Someone gave me a 486

[AArdvark]

Now we're having fun!

[AArdvark]

Playing a graphical text adventure, but using Dosbox because it's easier than the real hardware. I'm too dumb to figure out how to install multi floppy games anymore. The last time I did it was in 1998 when I installed... Windows98

[AArdvark]

Anybody want the monitor that came with the 486? It's your basic 14 inch crt, free to good home, otherwise It's just going to get smashed up and going into the landfill

Post updated:

[Flack]

I'd love to have it, but won't pay to ship it. You should check your local FB Marketplace or Craigslist; you would be surprised how much those are worth today.

[AArdvark]

Eh, the space it's taking up is worth more to me than the monitor itself. It does weigh quite a lot, shipping would go into triple digits.

I could do the private sale thing, which will be a pain in the process, as we all know, or I could spend 30 seconds with a sledgehammer and not have to deal with the great unwashed

Update: nevermind

[Ice Cream Jonsey]

Please don't smash it up.

I know you could have not said anything and avoided us trying to tell you what to do with your stuff, but if you were able to put it on Freecycle or something, we the JC community will owe you one (1) favor in return that you can ask for at any time. You'll have it in your back pocket. If it were 17" or greater I would try to have my brother come over and get it, the 14" VGA ones are just in this weird spot.

[AArdvark]

I just don't want to deal with it. After realizing that shipping would be so expensive I kind of regret mentioning anything.

Let's pretend that the machine did not come with a monitor and the guy that gave me the pc told me the screen broke long ago

[Flack]

Yeah, I get it. Worst case scenario, you could put it out on the curb for free pickup. It'll be gone in the morning. Or, smash it.

[Ice Cream Jonsey]

I just don't want to deal with it. After realizing that shipping would be so expensive I kind of regret mentioning anything.

Let's pretend that the machine did not come with a monitor and the guy that gave me the pc told me the screen broke long ago

I understand regretting mentioning it. I have felt that way about many interactions since the pandemic started. So we shall FORGET as a community the monitor. Let's heal as a community.

[Ice Cream Jonsey]

Maybe it was best we did not go the Freecycle route.

https://www.bleepingcomputer.com/news/s ... ion-users/

[Casual Observer]

Maybe it was best we did not go the Freecycle route.

https://www.bleepingcomputer.com/news/s ... ion-users/

What's the harm in someone breaching a free site, one that doesn't ask for even a credit card? This mentality is what brings us goddamn 2FA on sites that should never have to give a shit. It's already common knowledge that we shouldn't use passwords across multiple sites or click shit in unknown emails (yes of course people fail at that every day, fucking morons all of them) so why do I have to deal with guardrails put in place for the lowest common denominator. Why can't we just take an IQ test or something to opt out of 2FA?

[Jizaboz]

Yeah that model monitor isn't really useful for a hell of a lot of other stuff. I've still got my parents 1990 Zenith 17 inch TV in my storage shed. One winter (maybe this one) I'll pull it out and rob the tube from it as those tubes make great tubes to build a common arcade monitor from scratch with the right parts (Wells Gardner k7000) or to perform a tube-swap operation.

Most of these old computer monitors however due to the OHM ratings off the yoke and such ain't good for shit except being a computer monitor.

[AArdvark]

Look! After 50+ years, it's my first legitimate DOS game!

Whoo-Hoo!

[Ice Cream Jonsey]

Wait, what do you mean? You had it back in the day and you are showing it, or you pirated all your DOS games back then?

I must know!

[AArdvark]

I never had any DOS games per se, everything was Windows. The first PC game I ever got was Diablo but that was a copy.
This is my first original DOS only game.

The previous owner wants to play it on DosBox so I will be figuring out how to do that.

[AArdvark]

Before I go down into the hell that is command line typing, I'm moving all the files via floppy from the 486 and putting them together in my win7 machine.

I am also discovering floppies are not always reliable. Actually I knew that, this is reaffirming.

I'm using Windows 3.1 to format my blank floppies then drag a bunch of the game files onto them. The go upstairs and put the files into their proper folders. Repeat.

This is because I'm a dumb guy and can't figure out how to install the game from their floppies inside DosBox. Installed perfectly on the old hardware, go figure.

[Jizaboz]

Oh you are not the only one. I’ve used dosbox for a looong time but if I download a game not ready to be launched from the virtual C drive I give up and look for something else.

[AArdvark]

I think I've got it. I just needed to download the proper version of the game. It seems to be installing ok. What I did not know was that you can just drag an .exe file to the DosBox icon and it will do the rest for you.


update: the guy I'm doing all this for doesn't know how to unzip a folder on a Macbook, nor does he grasp the concept of drag-and-drop. Talking him through the steps over the phone was not successful

[AArdvark]

What good is a 5-1/4 drive without floppies, right?

[AArdvark]

I feel so 1983 right now!