upgrading a ThinkPad 380z to 256MB and a 20GB HDD?

[quinncx]

My parents' have two old laptops that I would like to upgrade. They will not buy new computers, but wouldn't mind a bit more memory and faster internet. The specs for the IBM are as follows:

IBM ThinkPad 380Z
OS: Windows 98SE
CPU: Mobile Intel Pentium II, 300 MHz (4.5 x 67)
Motherboard Chipset: Intel 82440BX/ZX
BIOS: IBM 07/15/1998
HDD: 4MB
Memory: 64MB (EDO)

Info on the IBM website says that the max RAM is 96MB and the max HDD 8GB, but I read an article in an Australian magazine that upgraded a 380Z to 256MB RAM and a 20GB HDD. Does anyone know of any potential problems with such an upgrade? Will I have to upgrade my BIOS? Can I use any memory I find on eBay, or it is proprietary? I read on this forum about a "drive overlay program" but have no idea what that is or if it is necessary. I really want to help out my folks, but am a little afraid I'll wreck their machine, so any advice will be greatly appreciated!

The other machine is a Toshiba Satellite 335CDT:
OS: Windows 98
CPU: Mobile Intel Pentium MMX, 266 MHz
Motherboard Chipset: Toshiba AIS [601]
BIOS: Toshiba 04/28/1998
HDD: 4MB
Memory: 64MB
The darn memory appears to be proprietary and unavilable, I can't get an answer out of Toshiba on the HDD upgrade potential, and am getting a little frustrated. If anyone has any Toshiba-related upgrade advice, please feel free to pass that along as well!

[JaneL]

If anyone has any Toshiba-related upgrade advice, please feel free to pass that along as well!

Don't.

[quinncx]

don't try to upgrade? or don't pass along advice?

why not upgrade? too difficult? not worth it? impossible? I would definitely prefer they just buy a new machine, but there is no way that is going to happen until this one actually dies. In the meantime, I thought I might be able to help them boost it a bit to make it more user-friendly.

Please clarify nonny- I'm interested in the opinions of folks more knowledgeable than me on this subject...

[JaneL]

don't try to upgrade? or don't pass along advice?

Don't upgrade the Toshiba.

[pphilipko]

don't try to upgrade? or don't pass along advice?

Don't upgrade the Toshiba.

LOL

You may have better luck asking for help on the toshiba on a toshiba forum (if there is one).

[cogitordi]

I read an article in an Australian magazine that upgraded a 380Z to 256MB RAM and a 20GB HDD.

I have the same 380z with 160 MB RAM and a 20 GB disk. I bought the 128 MB RAM module from a company in California and I bought the hard disk on eBay.

Would you be able to send me some information about the article from Australia? If I can squeeze more RAM into my ThinkPad, I'll do it at this point just for kicks.

By the way, I'm using FreeBSD 5.4 on the 380z. I like FreeBSD but the rewards of using it come after a long struggle. I recommend Ubuntu Linux, which installs politely and uses the good-looking Gnome desktop.

[quinncx]

the article is here: http://www-8.ibm.com/au/newsawards/pdf/ ... on%20380z' if you'd like to read it. I just ordered some memory and a HDD from eBay. Since I don't have the original boot disks etc for this system, what is the best way to mirror the old drive onto the new drive once I get it?

[cogitordi]

the article is here: ... I just ordered some memory and a HDD from eBay. Since I don't have the original boot disks etc for this system, what is the best way to mirror the old drive onto the new drive once I get it?

What have you bought from eBay? I hope this article hasn't mislead you...

I've read the article. As I've said, I know for a fact that the 380z can use a 20 GB hard disk.

But on the subject of the RAM, the writer of the article makes a mistake: the base memory of the 380z is 32 MB, not 64 MB. And I have been unable to turn up any "256 MB EDO SODIMM with 144 pins". If you find such an animal in the world, please let me know.

Perhaps the easiest way for you to handle the disk-transplant is to buy a USB 2.5" external hard-disk enclosure for $20-$30, then install the new disk into the notebook and the old disk into the external enclosure. Install Windows 98 onto the new disk and attach the old disk so you can copy what you need.

If your "clients" have a little courage, try installing Ubuntu Linux. It's very nice and a much better OS than Windows 98.

I have the IBM recovery disc for this notebook. The software on it is horrible -- IBM at its worst, when you had to wonder what the hell their software people were thinking. E-mail me if you have any questions about it.

[quinncx]

cogitordi,
I'm glad to hear someone else out there has had success with this project! I already bought a USB enclosure for the old drive, a new 20GB Toshiba HDD on eBay and a 128MB PC66 SODIMM 144 Pin Laptop Memory chip (based on the advice of the friendly tech guy at CompUSA). The HDD is here but the memory and enclosure are still in the mail. New problems I've discovered: (1) dad only has Windows 98SE upgrade, not full package, & (2) dad actually only has BOX for upgrade- CD is currently MIA. sigh...trying to help parents is a nightmare. As for Linux, I can barely get them to use the systems they have now so I definitely can't switch them now! I'm also trying to figure out upgrading the BIOS without a battery (mine doesn't hold any charge) without wrecking the machine because I'll never here the end of it if I mess anything up...