ThinkPad i 1412 Laptop & WiFi

My 1998 laptop, IBM ThinkPad i 1412 has 2.0 GD hard drive and 160 mb of RAM.
It requires a PCMCIA card to get on Wi?Fi (according to the manual).
The cards I have seen in STAPLES and OFFICE DEPOT indicate the cards require
at least Windows 98 SE.
Is this laptot good enought to make it on WiFi ? I am not a power user,
just a lerker. What should be up-graded, if anything, for this computer to
make it on a WiFi ?

Gene B
(E-Mail Removed)

"Gene B." <Gene B.@discussions.microsoft.com> wrote in message news:9BDF5056-D777-485E-A7F1-(E-Mail Removed)...
> My 1998 laptop, IBM ThinkPad i 1412 has 2.0 GD hard drive and 160 mb of RAM.
> It requires a PCMCIA card to get on Wi?Fi (according to the manual).
> The cards I have seen in STAPLES and OFFICE DEPOT indicate the cards require
> at least Windows 98 SE.
> Is this laptot good enought to make it on WiFi ?

No it is not good gor anything any more.

> I am not a power user,
> just a lerker. What should be up-graded, if anything, for this computer to
> make it on a WiFi ?

This is why you need a new, powerful, affordable laptop, on a factory warranty,
with Windows preinstalled, no grief and lot of joy
Give your old #$^@ to a charity.

Regards,
--PA

Hi
What OS is running on it now?
Win98SE and Win200Pro would run on it too. Some what sluggish, but it would
run.
I have a P-II 233MHz ThinkPad with 96MB RAM and 2GB that runs Wireless with
Win98SE.
Why? No one would give me more than few $$$ for it, so I keep as a "spare of
a spare" for fun, and memories .
Jack (MVP-Networking).

"Gene B." <Gene B.@discussions.microsoft.com> wrote in message
news:9BDF5056-D777-485E-A7F1-(E-Mail Removed)...
> My 1998 laptop, IBM ThinkPad i 1412 has 2.0 GD hard drive and 160 mb of
> RAM.
> It requires a PCMCIA card to get on Wi?Fi (according to the manual).
> The cards I have seen in STAPLES and OFFICE DEPOT indicate the cards
> require
> at least Windows 98 SE.
> Is this laptot good enought to make it on WiFi ? I am not a power user,
> just a lerker. What should be up-graded, if anything, for this computer to
> make it on a WiFi ?
>
> Gene B
> (E-Mail Removed)

Jack
Am using Windows 98. Will PC cards OR USB WiFi adapters work on OS 98
systems when labels on their boxes indicate they are good for 98SE and higher
? Are their cards/USB adapter made for Windows 98 ?

Gene B.

"Jack (MVP-Networking)." wrote:

> Hi
> What OS is running on it now?
> Win98SE and Win200Pro would run on it too. Some what sluggish, but it would
> run.
> I have a P-II 233MHz ThinkPad with 96MB RAM and 2GB that runs Wireless with
> Win98SE.
> Why? No one would give me more than few $$$ for it, so I keep as a "spare of
> a spare" for fun, and memories .
> Jack (MVP-Networking).
>
> "Gene B." <Gene B.@discussions.microsoft.com> wrote in message
> news:9BDF5056-D777-485E-A7F1-(E-Mail Removed)...
> > My 1998 laptop, IBM ThinkPad i 1412 has 2.0 GD hard drive and 160 mb of
> > RAM.
> > It requires a PCMCIA card to get on Wi?Fi (according to the manual).
> > The cards I have seen in STAPLES and OFFICE DEPOT indicate the cards
> > require
> > at least Windows 98 SE.
> > Is this laptot good enought to make it on WiFi ? I am not a power user,
> > just a lerker. What should be up-graded, if anything, for this computer to
> > make it on a WiFi ?
> >
> > Gene B
> > (E-Mail Removed)
>
>
>

Gene B. wrote:
> Jack
> Am using Windows 98. Will PC cards OR USB WiFi adapters work on OS 98
> systems when labels on their boxes indicate they are good for 98SE and higher
> ? Are their cards/USB adapter made for Windows 98 ?
>
> Gene B.
>
> "Jack (MVP-Networking)." wrote:
>
>> Hi
>> What OS is running on it now?
>> Win98SE and Win200Pro would run on it too. Some what sluggish, but it would
>> run.
>> I have a P-II 233MHz ThinkPad with 96MB RAM and 2GB that runs Wireless with
>> Win98SE.
>> Why? No one would give me more than few $$$ for it, so I keep as a "spare of
>> a spare" for fun, and memories .
>> Jack (MVP-Networking).
>>
>> "Gene B." <Gene B.@discussions.microsoft.com> wrote in message
>> news:9BDF5056-D777-485E-A7F1-(E-Mail Removed)...
>>> My 1998 laptop, IBM ThinkPad i 1412 has 2.0 GD hard drive and 160 mb of
>>> RAM.
>>> It requires a PCMCIA card to get on Wi?Fi (according to the manual).
>>> The cards I have seen in STAPLES and OFFICE DEPOT indicate the cards
>>> require
>>> at least Windows 98 SE.
>>> Is this laptot good enought to make it on WiFi ? I am not a power user,
>>> just a lerker. What should be up-graded, if anything, for this computer to
>>> make it on a WiFi ?
>>>
>>> Gene B
>>> (E-Mail Removed)
>>
>>

I wouldn't bet that a device that says it works with Win98SE will also
work with original Win98

You may have to get one of the Orinoco Gold/Silver 802.11b cards; I
think you can still download Win98 drivers for those.

Hi
Yap (as Lem posted) many of the newer cards might work with Win98SE but
would have problems with Win98. There are still few cards that would work
with old laptops and Win98. Orinoco has Win98 drivers but can have problems
with an old PCMCIA bus (same for other newer cards that have drivers for
Win98 they might be not compatible with an old PCMCIA Bus). If the Orinoco
works it would be awesome since it is one of the best ever. Proxim use to
make a card called RangeLAN-DS it is an 802.11b with Win98 drivers and would
work with old bus. You would have to search eBay to find one.
Jack (MVP-Networking).

"Lem" <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote in message
news:%(E-Mail Removed)...
> Gene B. wrote:
>> Jack
>> Am using Windows 98. Will PC cards OR USB WiFi adapters work on OS 98
>> systems when labels on their boxes indicate they are good for 98SE and
>> higher ? Are their cards/USB adapter made for Windows 98 ?
>>
>> Gene B.
>>
>> "Jack (MVP-Networking)." wrote:
>>
>>> Hi
>>> What OS is running on it now?
>>> Win98SE and Win200Pro would run on it too. Some what sluggish, but it
>>> would run.
>>> I have a P-II 233MHz ThinkPad with 96MB RAM and 2GB that runs Wireless
>>> with Win98SE.
>>> Why? No one would give me more than few $$$ for it, so I keep as a
>>> "spare of a spare" for fun, and memories .
>>> Jack (MVP-Networking).
>>>
>>> "Gene B." <Gene B.@discussions.microsoft.com> wrote in message
>>> news:9BDF5056-D777-485E-A7F1-(E-Mail Removed)...
>>>> My 1998 laptop, IBM ThinkPad i 1412 has 2.0 GD hard drive and 160 mb of
>>>> RAM.
>>>> It requires a PCMCIA card to get on Wi?Fi (according to the manual).
>>>> The cards I have seen in STAPLES and OFFICE DEPOT indicate the cards
>>>> require
>>>> at least Windows 98 SE.
>>>> Is this laptot good enought to make it on WiFi ? I am not a power
>>>> user,
>>>> just a lerker. What should be up-graded, if anything, for this computer
>>>> to
>>>> make it on a WiFi ?
>>>>
>>>> Gene B
>>>> (E-Mail Removed)
>>>
>>>
>
> I wouldn't bet that a device that says it works with Win98SE will also
> work with original Win98
>
> You may have to get one of the Orinoco Gold/Silver 802.11b cards; I think
> you can still download Win98 drivers for those.

Pavel A. wrote:
> "Gene B." <Gene B.@discussions.microsoft.com> wrote in message news:9BDF5056-D777-485E-A7F1-(E-Mail Removed)...
>> My 1998 laptop, IBM ThinkPad i 1412 has 2.0 GD hard drive and 160 mb of RAM.
>> It requires a PCMCIA card to get on Wi?Fi (according to the manual).
>> The cards I have seen in STAPLES and OFFICE DEPOT indicate the cards require
>> at least Windows 98 SE.
>> Is this laptot good enought to make it on WiFi ?
>
> No it is not good gor anything any more.
>
>> I am not a power user,
>> just a lerker. What should be up-graded, if anything, for this computer to
>> make it on a WiFi ?
>
> This is why you need a new, powerful, affordable laptop, on a factory warranty,
> with Windows preinstalled, no grief and lot of joy
> Give your old #$^@ to a charity.
>
> Regards,
> --PA
>
>
>
>

I have an old Toshiba Satellite Pro, bought in 1996 but UPGRADED to 32MB
of RAM with a whopping 1.2GB HD. :-)

The poor old thing will not accept the "new" PC Bus cards. It require a
real PCMCIA card I found used from Dell. It will run 802.11b on either
Windows 95 OSR2 or Win98SE. Not fast but it is adequate for email, etc,
and fortunately so because my wife had to make use of it during a recent
illness.

So I disagree that the OP's machine is of no use.

"TOF" <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote in message news:(E-Mail Removed)...
> I have an old Toshiba Satellite Pro, bought in 1996 but UPGRADED to 32MB of RAM with a whopping 1.2GB HD. :-)
>
> The poor old thing will not accept the "new" PC Bus cards. It require a real PCMCIA card I found used from Dell. It will run
> 802.11b on either Windows 95 OSR2 or Win98SE. Not fast but it is adequate for email, etc, and fortunately so because my wife
> had to make use of it during a recent illness.
>
> So I disagree that the OP's machine is of no use.
>

My opinion is *only* for the specific case of the Original poster.
Of course, if you are well used to win98 and have a healhy machine, no problem.
But for a less experienced person, a new laptop with 802.11 G adapter built-in,
all drivers preinstalled, set up and supported, can be optimal.
Prices now are really affordable.

Win98 has reached end of it's lifecycle and is no longer widely supported.
This means - no updates for popular software, no bug fixes, no security patches.
For example, Skype needs win2k or XP (no win98).
Google desktop runs only on XP and up.

(and by the way, the older B adapters are not WPA capable - which brings in
other unwanted issues... )

Regards,
--PA