Not sure what I just did

[The REAL Real Man]

Some guy on eBay is selling 16-year-old HP laptops that are new in the box. A guy on Reddit said he got one. Battery dead, mouse button rubber all sticky, but otherwise... a brand-new, decade-and-a-half-old laptop. Asking price: $59.99 or offer.

https://www.ebay.com/itm/266686796879

I bought one ($55, so just under $80 with tax/shipping). Couldn't resist the chance to own a new old laptop, and new batteries are $20, and I think there's a solution for that sticky rubber... although WTF am I going to do with the damn thing? But I also knew if I didn't, I'd think about it, and I'm hoping it was worth $80 to quiet my brain.

[Ice Cream Jonsey]

oooooh, where did you get a battery for it? I may join you if you are able to put something fun and snappy for an operating system on it.

[The REAL Real Man]

I didn't get a battery yet, want to make sure the damn thing works first, but I did a search for "HP 6390P battery" (or whatever the model number is) on eBay and found plenty. Just bought one of these no name SHIPS FROM USA!!!! NEW BATTRY!!! for the Asus netbook and it works just fine, so I'm good with these cheapies.

[Da King]

Just bought one of these no name SHIPS FROM USA!!!! NEW BATTRY!!! for the Asus netbook and it works just fine, so I'm good with these cheapies.

I would never get one for a laptop you want to use on a regular basis... the battery life will deteriorate almost immediately.

But for a toy... enjoy.

(I cant believe you Presbyterian'd the guy down $4. I also can't believe you spent that much on a 16 year old laptop. You amaze me.)

[The REAL Real Man]

(I cant believe you Presbyterian'd the guy down $4.

Well, it said Make Offer, so I offered $45. He responded with $55. I think at least one other guy got it for $50, but I wasn't going to quibble for $5 I'd probably throw away elsewhere anyway. Also, I was kind of afraid he'd sell out, although if that happened he'd be doing me a fucking favor.

I also can't believe you spent that much on a 16 year old laptop. You amaze me.)

Me neither, but I just spent $700 on an HO-scale model of the train I used to ride to Rochester, which is more than I have ever spent on any model train thing ever before, so I guess I'm just in that kind of mood.

Actually, the truth is that if I didn't buy it I would just obsess over whether I should have bought it, and $78 is a cheap price to quiet the voices in my head.

THE
SPENDY
TRM

[Ice Cream Jonsey]

I am fully on board with what TRM did. This is a great deal and you don't have to worry about the slime and goo from the typical laptop user's sweat glands getting all into the thing. I should know because lately I am very little other than goo and glands. And GLANS if you're digging my di--

While TRM has expressed more of an interest in word processing than old video games, you could get any one of the awesome front ends that have been posted around in here lately and have the thing work perfectly for that. Imagine a SCUMMVM machine. Dedicated! An instance of LaunchBox that only contains PC hockey games! Perfect! Well, it won't work perfectly perfectly, at least not when the first person jostles the power cord that has to be connected at all times. But hey, a power cord has to be connected at all times for the computer I am typing this on right now too.

Also, we're all going to look the other way when it comes to disposing of the battery that is going to be shipped out for these things. A certain amount of lithium batteries are "built in" to landfill capacity these days. They expect it. They understand it. They crave it and want it and hate that they need it.

[Ice Cream Jonsey]

These come with a Windows serial too, I would imagine. I think that Windows 10 let you use almost anything for an upgrade path. So these could be worth it just to get a Windows 11 key eventually. Frankly, it's insane that the rest of you are not buying these.

[AArdvark]

Think 11 would run on a 16 year old laptop? Or just using teh key to legit-up a more robust box, ah! I get it.

[Ice Cream Jonsey]

Right! That's your new upgrade path!

[Da King]

Also, I was kind of afraid he'd sell out

You were afraid the guy was going to sell out of 16 year old laptops? REALLY?

[The REAL Real Man]

Yeah. 111 sold. 6 more since I bought yesterday AM. I think he's down to his last dozen.

[The REAL Real Man]

I am not alone in my sickness!!

[The REAL Real Man]

It's here it's here it's here! AND it works! Booted up (well, no date/time) and started the WinXP install. I ordered an SSD and a battery for it and will go the DOS/Linux route. It'll be nice to do DOS gaming on a proper 4:3 monitor! No pics yet because I put it right back in its box and up on a shelf so the dogs won't play with it while I'm busy w/ work.

[Jizaboz]

Fuck yeah man!

[Ice Cream Jonsey]

NICE. I saw that he restocked those laptops. I think I am not going to pull the trigger because there's just too much retro stuff around at the moment, but I am happy for you.

[The REAL Real Man]

He did? Oh, he did! It's all I can do not to buy another one. I swapped in the SSD. Got Freedos on there, but I'm thinking I might go Windows 98 SE and edit the startup so I can go straight to DOS. Meanwhile, the netbook is going with me to NYC... A little Space Quest on the plane, perhaps?