Here's a short guide to getting your old clunker up and running again with a free Linux download and a reasonably quick installation.
What do you do with an old computer? Say, a 386-generation PC running Windows 98 that hadn't been patched in years, with a 20-Gbyte hard drive most likely infected with all manner of viruses, spyware, and other maladjusted programs?
Sure, it could go to the landfill, or you might be able to get a tax deduction from donating it to a local school. Or, using a Linux-based operating system, you could turn it into a functional desktop, browser, and e-mail client, and put it back to work.
http://www.linuxlinks.com/portal/news/article.php?story=20070327122610394