Computer w/o OS.....Help!

[woodbutcher]

Let me preface this by saying that I'm very naive about all this.

I bought a used Compaq 733mhz 128mb RAM 10ghz hard drive off of Ebay and was advertized w/ no OS.
So I hooked up the k/b, mouse and monitor and turned it on. First the red "COMPAQ"
logo comes then the Windows 98 thing comes up, then C:\>_ comes up. I type in "dir"
and get:
Command Com 93k
Config Sys 136
Oakcdrom Sys 41K
Extract Exe 93K
Himen Sys 33K
Mscdex Exe 25K
Autoexec Bat 48
7 Files 287K 9,528MB Free
So this tells me that this is all thats on the C drive. So what do I do next?
I had hoped to install ME from a restore disk , but I can see that isn't going to
happen. I was planning on using this computer just to store pics and mp3's and with no
internet access.
Should I just buy Windows 98 software somewhere or some other OS and install that?
I'm assuming that's all I have to do. I went to Wally-World and they had nothing.
The clerk told me they were sold out of XP and that's all they carry. Could I
borrow a Win98 disk from a friend and install that? Or did I get stuck with a
$100 machine that may end up to be a boat anchor? Is it totally worthless?

Any help or suggestions will be greatly appreciated. Thanks. Peter

 

[ekÆsine]

OS means operating system. any windows operating system will work. win98 will both work on that machine, i would not spend the extra money for winXP for that old computer.

what you currently have on that computer is DOS. an operating system from the past, but generally useless to you. you did get a great deal on that machine.

 

[param4u]

I would suggest Win98 for the configuration - don't invest in win xp and don't even try win ME (It sucks)...

 

[kboy]

Go with Win98 & Keep your fingers crossed.