rebuilt dell latitude cpi version a - questions

mjmbandb · 01-17-2008, 06:59 AM

I just got this and found out it needs an external modem! WHO builds a laptop today without a built in modem! Anyway, I also need to get a wireless card and a working battery for it. Any advice? I know NOTHING about laptops as this will be my first, and I have only used a few. I have never used wireless either. If anyone has a working battery they'd give up, let me know. I am looking for what will work on my machine - explained very simply.

budokan · 01-23-2008, 02:46 AM

The dell CPi was not built "today", it's probably 10 or 12 years old!!

You will need to get a modem card to fit one of the two slots provided and you will need the correct drivers for it. ebay is probably as good as anywhere for this - a couple of pounds ($).

The battery is a different matter - £80 from Dell - dodgy from ebay. They are getting rare in good condition and plenty of unscrupulous people are selling faulty or very tired ones as "untested". You pays your money, you takes your choice!

I hope you're not expecting to run anything later than 98se on this machine. The maximum RAM (if you can afford it) is 250MB and the low processor speeds struggle to entertain XP or even 2000. Linux is undoubtedly the best choice for a machine of this age if you are not content with 98se.

Budokan

01-17-2008, 06:59 AM	#1 (permalink)
mjmbandb Registered User Join Date: Jan 2008 Posts: 1 OS: win98	rebuilt dell latitude cpi version a - questions I just got this and found out it needs an external modem! WHO builds a laptop today without a built in modem! Anyway, I also need to get a wireless card and a working battery for it. Any advice? I know NOTHING about laptops as this will be my first, and I have only used a few. I have never used wireless either. If anyone has a working battery they'd give up, let me know. I am looking for what will work on my machine - explained very simply.

01-23-2008, 02:46 AM	#2 (permalink)
budokan Registered User Join Date: Jan 2008 Posts: 11 OS: XP	Re: rebuilt dell latitude cpi version a - questions The dell CPi was not built "today", it's probably 10 or 12 years old!! You will need to get a modem card to fit one of the two slots provided and you will need the correct drivers for it. ebay is probably as good as anywhere for this - a couple of pounds ($). The battery is a different matter - £80 from Dell - dodgy from ebay. They are getting rare in good condition and plenty of unscrupulous people are selling faulty or very tired ones as "untested". You pays your money, you takes your choice! I hope you're not expecting to run anything later than 98se on this machine. The maximum RAM (if you can afford it) is 250MB and the low processor speeds struggle to entertain XP or even 2000. Linux is undoubtedly the best choice for a machine of this age if you are not content with 98se. Budokan