Re: OT: hardware question

>     ----- Original Message -----
>     *From:* Lisa Kachold <mailto:lisakachold@obnosis.com>
>     *To:* Main PLUG discussion list
>     <mailto:plug-discuss@lists.plug.phoenix.az.us>
>     *Sent:* Monday, October 13, 2008 10:55 AM
>     *Subject:* RE: OT: hardware question

>     A 300 MHz is going to be a tad slow.  The current requirements for
>     FreeGeek recycled equipment are 500Mhz and the older equipment
>     works great for most users.   After all what are we doing but
>     browsing? 

>     The best tool in my bag is a Big TACK or twisty wire with the
>     plastic bitten off at that base, to insert into the tiny CDROM
>     hole and release the drive bay door.

>     It's the "Hal 9000 drive bay door problem"...."I am sorry Dave, I
>     can't do that..." Arthur C. Clark

>     http://wapedia.mobi/en/Obnosis ||
>     http://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/obnosis | Obnosis.com (503)754-4452
>     ------------------------------------------------------------------------

>     > Date: Mon, 13 Oct 2008 07:42:03 -0700
>     > From: vltreude@deru.com
>     > To: plug-discuss@lists.plug.phoenix.az.us
>     > Subject: Re: OT: hardware question
>     >

>     >
>     > Vaughn Treude wrote:
>     > > Hello, everyone. Here's an OT question that is at least
>     > > computer-related. :-)

>     > >
>     > > I'm trying to resurrect an old 300 MHz PC I was using to run
>     an ISA
>     > > scope card, and to run an old test suite that only works on -
>     get ready
>     > > for this - Windows 95. (It worked fine for that.) I was having
>     trouble
>     > > with the CD-ROM drive. I replaced it with four others from my
>     "old
>     > > hardware" supplies in my closet, and none appeared to work.
>     The drives
>     > > would power up and the BIOS would recognize them but none
>     wanted to
>     > > eject the tray. (Actually, one one of them, the tray would
>     work a couple
>     > > times and then be stuck closed until I cycled power.) Could
>     all these
>     > > drives be bad, or could it be that the old generic 300W power
>     supply was
>     > > flakey?

>     > >
>     > > I happened to have a relatively new Antec supply; I'd swapped
>     it out on
>     > > a newer machine on which I'd suspected supply problems. Well, the
>     > > problem wasn't the supply, but I was too lazy to return the
>     new supply
>     > > to Fry's, so I kept this one as a spare. So I thought, good
>     opportunity
>     > > to test my theory.

>     > >
>     > > Turns out that is is an old PC Chips M565 motherboard, sort of
>     an AT/ATX
>     > > hybrid. It has both types of power connectors, so was able to
>     hook up
>     > > the Antec. Then I discovered that the little switch connector
>     on the
>     > > corner has NO remote power switch pins. It has suspend, reset,
>     turbo
>     > > LED, etc. But no pins marked power or PS or RPS. I even
>     downloaded the
>     > > manual, which was no help.

>     > >

>     > >
>     > Never mind, I re-read the manual. Supposedly the suspend switch
>     input
>     > can work as a power switch, if you hold it down for several
>     seconds.
>     > That didn't work, of course. I like to think I'm being frugal by
>     > reclaiming old PC's, as I did with this one a few years back. But -
>     > there's a reason computer hardware is cheap. :-)
>     > Vaughn

>     >
>     > > So this is weird. They _have_ an ATX power connector, but no
>     switch
>     > > pins. The Antec has a rocker switch on the back, but switching
>     that does
>     > > nothing, as I expected. Do I now have to swap the old supply
>     back in and
>     > > hope the problem was something else? (Like four bad drives?
>     Perhaps the
>     > > IDE2 port is malfunctioning and somehow confusing the drive?
>     Maybe,
>     > > though I was actually able to access the CD during the brief
>     time the
>     > > tray worked on one of them.)

>     > >
>     > > Or is there some sneaky way to make the Antec power up?
>     > > Thanks for any help I can get from the hardware hackers among us.

>     > >
>     > > Vaughn

>     > >

>     > >
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>     > >

>     > >

>     > >

>     > >

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