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1990s IBM-compatible PCs

Computers following the "IBM compatible" template, primarily on ATX motherboards, and typically running either DOS or Windows with Intel x86-compatible processors.

Maniac

Inherited from an old co-worker of Mom's that once ran a second-hand fashion store just outside the Portland metro area, Maniac came to us with no sound hardware, barely any RAM, and a desire for Greater Things. Once cleansed of its factory IBM hard drive and ISA internal modem card, Dad had installed a Roland interface card to work with his old MPU-401 and MT-32. Once de-mothballed by myself, I granted it a larger hard drive, a Sound Blaster Vibra-16, and the largest stick of memory with which it was compatible (coincidentally, the largest the motherboard would accept as well). Some parts of the unit had to be borrowed for another computer, but it'll still start right back up whenever I ask. With mTCP installed, it'll even surf the web, chat on IRC, or send and receive files to my other, much newer computers (and phone!) via FTP.

Its lack of L1 cache (and apparent inability to be given any?) does prevent it from tackling anything more complex; games like Rise of the Triad and Doom prove to be simply too much for the poor thing, and Quake refuses to start on it at all, simply rebooting the computer instead if I try.

Lifthrasir

This machine came to me in mostly reasonable condition, but with a hard drive from a different computer installed in it; as such, it was running an OS completely unsuited to it (Windows 2000, I believe) and non-functioning drivers. With some effort, I was able to erase it and get Windows 98SE to work on it. I have very little of the Toshiba-specific software installed. I've successfully used Lifthrasir to image floppy disks, as well as a few CDs, though its scant hard drive capacity makes the latter slightly difficult. Also, since this is a model that still has a passive-matrix screen, fast action games are decidedly not recommended for this guy. Fortunately, there are plenty that still work just fine.

Sigurd

Bought at a hefty discount from what I can only assume was a fundraising auction for a county sheriff's department; alas, it came with most of its components removed. I was able to replace the hard drive caddy, acquire two modules for the swappable external storage bay, and get a new power brick for it. I also took the extra step of getting it an IDE to CompactFlash adapter, eliminating just about every moving part the machine ever had. Given its origins, the very first thing I elected to do with it was install and play Grand Theft Auto, which ran well enough, and controlled quite awfully on the weather-resistant rubber keyboard. I am rather surprised that the trackpad still works.

Scarface One

Eitr

I got this one from Craigslist as a fully-specced, DOS-only computer, but quickly set about improving it with parts found lying around the house. It is now quite adept at running anything up to 1997, which handily accounts for most Windows 9x games that require a 3Dfx video card (in this case, my childhood Creative 3D Blaster Voodoo 2). It's been through a lot, but it's a damned solid machine at this point. Assuming it doesn't throw too many BSODs at you. But that was a fact of life, in '97.