The Retrocomputing Thread

[NejinOniwa]

Retrocomputing is a thing for people who don't mind being depressed. ;_;

[Red-Machine]

I spent about three hours trying to work out why my legacy PC wouldn't turn on last night after successfully installing 95-san on it's second hard drive and testing the 95-compatible-only nVidia NV1 graphics card.

I unplugged everything and pulled the NV1, plugged the Voodoo5 back in and smelt an acrid antiseptic-type smell.  Fearing the worst, I plugged everything in and hit the on button.  Nothing.  Not a whimper.  SO I spent the next three hours laboriously troubleshooting.  In the end, I dismantled the power supply because it had gotten rather hot while I was playing earlier and my dad suggested it might be fried.  Could find nothing obviously wrong with it, so I dusted it off and put it back together.  TA-DAAAAAA!  It worked!

Y'know this is a recurring theme.  Technology doesn't work.  I take it apart.  Find nothing wrong.  Put it back together.  It works.  Oh well, I guess I must have magic hands or something. *does jazz hands*

[Bella]

If only Stew. >>

Yes Nej, this is the most tragic hobby ever. All the fun of treasure-hunting with the disappointment of being told all best treasure was chucked out yesterday, and you wind up being given a boring chest that may or may not contain treasure provided you can get it to open. It might be too rusted to open, or it might need a special key, which'll send you on yet ANOTHER treasure hunt -> disappointment -> frustration -> treasure hunt cycle again. INFINITELY.  

We could really use your magic hands here at the basement computer museum/computer triage Red. D:

...

So, I got Corky (this 98 box I have nothing but contempt for, on the basis of being a 98 box) hooked up to a monitor, mouse and keyboard... it's weird, it turns on, the fans run, the CD trays open (and drives possibly work), but I can't hear any HD activity (nor does the HD light indicate any). The monitor is blank, so I don't think it's as simple as a failed HDD... cause even if it was, SOMEthing would show up on the monitor.

Tried opening up the case, but the case doesn't want to open, which means I'm at a dead end. At least until I can find a crow bar or something. >>;

[Krizonar]

I can't hear any HD activity (nor does the HD light indicate any). The monitor is blank, so I don't think it's as simple as a failed HDD... cause even if it was, SOMEthing would show up on the monitor.

Could be a combination of a failed HD and graphics card. I recently diagnosed a failed graphics card at the Apple store while looking around at the genius bar by sight alone and earned big brownie points.
They asked me why I thought it was a failed graphics card and I said that even at 0% brightness, you can hold the screen up to a light at an angle and see stuff on it, with a failed graphics card, you can't, since nothing appears.
Turns out it was the graphics card, the faulty nVidia series card to be exact.

Try shining a flashlight at the screen at angles and see if you can see anything.

I guess I've had the good parts of the hobby. Even with all these old computers, the worst I've seen is messed up Bios, which is easy to fix. Now Soviet Russian laptop interested I in. http://englishrussia.com/index.php/2006/08/20/first-russian-laptop/

[Bella]

Could be, though I won't be able to test the monitor that way since it's a CRT.

That's an awesome laptop. OvO

[stewartsage]

You've tripped Bells' Elektronika circuit Kriz.

Oh I'm sorry Borya, you weren't satisfied with two VIC-20S?

[Dr. Kraus]

I've been trying to get my old Apple powerPC 8100 with system 7.5 installed up and running and all I have to do is connect the main server grade barracuda drive up with the scuzzy cable. problem is that to take the hard drives in and out you have to slide them out with the rail system attached. The main hard drive got bumped off and out of place of the rail system and its jammed in the box. I'd rather not bust the casing but I may have to bust the rail system up a bit to unjam the hard drive. Sometimes something like a rail system looks like its revolutionary but its just a step back with the increased risk of forcing and ruining the hard drive.

Just another day at the office...

[Bella]

You've tripped Bells' Elektronika circuit Kriz.

Oh I'm sorry Borya, you weren't satisfied with two VIC-20S?

IN SOVIET RUSSIA, BELLS TRIPS ELEKTRONIKA'S CIRCUITS.

They were accidental finds, accidental finds... I wouldn't have ever considered LOOKING for them, they just sort of presented themselves to me. PET aside, Commodores have never particularly appealing, too pedestrian, too common (I relise popularity is something that makes them desirable to most people due to readily available software and hardware making them more, you know, useful). But I appreciate all old computers even if they aren't my "thing"-- hell, I'd take a C64 or ][ if I found one selling for the right price.

Two's just redundant, but like I was gonna pass up a mint-condition VIC-20 in its original box for $20.

[Red-Machine]

Bella, I love you.

[Bella]

.////////////.

I've known that for some time but thanks. .///.

[stewartsage]

Not to break up the love fest, you filthy hippies, but I now posses an Amiga 500 w/hard drive.

[Bella]

I fukken hate Amigas but still

[stewartsage]

Would this be the non-optimal time to mention that it still has it's original monitor?

[Bella]

[Red-Machine]

Bella, you need to come visit me.  I has some computing stuff you can have!