The Multimedia Machine
So far, since my resources are extremely limited, I'm going to go with what I've got. I'm
starting out with an MP3 player/VCD player/TV recording device.
Now, of course, I want this device to be astheticaly pleasing as well. Here's several
pictures of the case before I pretty it up a bit:
The case in all its ugliness
Genuine Intel 386sx CPU
30 Pin SIMM Slots
The Guts
The obvious thing (at least, to me) was that I was going to have to replace the motherboard.
First, the original didn't work. Second, I don't think that a 386 was going to have the power
to decode multimedia files anywhere near fast enough to be enjoyable.
I had a 486 board that I figured would do the trick. The only problem? This was a slimline
case. Also, for future expanablity (ie the DVD playback) I would need somthing much more
powerful than a 486. Works good for MP3's, but for movies? Not so much.
At the MIT Swap Fest I found a slimline socket
five motherboard that I believed would fill in that requirement nicely. The bonus? The
man who had it gave it to me for nothing. Of course, I don't know if it works or not...I don't
have a socket five CPU to test it out.
