a) how new does a system have to be to support ATA/100 IDE data transfer rate, providing one has an ATA/100 HDD and cable?_____________________________________________

b) i have a 486 (66mhz, 16mb) and 2 Pentium (100mhz, 32mb & 133mhz, 64mb) systems sitting on my shelf of computer systems. i am keeping them because they work quite well for their age, but is there any charity or somthing that would still accept and make use of systems that old? i turn them on and play solitare on 'em somtimes, but i would rather see them go to legit use then sitting on shelf only to be used for solitare once in a while. is there any charity or somthing that would still accept and make use of systems that old?

Argue for your limitations and sure enough, they're yours.

I saw on the news that relief sites for Hurricane Katrina are looking for computer donations so evacuees can access the internet sites posting names and locations of loved ones. If your computer has a modem, consider finding a relief site in your area. Someone may be very,very happy.

If you find you're going 'round in circles, perhaps you're cutting corners.

Havent you asked the same thing before? About donating old systems and how much they are worth?

yes i know but there have been a few new people signing up scince then, so maybe they know some place. okay, i may cosider the hurricane thing but what will become of them whenever the people at the releif sites are done using them as temporary internet systems?

Argue for your limitations and sure enough, they're yours.

You would need a relatively new motherboard if you're looking for on-board ATA 100 support. Otherwise, an add-on ATA card should work on any motherboard that has PCI slots, although you should probably refer to info on the specific card to make sure. I've used them on P-II motherboards. As far as the OS is concerned, I'd think at least 98.

The value of those old computers kind of depends on where you're located. In most cities there's a glut of used computers and most places that accept donations have all they need. And the places that accept and use them (vs. reselling them) will usually need donated labor to keep them running. I've donated several P-I systems and every so often have to work on them again because some of the old hardware has failed or they've mucked up the OS.

a) you'd have to check the board specs, but you could always use an ATA100 controller card on an older system

b) do a search for "computers for kids" or "computers for children" in your area

ASUS A7N8X-X
Athlon XP 1800+
8.5 x 200MHz
1024MB PC3200 2.5-3-3-7
Asus A9550GE/TD 128MB
WinME/WinXP Pro SP1

Call your local schools.Let them know you have free computers for a child who needs one.

so a newer socket 370 motherboard would not have onboard ATA/100 support?

Argue for your limitations and sure enough, they're yours.

You'd need to check the individual specs. I don't think there's any reason why it couldn't. I'm sure ATA 100 drives were around when some of the more recent 370 motherboards were made. So it just depends if the manufacturers decided to include it.