If you have answered yes then you probably at first did not know what to do with it, especially if you already had a computer. As it turns out there are many things you can do with your new hardware. This article will hopefully guide you in the right direction into helping you decide what you want to do with your newly obtained PC.
Why Not Upgrade?
One thing you might want to do with your computer is upgrade it. Add some more RAM, maybe a better video card? If so then there are a few different roads you can take. Firstly you could head down to a neighborhood computer store somewhere and ask for help. If you take this road make sure to write down your PC's model type and manufacturer. This will definitely come in handy later.
The other road you can take is to boot up your acquired PC and head over to Crucial Of course if your computer did not come with an operating system then this is impossible, but if you travel down the article a bit you will find information about operating systems. Once at crucial's website you can scan your system for free and they will tell you what kind of hardware is compatible with your machine. You can also order parts right from their website.
Need an Operating System?
When you got the computer was it given to you with windows 95 installed on it? Or maybe you just want a clean fresh start with your new PC. If either is the case then you need to ask yourself how much are you willing to dish out and will your PC be able to handle the switch. Many operating systems out now require a gigantic amount of RAM to be able to run smoothly. Therefore you do not want to buy and install Windows Vista on a machine built in 1989.
If you don't want to spend much money on your new operating system then maybe you should look into getting a linux distro. The linux operating system comes in many different flavours. My personal favorite is Ubuntu. Ubuntu has a feel much like Windows with its GUI applications. If you mix some compiz fusion in with the Ubuntu you get a beautiful looking desktop which is highly customizable. Compiz can get a little resource hungry though so make sure your computer can handle the load.
If your computer is a little less then up to date take a look at some of Ubuntu's lighter versions such as Kubuntu and Xubuntu, or you could also look at extremly light versions of linux such as DSL(damn small linux). Ubuntu products can be obtained for free at their website Ubuntu and DSL can be found at Damn Small Linux.
Want to Do Something Fun?
Why not try and make an arcade system out of your old PC. There are many ways to accomplish this and it all matters on what type of games you are looking for. If arcade games interest you then you might want to check out Knoppix Mame. Knoppix Mame is a bootable arcade game emulator. All you have to do is download the iso from here.
Then all you have to do is burn it to a CD and pop it into a cd drive and reboot the PC. Next thing you know you will feel like you are standing next to a sweaty man who is playing Adams Family pinball in no time.
Well maybe standing next to sweaty middle aged men is not your thing. Maybe you like to play super Nintendo games? If this is the case then head over to ZSNES and take a look at their SNES emulator for both windows and linux.
Are You the Artistic Type?
Turn your old computer into a media creating machine. You can find all kinds of shareware and freeware for your music making endevours on google. One program that I found was
Advanced Sound Recorder 6.0. This program is shareware but if you like it it only costs $30 to buy the full version.
If you like to create movies then you can try Windows Movie Maker which is free for windows or if you are running linux you can download Cinelerra which turns your linux box into a movie making linux box or if you are a beginner try Kino.
If you are into making images and the such check out Blender. This program runs on both linux and windows and it allows you to create 3D images easily and with little expierence. If you are having trouble getting started Blender has many tutorials based on there site and also you can check out HERE for some good and easy to follow videos from Super3boy
Make a Home Security System!
Using simple and easy to use freeware you can easily turn your old computer and a couple of old webcams into a complete CCTV system which can record video and audio only on motion saving you space. A very good and complete tutorial for Windows users is located Here. If you are running Linux you may want to check out This for allot of good information on how to put that old PC to good use.
As you are reading this you can probably think of many things that you would like to do with your old PC. So your next step is to research. Go to Google and type in your idea chances are you are not the first person to come up with that idea and there probably already exists a program or set of programs to help you accomplish your goals. So don't stop here get out there and do, do, do!!
