Adventures in old computers

[The REAL Real Man]

Warning in advance: I took a pain pill this evening, which I rarely do, so I can't guarantee any sense to this messsage.

So, I have amassed a few old computers in my years, and now I want to start playing with them, idea being to either keep or sell (which I suppose is the old-computer equivalent of playing Fuck or Pass).

Tried plugging in my Zenith 386 laptop. It has two lights, one indicates power and one indicates that it's on. Plugged it in and the first light came on. The computer didn't turn on. What it did do was make a rather nasty burning smell. Oops. I have seen a couple on eBay that indicate one light and not the other, so I guess this is a thing. The bag in which it lives is disintegrating from the inside out (laptop-bag wasting disease?) and much of that dust has made it on, and presumably in, the Zenith, so that can't help. I'm thinking it might fetch a hundred bucks on eBay, plus $200 to ship that hernia-maker.

Others in the collection that I have to play with...

-- The aforementioned PS/2 Model 30-286.
-- The Librex 286 laptop which I used to take on the train between NYC and the 'Burbs, using the offline reader to catch up on Jolt Country BBS messages. Yep, the very one! No power supply, but it's a generic round jack for 15vdc, so I'm pretty sure I can buy one of those every-power-jack-ever-seen-by-mankind power adapters and get 'er going.
-- Some sort of old Dell laptop, maybe a 486, not sure -- need to take a closer look. Not sure what the power supply situation is though.
-- A Macintosh SE., which I *think* has a hard drive. I had hoped it was an SE/30, because apparently they are worth hella bux on the Bay, but it isn't. I plugged this in a few years back and it worked, but at the moment I can't find my ADB mouse. Trying to source one.
-- A PowerMacintosh 7300/200. Probably hasn't been turned on in twenty years, but probably has all its parts. Same mouse problem.
-- A Mac G5, no idea on its completeness. Too new to me to feel old or interesting. Also too fucking huge. Hard to think of it as a twenty-year-old computer.
-- The Windows ME machine Robin had when I met her. We're thinking the correspondence from when we met will still be in email!

Back in New York, in my parents' attic and much to their chagrin, I believe I have a PC/XT and a PC/AT. Not sure what the hot/cold cycles will have done to them. I'm eager to get them back to Cali, but I'd rather drive them. I think there might be another 'puter there... can't remember. Can't remember if I still have my first Columbia PC, which I bought from Jeff Hands (RobB, I think you knew him--he's dead, by the way). That'd be cool.

So. PS/2 first, and then proba

[Bugs]

Suspense!

[The REAL Real Man]

Soooo, the PS/2 is a dud. Opened it up and saw that not only were the drives missing, but someone had cut the floppy disk cable, presumably with scissors. How can people be so cruel? At least they cut in a straight line.

I plugged it in, nothing exploded. Jiggled the funky power-switch linkage a bit and the fan came on, but the computer wouldn't post. Connections look good, so I'll assume it's dead. I'm signing up for a vintage computer for-sale group on Facebook, and will probably offer it for nothing or next-to-nothing if someone wants to come get it.

I did pull a card out of it -- a Digital Processing Systems time-base corrector, apparently. Thinking that might be worth something -- I've posted an ask on a video forum. If anyone here knows anything, please speak up!

So, I'm 0 for 1. Thinking I'll go get the Dell laptop next.

Aaron

[raecoffey]

I have a really old apple laptop rigged with windows 10 on it. I haven't opened it up in 2 years and am without a charger, but if Eric had followed through and hired me I was gonna buy a simple old apple charger. Otherwise I'm connecting on my phone , a decent $250 number called Samsung Galaxy A13.

[Ice Cream Jonsey]

Herr Hands is dead???

[Ice Cream Jonsey]

I have a really old apple laptop rigged with windows 10 on it. I haven't opened it up in 2 years and am without a charger, but if Eric had followed through and hired me I was gonna buy a simple old apple charger. Otherwise I'm connecting on my phone , a decent $250 number called Samsung Galaxy A13.

That's really unfortunate about Eric. I guess some people just can't be counted on.

[Ice Cream Jonsey]

Why did Jeff Hands die?

[The REAL Real Man]

Herr Hands is dead???

Yeah. He married some woman who cleaned him up, he apparently shaved and cut his hair and became rather religious -- I can't remember which religion. And then he passed away. Although... one might argue, given what I related in the first sentence, that Herr Hands died before that.

[The REAL Real Man]

I have a really old apple laptop rigged with windows 10 on it. I haven't opened it up in 2 years and am without a charger, but if Eric had followed through and hired me I was gonna buy a simple old apple charger. Otherwise I'm connecting on my phone , a decent $250 number called Samsung Galaxy A13.

I do love me some cheap Galaxy phones!

[Flack]

What it did do was make a rather nasty burning smell. Oops.

You're probably aware, but that's a telltale sign of a blown capacitor. You may or may not hear them pop, but you'll always smell them. Depending on the motherboard, it may or may not be easy to de-solder and replace the caps. Unfortunately, the vintage laptop market (286/386/486) is almost worthless, with those machines in working condition often selling for less than $100.

Soooo, the PS/2 is a dud. Opened it up and saw that not only were the drives missing, but someone had cut the floppy disk cable, presumably with scissors. How can people be so cruel? At least they cut in a straight line.

In working order, those things are hella valuable. The cases alone go for $50ish. If the motherboard's not completely rotten you can probably get at least $100 for it as it sits, maybe more. Depends a bit on the local market. If I were local I'd give you $50 for it, and I'm cheap as fuck.

I did pull a card out of it -- a Digital Processing Systems time-base corrector, apparently. Thinking that might be worth something -- I've posted an ask on a video forum. If anyone here knows anything, please speak up!

That's probably a $200 card, give or take. The Amiga ones go for more than the PC ones, but they can still fetch good money.

I have a really old apple laptop rigged with windows 10 on it

Your definition of "really old Apple laptop" is about 30 years newer than mine. ;)

[The REAL Real Man]

Brought the Toshiba and Librex laptops home. Toshiba is a Tecra 8000 -- a Pentium 2-366, apparently! The Librex is a 286, apparently a short-lived attempt by Nippon Steel to make laptops. No power supplies for either. Both require 15 volts but the connector sizes look slightly different. So... I bought a universal power supply with dial-adjustable voltage and interchangeable tips, one of which I am thinking/hoping will fit both laptops. 5-24 volt, up to 5A (Toshiba charger is either 5 or 6A). Says to use it for everything but laptop charging, but how the hell would it know? No eyes on the power supply that I can see.

Anyway. Wish me luck.

[The REAL Real Man]

You're probably aware, but that's a telltale sign of a blown capacitor.

I am now!!!

In working order, those things are hella valuable. The cases alone go for $50ish. If the motherboard's not completely rotten you can probably get at least $100 for it as it sits, maybe more. Depends a bit on the local market. If I were local I'd give you $50 for it, and I'm cheap as fuck.

No kidding? I have no idea if the MB is any good, as I said it didn't post (though I later realized I didn't plug in a keybaord -- still, no beeps). Regardless, I'm glad you said something! I'll be less inclined to give it away. Truth be told I'd be happy to have fifty bucks for it, but have no desire to ship it, was looking for local pickup.

That's probably a $200 card, give or take. The Amiga ones go for more than the PC ones, but they can still fetch good money.

No kidding! My issue is I dunno if it works... although I might have a computer with an ISA bus around here somewhere. What sort of software would I need to test it? Figured I'd put it on eBay with a low starting bid, and hopefully it'd get bid up. Funny thing is I did see a pic of an Amiga card, and it sure looked like an ISA card, but I'm assuming the bits and bobs are different.

Anyway. You've made me a LOT happier!

Aaron

[Ice Cream Jonsey]

Flack is the only decent guy left on the internet (now that Herr Hands is dead). I am glad that you two have had an interaction here. You were both at my wedding!

[Ice Cream Jonsey]

Oh, and I never actually met or interacted with Herr Hands.

[The REAL Real Man]

Nor am I sure if Herr Hands ever met the Internet. But when he died, I still owed him $100 for an Apple //c motherboard.

[Flack]

No kidding! My issue is I dunno if it works... although I might have a computer with an ISA bus around here somewhere. What sort of software would I need to test it? Figured I'd put it on eBay with a low starting bid, and hopefully it'd get bid up. Funny thing is I did see a pic of an Amiga card, and it sure looked like an ISA card, but I'm assuming the bits and bobs are different. Anyway. You've made me a LOT happier!

Well, it probably came with some proprietary capture/editing software that might be difficult to track down. These were the first generation of PC-based video editing systems. The genlock/time-sync feature allowed them to grab and freeze video one frame at a time from videotape, giving the ability to edit analog video digitally before sending it back out to tape. Here's a manual I found for the TBCII, not sure if your card has a model printed on it anywhere. If nothing else, I'd list in on eBay as "untested but pulled from a working system" (code for "fuck if I know if this thing works or not") and see what happens. The market is super hot for vintage PC hardware right now. I just sold a 1GB SCSI drive for the same price my new 2TB M.2 drive cost ($100).

Link to manual: https://archive.org/details/PersonalTBC ... s/mode/2up

[Ice Cream Jonsey]

Nor am I sure if Herr Hands ever met the Internet. But when he died, I still owed him $100 for an Apple //c motherboard.

Well, if he truly did find religion - the middle of the Bible is all about forgiveness and the start of the Bible, they don't shut up about apples, so I think you're good. Unless he was a big "end of the Bible" guy.

[The REAL Real Man]

Link to manual: https://archive.org/details/PersonalTBC ... s/mode/2up

You are a GOD. If Jeff Hands were alive today, I'm pretty sure he'd be worshiping you.

TRM

[The REAL Real Man]

Well, if he truly did find religion - the middle of the Bible is all about forgiveness and the start of the Bible, they don't shut up about apples, so I think you're good. Unless he was a big "end of the Bible" guy.

I think he was a Jehovah's Witness. That's bad, right?

Anyway, he basically gave me an Apple, and that's never good in any religion.

TRM

[The REAL Real Man]

Soooo, my variable-voltage power supply came today. (How did we live before Amazon Prime?)

The kit had plugs that fit both the Toshiba and the Librex. I dialed it up to 15 volts, plugged it into the Toshiba and... SUCCESS! (Well, some success.) The Toshiba showed a power light. I turned it on the hard drive spun up and clicked and whirred like a machine in an Infocom adventure. Nothing on the screen at first, but then I unplugged and tried again, and... Bingo! Big red TOSHIBA on the screen. It registered a CMOS error, let me into BIOS, then let me reboot, and showed several repetitions of "99" on the screen. Okay, so maybe the hard drive is a little scrambled, but no surprise there. Subsequent reboots (it responded to Ctrl-Alt-Del) brought me straight to the 99s.

Happily, I have a floppy drive for it (and I'm wondering if the Windows 95 box I have has a boot disk in it...) so I'm thinking this might be a runner if I can get a new HD into it.

Then I tried the Librex. I got the red light that shows the battery is charging, but it wouldn't turn on. I opened the battery compartment -- it's an old shrink-wrapped battery with a plug, not unlike what you'd see in a remote-control car. I'm thinking that's a good thing, I might be able to get/make a new battery. Problem is it would not turn on. I tried disconnecting the battery; no red light, no turn on. Dunno if the battery needs to be connected for it to power up. It's a "soft" switch, so I'm thinking I'll open it up and try shorting the terminals and see if that does anything. I think finding any sort of manunal for this thing will be pretty tricky; Librex (aka Nippon Steel, I believe) was only in the laptop business for about five minutes. Still, I'm optimistic.

So I'd call this 1 for 3... not ready to score the Librex yet.

Aaron