Dimension 4500S ?

“Slow” may refer to very old Pentium 4 cpu in a very old LGA478 socket and old ddr2 memory as well as IDE hdd, but in my experience old pentium 4 cpu (LGA775) in Dimension and 3-4 GB boots up Windows XP fast in a clean install healthy legacy Dell.

Dimension 4500S is from 2002.

If possible not to get a S (slim) Dimension because it uses a proprietary thin psu. get a tower instead that uses ATX psu.

A 2nd option is old Dell Optiplex desktop 755/745 (circa 2006) which can have FDD and USB ports.  Those Optiplex can have core2 duo or quad cpu, also old but faster than pentium.  You could also buy a usb external floppy disk drive as a 3rd option.

The FDD in D4500S is slim too and uses special thin ribbon cable, another reason not to get it b/c it is harder to find replacement.  Standard FDD uses a more common ribbon cable that has a twist.

with old Dell tech try not to go back too far in time to a vintage model, so you could still find a lot of cheap parts sale on line.  That is why I suggested Optiplex 700 series before.  

Thanks for the input - but having just said that I'm not a techie, of course I have no idea what you're talking about in your first post.

Yes, I did have the option of buying an Optiplex 745/780, I think they were.  But unfortunately I had major upheavals in my life with several deaths in the family, and couldn't pursue.  And someone else bought them.

I was told the Dimension should be fine.  You don't think so?  It's really hard to find computers from that brief period here.  I'd far rather buy in person than wrestle with an online purchase, since I'm not a pro.  I've checked Craigslist locally, but the rarely have any Optiplexes with any three-digit model.

If not a hardware handy user you would need a full working pc probably or at least a fully functional pc without OS if you know how to install Windows XP.

i see some one on Facebook marketplace near Phoenix selling dirt cheap old 700 series Optiplex but no FDD.  You could ask seller if they could refurbish a working FDD for you if you have a FB account or can have one set up. Another option is eBay and find a seller close enough to you that local pick up is possible.  Not sure how much your local store sells D4500S.  

this might be what you see in store. 

https://www.ebay.com/itm/356183077781

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@redxps630​ 

Hey, wait a second!  What's FDD?  Dare I hope that it stands for Floppy Disk Drive?  I have been asking techs for TWO YEARS if there is an abbreviation that would help me do a search, and they've all said no.  In fact, I asked someone again just last week!

I'm really trying to buy it in person, not via online, and I just found, after all this time, someone via Craigslist in a nearby suburb ... but I'm waiting for a reply.  He's selling a whole bunch, and I think he wants to sell them as a package deal, but I asked if he might sell just one.  This is the first time I've seen something hopeful on Craigslist.

Yes FDD is standard acronym for floppy diskette drive

The last Facebook listing is for local pick up in Tempe AZ

What's the intention for this PC? Are you trying to transfer files saved on old 3.5" FDDs onto a new(er) PC via a USB stick?  In that case, would a 3.5" USB FDD be a simpler option?

A Dimension 4500S will only run Win XP, and possibly Win 7.  (Dell only supported XP.)  So what OS is installed on these systems? Win 7 would be better than XP...

There are no security updates for either OS available nowadays. So if you're planning on going on line with this PC, there's a real risk for malware attacks and hacking. And new(er) software may not install and/or may not run in XP or Win 7. 

If you want somewhat newer, you might consider a Dimension 8400.  It has internal HDD, 3.5" FDD, 6 USB2.0 ports, PCI Express x16 slot for a video card and onboard Ethernet port.

Got my Dimension 8400 with XP in 2004. It's built like a tank and still works perfectly, though rarely used now because it can't run OS beyond Win 7, which I installed myself. 

@redxps630​ 

You would not BELIEVE how many times I've asked people if there was a preferred way to search, because "A-drive" is problematic, but "floppy" seems so slangy.  No one EVER suggested FDD.

FDD is the standard computer user acronym just like HDD and SSD.

@RoHe​ 

Hi, Ron/Rohe,

I'm a very low-tech retro person using a computer that pre-dates USB, and it's not connected to the internet.  I just use it as a word processor, a very old WordPerfect WP5.1 DOS.  So I've been using 3.5 floppies.  And I like them!  I like that they're flat, I like that they're easy to label - which isn't true of USB sticks.

But I've been shopping for a computer with BOTH the FDD and USB sort of a transition, to eventually slip me into the 21st century.  I want it built-in, not with an external A-drive.  These were made during a brief period, maybe around 25 years ago, and quite a few models were by Dell.  I had a great opportunity to buy an Optiplex, but there was major upheaval in the life at the time, and I missed out.  This particular Dimension just popped up at a local store, which I'm about to buy, as I don't want to buy online.

I've had a ton of contradictory information/advice, but I'm told I need 32-bit (although I still don't understand what that means), and probably something like Windows 10.  Are you saying that Windows 10 can't be used?