I'm retired but still do some work. Had my main laptop screen go black and my backup laptop was stolen. Looking for suggestions on best operating system cheap replacement. I just need to download and upload data base via Hyperterminal I can download Hyperterm., if I remember correctly it should be at least ver.5. The operating system I had was WindowsXP. Thank you

My dedicated terminal emulation/programming machine is a Panasonic Toughbook CF-W2 with XP. It's not suitable for everyday use, but works great for Hyperterminal/Procomm and manufacturer-specific software that doesn't work right with Win 7/8/10. I particularly like its small size and the fact it still has a built-in CD-ROM drive. It does, however, require a USB-serial converter as it has no onboard serial port.

If you're looking for a current model, I believe most HP ProBook G1 series notebooks are still equipped with serial ports. I have also had good luck with Lenovo ThinkPads (the enterprise-grade ones, not the consumer-grade ones sold in retail stores).

Thx for the reply TA in KC. What I had that died was a HP Pavilian and I used a USB serial converter I found a refurb Dell Latitude with XP
Thank you,
Gary Cessna