Hi everyone! I have this really old 386SX computer and want to hook it up to the internet. What my question is that I was wondering if there was some kind of software, like AOL, Compuserve, or Prodigy software available for DOS. I know that there are DOS Web browsers on the net, but I want to use the features that come with services like AOL and Compuserve in DOS. I found AOL for DOS, installed it and it wouldn't connect! Maybe Compuserve for DOS still connects? Or how about Prodigy for DOS? Any information about any of these programs would be REALLY helpful. I want to use this PC as a backup computer, in case I EVER have to use it, i'd like some kind of internet on it. Also, on that 386, it doesn't have alot of hard disk space/memory and since it will be a backup computer, I don't want to upgrade it. I don't want to install Windows because it's way too slow on it, I tried and it was too slow, so I thought using DOS would be alot quicker. Again, any info would be appreciated. Thanks everyone!

no more aol questions. no aol for dos. no guiding by the nose. no nothing other than the standard browsers. - W0rm

Stop posting the same thing every week. There is no AOL or Prodigy for Dos anymore. The only connecting software for Dos is the Arachne browser for use with a normal PPP connection.

Do the answers strike you as a party line? Keep looking. How about browsers for windows 3.1? Despite your way too slow statement, windows 3.1 runs fine on 386 computers. How about early Netscape or Internet Explorer versions for 3.1. Don't bother with Arachne, they download and there is nothing on your computer. (a la those installations of humor. Remember the 100% graph in some of these postings?) You people sound like parrots, "DOS browsers have vanished off the face of the earth."

I would have to agree with Fred. Installing Windows 3.11 on a 386 should work fine. Also since you probably don't have a winmodem, you could probably get the QNX modem demo to work for your pc. Go here: http://www.qnx.com/demodisk/download/modem.html#windows This is actually a graphical browser that fits on a 1.44 meg floppy! I used it on a 486-25 SX here at work and it worked fine. However, you will need a dialup to a standard (I.E. No special software needed) ISP (with which you can usually purchase for a low monthly fee, heck you might even ask a friend if you can 'borrow' theirs if you use it infrequently). You can also download the new deal office suite at www.newdealinc.com and use their integrated system, but again you will need an ISP to do this. Wish you the best of luck, -Michael

QNX is an interesting option if you just wan't to view data, but you can't save data to disk. I believe you need a minimum of 8MB RAM. Arachne does work (for me) and can be used with 4MB RAM. It isn't very fast. Windows 3.1 with IE or Netscape are faster if you have enough memory? John

I know that this is a DOS channel, but I have successfully put Linux on a 386 and had it dial in and use Netscape 4.7x in a GUI (X). Linux will function on a little as 16 MB of ram w/ the GUI, 8 if you are really desprate and give it swap. (email for more info drscriptt@yahoo.com)