Dimetrius (Original)

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dimetrius
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Dell Inspiron 3800
Hardware
Vendor:Dell
Model:Inspiron 3800 C450
CPU:Celeron@450MHz
Bus:PCI, USB
RAM:320MB
Software
OS:NetBSD 1.5
Collection Data
Acquired:2000
From:Dell
Paid:$1200
Relinquished:2004
Relinquished to:Ben Duh's Hammer of Doom
Catalog Data
Location:Location Unknown
Usage Info
Role:Various


Original Purchase

This machine was purchased direct from the Dell Website in 2000, while living at the Martinez household. For $50 more, I could have had a larger screen and a Pentium III processor instead of a weak Celeron. This is a lesson in how not to be, unless you want to be penny-wise and pound-foolish. Joel Martinez reminds me (quite correctly) of this error in judgment quite regularly, which is something I definitely appreciate.

Ariel Technologies Upgrade

As shipped from Dell, the machine came with 32MB of RAM and no Wi-Fi support. Ariel Technologies paid to max out the RAM at 320MB, and added a Cisco AiroNet 340 Wi-Fi card. I tested the Windows "Whistler" beta on this machine, and it ran Red Hat 7.1 for a bit.

Trailer Era

This machine was used in the trailer as a MOP server (running NetBSD) to netboot hermes, a VAXstation 3100 M40.

Loan-Out to Joel Martinez

Joel borrowed this machine for a bit, shortly before it failed, and would only come up to a blinking cursor.

Final Destruction

During the Trailer Tragedy of 2004, I let Ben Gutierrez smash this machine to smithereens with his Hammer-O-Doom.

Historical Summary

This section was taken from my old personal website, which is archived at and accessible from The VAX Pirate's Lair. As such, the contents are likely out of date and not particularly reliable.

This laptop replaced an ancient Toshiba 486. I bought it direct from Dell in 2000 or 2001. It has run Windows 98, Windows NT Workstation 4.0, Windows 2000, Windows XP, Red Hat Linux, and most recently netBSD. Not a horribly good machine-the keyboard barely works. It makes a good portable UNIX box with netBSD, provided you don't need "i", the down arrow, or "delete." Oh well, theres always telnet...

Specifications

  • Dell Inspiron 3800 C450
  • Intel Celeron 450MHz
  • 320MB RAM
  • 4.5GB IDE hard drive
  • 24X CD-ROM
  • ATI Rage P/M Mobility 8MB video chipset
  • Linksys 10bt ethernet adapter (PCMCIA)

Gallery

External Links