Resolved Options for helping a friend set up classic games on her computer

Hi all,
I'm looking into options to help my cousin set up some classic games on her computer. You'd think this would be a simple task, except that:

1) We live in different states
2) She has a Mac, and I'm very much a PC man
3) She is completely computer illiterate outside of Facebook

So you see my dilemma. I have Dosbox all setup and my classic games archived, and was hoping to share the shareware and abandonware with her. I've been promising to do this for ages as we're both fans of retro games, but I'm just finding it difficult to help her. I've actually considered purchasing a very cheap laptop for her (I'm talking no more than $20, I mean....it only has to run games from the 80's, so no hard task right?), installing the games myself, then posting her the actual laptop with everything ready to go.

So I guess I'm just looking for options - are there any 'tricks' are such I can employ by putting Dosbox + games on USB key ready to go? Or some easy way to set up remote desktop between a Mac and PC? (keeping mind she's also on dial up!) Or is my idea of just purchasing a really cheap laptop the easiest?

Thanks for any ideas or suggestions!

 

I don't think you'll be able to find a serviceable, or appropriate laptop for $20, although having said that I haven't looked, so maybe... a netbook somewhere, try a car boot sale?

I think the best idea would probably be to get everything on a USB and then post it to her with DETAILED but simple instructions on how to 'make them work' on her computer.

Google 'DOSbox portable' (without quotes) with that you shouldn't need to install, therefore it runs straight from the USB... That means she can just drag and drop the games onto the application icon, on the USB, and it should run from the USB aswell...

Also is there no-one she knows, neighbours etc., who would be able to help her to set it up? (Thus erradicating the need for the instructions, which she might not be able to follow anyway...)

 

Unfortunately I'm really the only technologically literate person she knows, as hard as that might be to believe :/

I think I'm going to experiment with the USB key method - see if I can get that DOSbox portable installed with the games and ready to go!

 

O.K. Thanks for the update

 

Well I got it all working on DOSbox on a USB stick!
The only problem is that I can't create shortcuts in the root directory of the USB, because depending on the computer the USB is plugged into the drive letter will change. Is there any way around this so that a shortcut can detect the drive letter of the USB and change accordingly? If there's not, my cousin is giving me the drive letter her USB is assigned when plugged in - but I know there's going to troubles down the track if I manually reassign drive letters to shortcuts in that manner.

 

Glad you got it working!

Why can't you just copy the games to the USB so that she (your cousin) can just drag the games onto the portable DOSbox icon on the USB?

As I said before, see below...

 

If you need some help, don't hesitate to ask

 

Any update??

 

The OP is probably still searching for that $20 netbook. Though their popularity has long fallen, one that actually runs is worth more than that.

Even the early model Dell Latitudes (such as the C640, my first computer) still goes for $75 to $100, if running.

Cat