If you could have seen Linux back in 1993! It was much more esoteric and came with a stapled 3 inch thick manual that looked like it was done on an old Mimeograph machine. A friend set up a "hole in the wall" to the interent with no cap's with his 486 and it took him 2 months to get Linux down proper. He was so happy he gave me a Linux bumpersticker....which I wore proudly after having listened to all the problems. It sure has come a long way....If you want to get even more esoteric, try to install FIDO on a system...
BTW...do not throw away all of the old 486's...There is a growing group of people who are linking them using proprietary software. A bank of say 20 486's comes up with one heck of a "super-computer". This has been happening in small circles as of late...The new "machines" run as fast as anything mainframe....and one of the genius kids behind all of this is 14 years old! Some of a long time friend and G'son of one of Notre Dames very first non-catholic professos (now passed) It's in the genes dude!
As to my good fortune...mother humbled me with a Compaq Celeron Presario...The machine is ALL USB and a bit buggy yet, but sure runs faster than most I have seen and faster than anything I have known...Now I reformatted the K26 AMD and it is now working again.....So I am getting a key and hub...Bill left an old 386...finally getting this down pat!