Building a retro PC?

I've been working in the IT industry for +20 years. My first Windows operating system was Windows 95 and Windows NT 4 Workstation. I've thought about purchasing an old PC from the mid-90's to be able to install these old systems again. Another option is to run a virtual machine under VMware Player/Workstation.

I think I will go the VMware route. Now, the big question is which OS to install? I'm not planning to use the Internet (which is really dangerous anyways because of security holes) or play any 3D games. I'm basically looking to install Office 2000/2003 and some older applications.

I think I will go for Windows XP. It's a good balance between Windows 2000 and Windows 7. It's still 32-bit but there are lots of software (Abandonwarez) available that could kick the nostalgia into high gear.

I'll check my options, as of now I don't even have a PC installed with VMware, so that will be goal numero uno.

To be continued...