850 vs 701c?

[Cooler22]

Hey guys, just won a PPC on Yahoo Auctions for a decent price at $500 (https://buyee.jp/item/yahoo/auction/d244014724) problem is my budget turns out to be a bit tight. Should I sell the 850 or the 701c?

[Thinkpad4by3]

701C. The 701C can be bought again, where the 850 cant. Also, tge 701C is a regular old 4/75 laptop, a quite useless one. My 755C is 50$ and does everything better than the 701C. The 850 on the otherhand is a VERY UNIQUE and COOL machine unlike any other computer. It can do things no other Thinkpad can do.

So which would you rather, a Prius with a cool gimmick or a rare 1950's sports car with a jet engine. Take the 850, and sell the 701C.

[goldeneagle]

Yup, I would second that. In all honesty, the performance on the 701 sucks. Yes, it has a 486DX4-75 (unless you're one of those unlucky people who has the DX2-50 model), but if you run benchmarks (say on CheckIt), the 701 benchs at the same speed or lower than a 755 with a 486DX2-50. Don't ask me why. Plus, the keyboards don't last forever.

I had an 820 at one point, but it didn't power on, so it was sold for parts. Wish I still had it, just given how much they're worth now, dead or alive!

[Cooler22]

Yup, I would second that. In all honesty, the performance on the 701 sucks. Yes, it has a 486DX4-75 (unless you're one of those unlucky people who has the DX2-50 model), but if you run benchmarks (say on CheckIt), the 701 benchs at the same speed or lower than a 755 with a 486DX2-50. Don't ask me why. Plus, the keyboards don't last forever.

I had an 820 at one point, but it didn't power on, so it was sold for parts. Wish I still had it, just given how much they're worth now, dead or alive!

Yeah... I almost sold my 701C but I just ended up keeping both and am waiting for the 850 to arrive. Only problem was likely stolen from some company which sucks but even then it would have been likely recycled (which makes it good?). Seller also had a transnote but my wallet was way too empty to buy it.

[michelle13]

What make you think it was stolen?
Btw you keep writing 850 while it looks like 820

[Cooler22]

Could very well be an 820 since that is what the seller listed it as. But the type next to the serial is listed as an 850 with arc on one of the IBM info docs. I am also fairly sure 820s didn't come with a CD drive and attachable camera.

EDIT: 820's come with CD drives. Also the thinkpad I picked up was 6042 so its an 850. If anyone knows otherwise please tell me, don't want to be calling an 820 an 850

[goldeneagle]

I don't know why you think it's stolen. There are plenty of computers with asset tags attached, but remember, this computer was technically outdated over 15 years ago.

[Cooler22]

UPDATE: just picked it up today... doesn't have a hard drive unfortunately

[RealBlackStuff]

Must be quite a stretch, rowing from Dubai via Sri Lanka, Singapore and Hong Kong to Japan!

Here's more info about the 850: http://www.os2museum.com/wp/ibm-thinkpa ... eries-850/

[Cooler22]

Yeah, I mean I am a bit disappointed but hey, having an 850 itself at a decent price and cheap shipping makes up for it. Figuring out the HDD caddy is going to be a real pain though...

The hinges are already starting to give, any suggestion on how to deal with them?

[Thinkpad4by3]

Yeah, I mean I am a bit disappointed but hey, having an 850 itself at a decent price and cheap shipping makes up for it. Figuring out the HDD caddy is going to be a real pain though...

The hinges are already starting to give, any suggestion on how to deal with them?

Finding parts for that machine would be like trying to find a 1929 20$ bill in an ATM. Probably will never happen.

I found that you can actually make 3d printed hinges using rubber. I wonder if 3d printed metal is the solution to this problem?

If they are similar to the 600X hinges, you tighten the hinges, you break the hinges.

[goldeneagle]

Yeah, I mean I am a bit disappointed but hey, having an 850 itself at a decent price and cheap shipping makes up for it. Figuring out the HDD caddy is going to be a real pain though...

The hinges are already starting to give, any suggestion on how to deal with them?

You think that's bad? Good luck finding a working 2.5" SCSI hard drive, because I'm pretty sure those systems never had IDE as an option. Makes me still wish I'd kept the 800 or 820 or whatever it was Power ThinkPad I'd had over 12 years ago.

[Thinkpad4by3]

Yeah, I mean I am a bit disappointed but hey, having an 850 itself at a decent price and cheap shipping makes up for it. Figuring out the HDD caddy is going to be a real pain though...

The hinges are already starting to give, any suggestion on how to deal with them?

You think that's bad? Good luck finding a working 2.5" SCSI hard drive, because I'm pretty sure those systems never had IDE as an option. Makes me still wish I'd kept the 800 or 820 or whatever it was Power ThinkPad I'd had over 12 years ago.

Powerbooks use SCSI and have CF card adapters. Can those be applied here?

[Cooler22]

Yeah, I mean I am a bit disappointed but hey, having an 850 itself at a decent price and cheap shipping makes up for it. Figuring out the HDD caddy is going to be a real pain though...

The hinges are already starting to give, any suggestion on how to deal with them?

You think that's bad? Good luck finding a working 2.5" SCSI hard drive, because I'm pretty sure those systems never had IDE as an option. Makes me still wish I'd kept the 800 or 820 or whatever it was Power ThinkPad I'd had over 12 years ago.

There an exact model for the drive itself on eBay at the moment, but it is $200 and I'd rather get a CF setup to avoid future issues. I am tempted to take it apart but I am afraid of breaking sensitive plastic pieces including the hinge.

[RealBlackStuff]

Follow the HMM: http://plan9.stanleylieber.com/hardware ... 850hmm.pdf
Makes life a bit easier.

[goldeneagle]

You think that's bad? Good luck finding a working 2.5" SCSI hard drive, because I'm pretty sure those systems never had IDE as an option. Makes me still wish I'd kept the 800 or 820 or whatever it was Power ThinkPad I'd had over 12 years ago.

There an exact model for the drive itself on eBay at the moment, but it is $200 and I'd rather get a CF setup to avoid future issues. I am tempted to take it apart but I am afraid of breaking sensitive plastic pieces including the hinge.

I wish you even more luck finding a SCSI to ATA adapter, since CF cards use the ATA spec. Expecting it to work on a SCSI bus would be like expecting SATA to work in an XT.

[kev009]

There an exact model for the drive itself on eBay at the moment, but it is $200 and I'd rather get a CF setup to avoid future issues. I am tempted to take it apart but I am afraid of breaking sensitive plastic pieces including the hinge.

I wish you even more luck finding a SCSI to ATA adapter, since CF cards use the ATA spec. Expecting it to work on a SCSI bus would be like expecting SATA to work in an XT.

In the modern day of cheap, high gate, low power FPGAs and CPLDs, these kinds of interfacing problems are within the reach of anyone with undergrad level EE skills.

http://www.codesrc.com/images/SCSI2SD/scsi2sd-winnt.png

[Thinkpad4by3]

I wish you even more luck finding a SCSI to ATA adapter, since CF cards use the ATA spec. Expecting it to work on a SCSI bus would be like expecting SATA to work in an XT.

In the modern day of cheap, high gate, low power FPGAs and CPLDs, these kinds of interfacing problems are within the reach of anyone with undergrad level EE skills.

http://www.codesrc.com/images/SCSI2SD/scsi2sd-winnt.png

quite true. For IDE it is even easier because CF Cards are pin compatible, all you need is 5 minutes of eagleCAD knowledge and decent soldering equiment and you can make solid state storage for just about any machine made after 1985