content: Yeah that was a great era in personal computing. Intel CPU, AMD keyboard controller, Micron Technologies RAM, 3DFX graphics chip, Hitachi VRAM, Chips and Technologies chipset, Oak sound chip, VIA BIOS chip and maybe even an Adaptec disk controller chip. You might even have some extra stuff like a Sony CD-ROM controller or a 3COM Ethernet chip too. You even had all the smaller stuff like Analog Devices audio processors, NEC cache RAM, TI math coprocessors and Cirrus Logic floppy drive controllers. Add in all your other stuff like Seagate IDE hard drives, Iomega ZIP drives, a Keytronics keyboard, a Microsoft mouse, a Logitech webcam, a Gravis game pad and some Altec Lansing speakers to go with your Viewsonic CRT monitor and HP Deskjet printer. I was a major hardware junkie in the 90s and had a full SCSI setup in my giant full tower case. I ran three SCSI Seagate Barracuda 4.3 GB hard disks, an NEC 4x Multispin cartridge CD-ROM, an Iomega ZIP drive, a Sony DAT tape backup and a UMAX SCSI scanner on my Adaptec 2940UW SCSI 3 controller. I also had a Gravis Ultrasound (original GF-1 model), and AceCAD AceCAT 12"x12" digitizing tablet (used in place of a mouse), a Hauppage video capture/TV tuner card and a full Ethernet network to communicate with my other computers and my HP Deskjet 1200C ink jet printer. It was a magical time that can't be had with today's lame world of little innovation and hardware mediocrity. I just can't get excited about hardware the same way I did back then because it's all so similar. Fancy cases and LEDs don't bring any magic for me. I have given lots of thought to building a retro rig up but the lack of drivers and software may just keep that from being 100% possible. I don't think I could recreate my former dream machine today because of that. It might be fun to try but I think I'd just spend a ton of money and not have anything exciting to do with it. Sigh.