How To Build The Best PC 1991 Had To Offer

In 1991, the reliably delightful Computer Chronicles gave us a peek into the intrepid world of custom PC builders — or as they were called back then, “homebrewers”. And looking back a solid 23 years later, the once so-called “Volkswagen of PCs” is downright adorable.

Of course, the custom computing world can be intimidating, we know. So we’ve picked out a few choice specs and tips for you to cut your teeth on. Your 1991 PC must-haves are:

  • 16mhz CPU
  • 200 MB HDD
  • 2mb RAM
  • “With the new operating system, MS-DOS 5.0, the more memory the better.”
  • “Today the prices of PCs have gone down so low that everyone has to have a hard disk.”
  • “Most PCs do not have three floppy disk drives, although I think it’s a necessity today.”

But the best part? Adding in faux-floppy faceplates (seen around 5:50) to make it seem like you have more drives than you actually do. Because you can never have too many floppy drives. [Fark]


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