a lot.
Interesting, eh?

--
Bill
Asus EEE PC 701G4 ~ 2GB RAM ~ 16GB-SDHC
Windows XP SP2

Bill wrote:
> "Ben Myers" <> wrote in message
> news:hcnatl$lhk$...
>> Wettlesheim wrote:
>>> I have an 1998 Gateway PII-400 that has been upgraded with a Powerleap
>>> 1.4 overdrive kit, maximum amount of ram added, Audigy soundcard, 128gb
>>> ATI video card, and a 400 watt power supply. I've been thinking about
>>> trying to use Ubuntu Linux and adding a wireless network adapter card so
>>> I can go online with it to check email, waste time (facebook maybe) etc.
>>> Is there a specific network card that would work well in this PC? Any
>>> suggestions for which version Ubuntu Linux to use? The PC worked really
>>> well years ago and has been gathering dust the last 5 years, it's time to
>>> either experiment with it or get rid of it.
>>> Thanks in advance,
>>> Ron
>> Ron,
>>
>> Ubuntu does a good job recognizing Linksys wireless cards. Start with the
>> latest Ubuntu 9.10, which includes very nearly the latest and greatest
>> Firefox, Thunderbird, and OpenOffice. Unlike Micro$oft, Linux development
>> and packaging is very careful not to drop support for older hardware,
>> altho I'm not sure a current version of Linux would install and run on a
>> 128MB Pentium... Ben Myers
>
> Ben I may not be as knowledgeable as you, but to say MS drops support for
> older hardware is not quite accurate. It is the manufacturers that drop
> support and do not supply MS with drivers. I went through two such events
> with HP printers and scanners. In both cases MS told me they were not even
> provided with generic drivers and HP confirmed they would not be doing it
> and I had to buy new machines.
>
> I also had a friend back in the Win98 to XP days that had a nice Canon multi
> function printer that Canon dropped dead...no drivers no updates. My friend
> cussed out MS until he got to the truth. Canon killed it
>
> Bill
>
>
>
You are right. "Drops" is not the right word. How about "excludes"?
Micro$oft has a fixed quota of space to sell on its install CD's/DVD's.
So the hardware manufacturers offer up some drivers, and pay the
tribute. Other drivers are available, but not on the install media, but
for downloading from somewhere.

Then there is the issue of collusion between Microsoft and hardware
manufacturers, especially HP. Just looking at the NT family of products
(NT, 2000, XP, Vista, 7), what rationale is there for changing the
driver model with EVERY new version? Well, you can claim ineptitude on
the part of Microsoft, which is partially correct. Or you can think in
terms of all those expensive pieces of hardware rendered obsolete
because the manufacturers cannot cost-justify changing (or even
completely rewriting) drivers for equipment no longer sold. It's not
that HP kills a product. Or that Canon does it. Microsoft gives them a
convenient excuse for killing products... Ben Myers

Bill wrote on Mon, 2 Nov 2009 17:23:07 -0500:
> "BillW50" <> wrote in message
> news:hcnims$5q9$...
>> In news:6WHHm.125732$,
>> Bill typed on Mon, 2 Nov 2009 16:11:26 -0500:
>>> "Wettlesheim" <> wrote in message
>>> news:5ZFHm.8563$...
>>>> I have an 1998 Gateway PII-400 that has been upgraded with a
>>>> Powerleap 1.4 overdrive kit, maximum amount of ram added, Audigy
>>>> soundcard, 128gb ATI video card, and a 400 watt power supply. I've
>>>> been thinking about trying to use Ubuntu Linux and adding a wireless
>>>> network adapter card so I can go online with it to check email,
>>>> waste time (facebook maybe) etc. Is there a specific network card
>>>> that would work well in this PC? Any suggestions for which version
>>>> Ubuntu Linux to use? The PC worked really well years ago and has
>>>> been gathering dust the last 5 years, it's time to either experiment
>>>> with it or get rid of it. Thanks in advance,
>>>> Ron
>>> I was thinking of trying the same thing with an old Dell I have but
>>> decided against it after reading the ubuntu forum.
>>>
>>> http://ubuntuforums.org/
>>>
>>> I don't have the time or energy to try and learn or grapple with this
>>> kind of stuff, as an e.g.
>>>
>>> http://ubuntuforums.org/showthread.php?t=1307019
>>>
>>> Good luck
>>> Bill
>> Those that knows of Linus Torvalds (he is the father of Linux) was
>> recently caught on camera of giving a big thumbs up to Windows. ;-)
>>
>> http://img202.imageshack.us/img202/2...sathumbsup.jpg
>>
>> And those of us who read his book, also knows he uses Windows a lot.
>> Interesting, eh?
>>
>> --
>> Bill
>> Asus EEE PC 701G4 ~ 2GB RAM ~ 16GB-SDHC
>> Windows XP SP2
>
> Sometime ago he did say Linux was heading in the wrong direction and not as
> he would have liked to see.
>
> But I am not a basher of any OS. I think free enterprise and development are
> important to progress.
>
> Bill

Yes! Although as a user of both Linux (see sig) and Windows, I feel I
can speak freely of both. ;-)

--
Bill
Asus EEE PC 702G4 ~ 2GB RAM ~ 16GB-SDHC
Xandros Linux (build 2007-10-19 13:03)

Bill wrote:
> "Ben Myers" <> wrote in message
> news:hcnnl2$icj$...
>> Bill wrote:
>>> "Ben Myers" <> wrote in message
>>> news:hcnatl$lhk$...
>>>> Wettlesheim wrote:
>>>>> I have an 1998 Gateway PII-400 that has been upgraded with a Powerleap
>>>>> 1.4 overdrive kit, maximum amount of ram added, Audigy soundcard,
>>>>> 128gb ATI video card, and a 400 watt power supply. I've been thinking
>>>>> about trying to use Ubuntu Linux and adding a wireless network adapter
>>>>> card so I can go online with it to check email, waste time (facebook
>>>>> maybe) etc. Is there a specific network card that would work well in
>>>>> this PC? Any suggestions for which version Ubuntu Linux to use? The
>>>>> PC worked really well years ago and has been gathering dust the last 5
>>>>> years, it's time to either experiment with it or get rid of it.
>>>>> Thanks in advance,
>>>>> Ron
>>>> Ron,
>>>>
>>>> Ubuntu does a good job recognizing Linksys wireless cards. Start with
>>>> the latest Ubuntu 9.10, which includes very nearly the latest and
>>>> greatest Firefox, Thunderbird, and OpenOffice. Unlike Micro$oft, Linux
>>>> development and packaging is very careful not to drop support for older
>>>> hardware, altho I'm not sure a current version of Linux would install
>>>> and run on a 128MB Pentium... Ben Myers
>>> Ben I may not be as knowledgeable as you, but to say MS drops support for
>>> older hardware is not quite accurate. It is the manufacturers that drop
>>> support and do not supply MS with drivers. I went through two such events
>>> with HP printers and scanners. In both cases MS told me they were not
>>> even provided with generic drivers and HP confirmed they would not be
>>> doing it and I had to buy new machines.
>>>
>>> I also had a friend back in the Win98 to XP days that had a nice Canon
>>> multi function printer that Canon dropped dead...no drivers no updates.
>>> My friend cussed out MS until he got to the truth. Canon killed it
>>>
>>> Bill
>>>
>> You are right. "Drops" is not the right word. How about "excludes"?
>> Micro$oft has a fixed quota of space to sell on its install CD's/DVD's. So
>> the hardware manufacturers offer up some drivers, and pay the tribute.
>> Other drivers are available, but not on the install media, but for
>> downloading from somewhere.
>>
>> Then there is the issue of collusion between Microsoft and hardware
>> manufacturers, especially HP. Just looking at the NT family of products
>> (NT, 2000, XP, Vista, 7), what rationale is there for changing the driver
>> model with EVERY new version? Well, you can claim ineptitude on the part
>> of Microsoft, which is partially correct. Or you can think in terms of
>> all those expensive pieces of hardware rendered obsolete because the
>> manufacturers cannot cost-justify changing (or even completely rewriting)
>> drivers for equipment no longer sold. It's not that HP kills a product.
>> Or that Canon does it. Microsoft gives them a convenient excuse for
>> killing products... Ben Myers
>
> I am a VAR and been selling for 20 plus years to the export market. HP
> changes printers quicker than you can blink an eye. You have no idea how
> many printers HP will kill for whatever reason and it has nothing to do with
> MS.
>
> If there is collusion to kill products I am not privy to that much insider
> information, but I can understand it. Otherwise we would still be driving
> the Edsel (which may not be a bad idea)
>
> MS is in a no win situation. The more they support anything via backward
> compatibility, the more bloated the OS becomes and the complaints and rants
> increase. So the question is where do they draw the line and how far back.
> They have to work with others like HP to come to a middle ground. MS will
> never please everyone and that's ok , but to continually blame them for
> everything that is mostly driven by market reaction and direction, is a
> stretch
>
> And for the $ in MS that's great too. I and a ton of others ( like their
> employees worldwide) have made a tidy sum over the years from their
> stock....something the EU and even our government wanted to break up at one
> time. But that's another topic.
>
> So we will agree to disagree and sorry to the OP for sidetracking
> Bill
>
>
Well, each new version of Windows also gives HP a convenient excuse to
kill off some more printers. The willingness of HPaq to change printer
models faster than you and I change underwear is causing people to look
elsewhere for all but business-class lasers, for which HP is somewhat
compelled to continue driver support by its enterprise customers. Of
course, much to HP's chagrin, a printer with full PostScript Level 2 is
virtually guaranteed not to go obsolete. PostScript is the basic black
style of the printer world. PostScript goes well with anything or any OS.

A lot of the killing of printers could stop if people would simply check
for support of all their hardware before making the move to a new OS.
And I have some clients who willingly pay a few bucks for me to devise
workarounds so that the killed-off printers come back to life as very
functional zombies.

For example, recently, one of my clients bought a Dell with Vista on it,
against my advice about Vista. Then the complaint started about being
unable to print to the old, but reliable OfficeJet attached to an XP box
in the other room. Best Buy, Dell, everyone told them it couldn't be
done. I installed a second driver on the XP system for a B&W DeskJet
600, set up the printer for sharing, then found the "DeskJet 600" on the
Vista machine. Voila! Now they can print on the DeskJet. If they
needed to print in color, I could also have used the color DeskJet 600
driver, since the DeskJet 600 is the lowest common denominator among HP
inkjets and its driver is the basis for many (but not all) inkjet
printers since.

Oh, yeah. I get no margin whatsoever even trying to compete with the
big box stores to sell inkjet printers on a one-off basis. So I make my
money keeping the older printers going, when the printer is reliable
enough to make it worthwhile. I have a number of clients using the
older HP DeskJets, which are far easier on the pocketbook than the new
ones with cartridges of higher capacity. Buying a new HP inkjet is like
attaching a siphon to your credit card, running off to Staples or
somewhere very often to buy still more inkjet cartrdiges.

Back on topic a bit, Ubuntu and other Linux distros generally provide
good support for older printers... Ben Myers