Andrea.......do you think these people would have more computers left to sell?? I've never done the ebay thing before - and am a little afraid to. But i'd really love to get my grubby little paws on an older computer to use just for old games.
thanks.....Liz

Hanksdog: my Optiplex has a NIC, I didn't believe the Ebay description until it arrived. Plugged in a cable modem cord (we're networked for 4 computers using broadband), comp configured itself (total mystery to me) & I was onto the internet via broadband. So...it depends on whether the comp has a NIC & you can always install one

Hi Liz

I am so very glad I saved this little computer [probably the main reason is that when I first bought it it cost me $3600] <img border="0" alt="" title="" src="graemlins/woozy.gif" />

The specs are:

P133
16 megs of ram
1.6 gig hard drive
1 meg video card that's VESA 1.0 compliant (I can play Angel Devoid and Ark of Time)
SB16 sound card (bought it off of ebay for $10)
16X CD Rom
W95

I have been able to play every old game I have - even got Kyrandia 1 to run with sound

Syd......that sounds exactly like what i need. I can play neither Angel Devoid or Riddle of Master Lu on my present computer, and have bald spots on my head from trying to get them to work. Maybe i'll get lucky and find someone who wants to get rid of an old puter - if i don't scare them away with the state of my hair!!!

I installed Win 95b on my Dell Optiplex GX Pro 200. The only drivers I downloaded from the net were the ones for its SB16 sound card. I didn't get system specific drivers from Dell. I got
sbw9xup.exe (update of SB16 Windows drivers) and 95dosapp.exe (DOS drivers for Win 95/98 for Creative SB16 and AWE cards). I can't remember if I needed ctcmbbs.exe or not. I know I used it on one of my computers, but it may not have been the Dell. You need it if your computer is not a Plug 'n Play system.

These driver sets are downloadable from
http://www.americas.creative.com/support/welcome.asp?RD=download

I decided to test the slow-down command on my Optiplex and stuck in the oldest game I have, The Black Cauldron, a Sierra/Disney game from 1985. This game has slow, normal, fast and fastest settings for the character's walking speed. Fastest on a 200mhz machine is a blur. I toggled to 8mhz using a CNTRL-ALT-\ command and it slowed right down without a hiccup and without leaving the game. Very nice.

Scout, I was amazed to hear that your Optiplex computer has a built in slow down command. That is so neat! I have never heard of anything like that before. Maybe I need to trade up from my 486. It plays all the old stuff but it is pretty slow.

Pokey,

I know, it was very cool. I think it's only on those early Dell models but I'm not sure. Really a nice option when you have an oldie but goldie loaded up. I only wished I had loaded Dinotopia on the Optiplex instead of my main computer when it floated to me. Then I wouldn't have had all that difficulty jumping off the cliff onto the bird's back. And yeah, the other nice thing is it has a Pentium Pro chip and a 200mhz processor and thus will run quite nicely with the later windows games. I like mine a lot, as you have probably figured out all on your own.

Mike