Best computer that can't run a modern browser
I'd like to spend less than two hundred dollars on a machine that can run a Linux terminal, but is incapable of running a modern web browser. Extra points for something a bit stylish looking.
I realize I could simply not install a browser; I'm using this as a heuristic for a computer with very modest specifications.
Any of the late 90s / early 00s RISC platforms would be good for this. You could easily grab an AlphaStation, Sun Ultra, or pre-G3 PowerBook for such a purpose, and within your price range. Perfectly adequate for most non-browser tasks, and fun to learn if you're coming from the PC world.
Even the G3-G5 PowerMacs aren't really usable for modern web browsing anymore. The vanilla FOSS browsers aren't reliably building on them anymore, and even the "keep it usable" browser projects like TenFourFox are just barely scraping by performance wise on modern sites.
Note that your distro choices will be limited with these, but they all have at least a couple still available.
There are computers capable of running modern web browsers?
APU is x86 compat, up to 4GB RAM, mSATA, serial port, but no video. Buy an old VT term off an auction site to complete your browser-free experience.
https://www.pcengines.ch/apu4c4.htm
Any computer at all, just about any linux distro, boot into console mode, and then run something like this
https://github.com/netxs-group/vtm
The point is that the GUI desktop environments of almost distros- even the lightweight ones- are expensive. A browser is just a uniquely heavy app.
But console mode will run on machines with only MB of RAM.
The original raspberry pi's struggled with browsers. And and they look super stylish with that clear case thing.
I think you're conflating modern web browsers and the 'modern' (read 'bloated') web.
I'm guessing the most recent version of Firefox or Chrome will run on very old hardware assuming the OS itself supports the hardware.
The real question, which is what you may be trying to ask, is what's the oldest hardware that will handle a modern bloated website. 3rd gen i5 on a 2012 Thinkpad struggles, but works fine, so you may wanna go back a few years before 2012 at least.
What attributes of "computer" are you looking for? The Remarkable 2 is definitely a "computer", but lacks many computer attributes, so it may not be what you're looking for, so it really depends on what you're looking for.
It meets the singular criteria of being incapable of running a modern web browser while having aspects of being a digital device.
https://remarkable.com/
A Nintendo DS, Jucebox, or other hackable early 2000s toy, or a similar modern device(Maybe one of those emulator handhelds can do it) probably wins on price, style, and being cheap and low power enough to actually get the benefits of low specs.
Why not just buy any old machine and install any headless Linux?
Any computer with a paper terminal for the display. Heck even a dumb crt terminal.
Or one without a display at all, just PUTTY.
A little outside your price range, but looks like you can get an SGI Indy for around $300 on eBay.
I have a really awesome thinkpad from 2000 I’ll sell for exuberant amounts of money.
Maybe some old HP or Sun thin client? Can probably be found on eBay.
An older ThinkPad - stylish definitely and definitely under 200.