I realize I could simply not install a browser; I'm using this as a heuristic for a computer with very modest specifications.
Ask HN: Best computer that can't run a modern browser
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Re: Ask HN: Best computer that can't run a modern browser
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#6An older ThinkPad - stylish definitely and definitely under 200.
But how old Thinkpad it needs to be so it's not capable to run a modern browser? I have Thinkpad from 2010 (added SSD and some RAM) and it's running browser quite nicely.
Maybe the OP wants something even older?
Re: Ask HN: Best computer that can't run a modern browser
#7APU is x86 compat, up to 4GB RAM, mSATA, serial port, but no video. Buy an old VT term off an auction site to complete your browser-free experience. https://www.pcengines.ch/apu4c4.htm
https://geoffg.net/terminal.html
Several people seem to be making and selling them.
Re: Ask HN: Best computer that can't run a modern browser
#8The real question, which is what you may be trying to ask, is what's the oldest hardware that will handle a modern bloated website. 3rd gen i5 on a 2012 Thinkpad struggles, but works fine, so you may wanna go back a few years before 2012 at least.
Re: Ask HN: Best computer that can't run a modern browser
#9I think you're conflating modern web browsers and the 'modern' (read 'bloated') web. I'm guessing the most recent version of Firefox or Chrome will run on very old hardware assuming the OS itself supports the hardware. The real question, which is what you may be trying to ask, is what's the oldest hardware that will handle a modern bloated website. 3rd gen i5 on a 2012 Thinkpad struggles, but works fine, so you may w…
Re: Ask HN: Best computer that can't run a modern browser
#10The original raspberry pi's struggled with browsers. And and they look super stylish with that clear case thing.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Raspberry_Pi
And there is an extra minimal alternative:
Raspberry Pi Pico ( 264 KB; available from $4 + https://github.com/asynts/pico-os )
"Raspberry Pi Pico comes with Dual-Core ARM Cortex M0+ processor, which can run up to 133MHz. It has 264KB of SRAM and 2MB of on-board flash storage, but we can extend up to 16MB of off-chip Flash memory via a dedicated Quad-SPI bus."
(alternative sw: https://github.com/topics/raspberry-pi-pico )