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A31p - a decade later (LONG)

R30/R40, A30/A31, G40/G50 and Z60/Z61 Series. NOT for AMD-Ryzen.
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MisterB
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Re: A31p - a decade later (LONG)

#61 Post by MisterB » Mon Jan 26, 2015 11:27 am

I upgraded Firefox to version 24 and now Youtube defaults to 360p. No HD video but the 360p video plays fine on a P4.
I've got a T580, 2 W500s, a W520, an X201T, an X220T, an 3 X61Ts, a 15" T60, a 14" T60P, a 15" UXGA T60P, a 15" T42p a W701, and my first Thinkpad, a 770X.

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Re: A31p - a decade later (LONG)

#62 Post by axur-delmeria » Mon Jan 26, 2015 2:18 pm

@MisterB
Are you using Flash, or youtube's HTML5 video player?
Planned Purchase: T480s i5-8350 FHD Touch
Impulse Buy: Thinkpad not named for safety reasons :lol:
RIP: X220 4291-C91 X61 7676-A24 760XD-U9E :cry:

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Re: A31p - a decade later (LONG)

#63 Post by MisterB » Tue Jan 27, 2015 6:40 pm

I'm pretty sure it's flash. This is a 2003 Pentium 4 laptop running XP that hasn't been updated in years.
I've got a T580, 2 W500s, a W520, an X201T, an X220T, an 3 X61Ts, a 15" T60, a 14" T60P, a 15" UXGA T60P, a 15" T42p a W701, and my first Thinkpad, a 770X.

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Re: A31p - a decade later (LONG)

#64 Post by MisterB » Fri Mar 13, 2015 4:48 pm

I should have never read this thread. I just bought an A31P. I could resist the last one I saw on eBay for $75 but I melted at $15 even if the shipping for this monster is a bit expensive. Well, with charger and original HD with IBM restore partition it is quite a deal even if I need another UXGA Thinkpad about as much as I need my anatomy altered. :D
I've got a T580, 2 W500s, a W520, an X201T, an X220T, an 3 X61Ts, a 15" T60, a 14" T60P, a 15" UXGA T60P, a 15" T42p a W701, and my first Thinkpad, a 770X.

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Re: A31p - a decade later (LONG)

#65 Post by Shredder11 » Fri Mar 13, 2015 5:57 pm

Someone possibly on here recommended using Minitube, which is a standalone YouTube browser optimised to run on older computers. I found it to be pretty good and has Windows, Linux and Mac versions but other than this, I find VLC media player works quite well.

http://flavio.tordini.org/minitube
Light on your computer
By consuming less CPU, Minitube preserves battery life and keeps your laptop cool. That's because Minitube does not use the Flash Player.
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Re: A31p - a decade later (LONG)

#66 Post by MisterB » Fri Mar 13, 2015 8:58 pm

I'm finding that the GPU is just as important as the CPU for video performance on these P4s. My Vaios handle Youtube and video in general really well because they were designed for it and have 64mb NVIDIA GPUs. So I don't think the A31P will be any different in that regard with a 64mb ATI gpu. The S-Video input is a sign that it will be good with video for a computer that old.

This is kind of crazy. I'm collecting old Thinkpads and a few other laptops for their display more than anything else. With the A31P, I'm up to 3 16.1" Xbrites and 4 15" Flexviews.
I've got a T580, 2 W500s, a W520, an X201T, an X220T, an 3 X61Ts, a 15" T60, a 14" T60P, a 15" UXGA T60P, a 15" T42p a W701, and my first Thinkpad, a 770X.

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Re: A31p - a decade later (LONG)

#67 Post by ajkula66 » Fri Mar 13, 2015 9:37 pm

MisterB wrote:
This is kind of crazy. I'm collecting old Thinkpads and a few other laptops for their display more than anything else. With the A31P, I'm up to 3 16.1" Xbrites and 4 15" Flexviews.
At one point I had seven A31p units scattered around the house, all working... 8)
...Knowledge is a deadly friend when no one sets the rules...(King Crimson)

Cheers,

George (your grouchy retired FlexView farmer)

One FlexView to rule them all: A31p

Abused daily: T520, X200s


PMs requesting personal tech support will be ignored.

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Re: A31p - a decade later (LONG)

#68 Post by Hierax_ca » Fri Mar 13, 2015 11:03 pm

Wow, there are 16" A31p Thinkpads?! I've only seen the 15" ones even on the spec sheets. Is it a mod that you made or were they available from IBM at some point?
Toshiba (93-98): t3400(ct), 3600ct, 610ct, 620ct, 660cdt, 490xcdt, 780cdm/dvd

IBM (95-06): 701c*(s) Butterfly, 600(e,x*), A31p*, T43(S*, p,+pS*)

Lenovo (07-12): t60h, T601pF*, x60t+, x61t+*,
W500, W700, W700ds, W701, W701ds, x301*, x200t, x220t, x220*, W520*.

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Re: A31p - a decade later (LONG)

#69 Post by ajkula66 » Fri Mar 13, 2015 11:12 pm

Hierax_ca wrote:Wow, there are 16" A31p Thinkpads?! I've only seen the 15" ones even on the spec sheets. Is it a mod that you made or were they available from IBM at some point?
I believe that MisterB was referring to his Sony monsters, not anything made by IBM.

A31p was only available in 15" format that all of us got to know and love... :lol:
...Knowledge is a deadly friend when no one sets the rules...(King Crimson)

Cheers,

George (your grouchy retired FlexView farmer)

One FlexView to rule them all: A31p

Abused daily: T520, X200s


PMs requesting personal tech support will be ignored.

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Re: A31p - a decade later (LONG)

#70 Post by MisterB » Fri Mar 13, 2015 11:23 pm

Hierax_ca wrote:Wow, there are 16" A31p Thinkpads?! I've only seen the 15" ones even on the spec sheets. Is it a mod that you made or were they available from IBM at some point?
No such beast as a 16.1" Thinkpad of any kind I know of. These are 16.1" Sony Vaio PCG-GRT Pentium 4 laptops from the same era. I have 3 of them. 2 PCG-GRT360GZs and 1 PGG-GRT390ZP. The 390ZP is UXGA and will make an interesting side by side comparison with the A31P. The Vaios used a display techology Sony called Xbrite. They are extremely well lit displays with a glossy surface. It is not IPS but the display is gorgeous with deep vibrant colors. There is a bright button that sets the display to maximum brightness. The 360GZs are SXGA+ and have built in TV tuners and composite and s-video inputs. They only work with the bundled "Gigapocket" software which lets you use the laptop as a DVR. Video is recorded to Mpeg files and the quality is very good, about as good as DV tapes.
I've got a T580, 2 W500s, a W520, an X201T, an X220T, an 3 X61Ts, a 15" T60, a 14" T60P, a 15" UXGA T60P, a 15" T42p a W701, and my first Thinkpad, a 770X.

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Re: A31p - a decade later (LONG)

#71 Post by Hierax_ca » Sat Mar 14, 2015 5:44 am

Ahhh, Thank You, that explains it.
Toshiba (93-98): t3400(ct), 3600ct, 610ct, 620ct, 660cdt, 490xcdt, 780cdm/dvd

IBM (95-06): 701c*(s) Butterfly, 600(e,x*), A31p*, T43(S*, p,+pS*)

Lenovo (07-12): t60h, T601pF*, x60t+, x61t+*,
W500, W700, W700ds, W701, W701ds, x301*, x200t, x220t, x220*, W520*.

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Re: A31p - a decade later (LONG)

#72 Post by pianowizard » Sat Mar 14, 2015 7:58 am

MisterB wrote:This is kind of crazy. I'm collecting old Thinkpads and a few other laptops for their display more than anything else. With the A31P, I'm up to 3 16.1" Xbrites and 4 15" Flexviews.
Good job on getting those 16.1" Vaios. Your next goal should be getting one or more 1280x1024 (5:4) laptops: http://forum.thinkpads.com/viewtopic.php?t=103031
Dell Latitude 7370 (QHD+, 2.84lb); HP Pavilion x2 12-b096ms (1920x1280, 3.14lb); Microsoft Surface 3 (1920x1280, 2.00lb);
Dell OptiPlex 5040 SFF (Core i5-6600); Acer ET322QK, T272HUL; Crossover 404K; QNIX QHD2410R; Seiki Pro SM40UNP

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Re: A31p - a decade later (LONG)

#73 Post by MisterB » Sat Mar 14, 2015 9:13 am

pianowizard wrote:
MisterB wrote:This is kind of crazy. I'm collecting old Thinkpads and a few other laptops for their display more than anything else. With the A31P, I'm up to 3 16.1" Xbrites and 4 15" Flexviews.
Good job on getting those 16.1" Vaios. Your next goal should be getting one or more 1280x1024 (5:4) laptops: http://forum.thinkpads.com/viewtopic.php?t=103031
I've had one for years, my 770X.
I've got a T580, 2 W500s, a W520, an X201T, an X220T, an 3 X61Ts, a 15" T60, a 14" T60P, a 15" UXGA T60P, a 15" T42p a W701, and my first Thinkpad, a 770X.

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Re: A31p - a decade later (LONG)

#74 Post by MisterB » Fri Mar 20, 2015 3:33 pm

Well I picked the beast today and it's not an A31p, it is an PIII A30 with an A31p display bezel. :( The form factor is right but the first think I noticed was the PIII sticker on it. The bottom label is 2652-35U and the processor and display specs correspond to that model. There is a part of the keyboard bezel cut away to adapt the display cable so the whole display chassis could be from an A31P but the LCD is SXGA+. It is a nice looking display and I think it is Flexview but not the legendary A31P UXGA. A nice bit of hack work, not quite a Frankenpad and definitely not an A31P. Darn, I was looking forward to seeing what the S-Video input could do. Now I have to figure out what do do with it. It was so cheap, I don't feel like paying the return shipping for a refund and I can't really blame the seller for selling it as an A31p when it says A31p in big letters and just has the model number on the underside.
I've got a T580, 2 W500s, a W520, an X201T, an X220T, an 3 X61Ts, a 15" T60, a 14" T60P, a 15" UXGA T60P, a 15" T42p a W701, and my first Thinkpad, a 770X.

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Re: A31p - a decade later (LONG)

#75 Post by rkawakami » Fri Mar 20, 2015 5:03 pm

I think I found the eBay auction in question. It's not something I would have probably noticed either (the cutout near the ribbon cable routing to the lid). But due to the marginal amount of photos, I would have asked for the model type before submitting any bids. That would have told me that it's an A30, or at least the base is.

I've seen numerous times where the seller goes by the clear plate on the lid but when pressed for the model type, it turns out not to be an A31p. Like this from 7.5 years ago: http://forum.thinkpads.com/viewtopic.php?t=49328 Or this from two years ago: http://forum.thinkpads.com/viewtopic.ph ... 33#p724033
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Re: A31p - a decade later (LONG)

#76 Post by MisterB » Fri Mar 20, 2015 5:23 pm

The yard sale price made me less cautious than I would be otherwise. Looking at the sellers history and feedback he looks like a seller that just gets random items and sells them on ebay.
I've got a T580, 2 W500s, a W520, an X201T, an X220T, an 3 X61Ts, a 15" T60, a 14" T60P, a 15" UXGA T60P, a 15" T42p a W701, and my first Thinkpad, a 770X.

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Re: A31p - a decade later (LONG)

#77 Post by rkawakami » Fri Mar 20, 2015 5:35 pm

Yeah, I know the feeling.

OT: Just got this as it seemed like it was a steal: http://www.ebay.com/itm/291409720529 (X301 w/dead display, no HD or memory; $22.49 shipped) Even if the motherboard is dead and the panel kaput, there still should be enough to salvage. I've got enough X301 systems that might need parts in a few years. Besides, I might luck out and this be a simple fix.

Back on topic: I took a look at recent A31p systems sold on eBay. Wow! From $75 all the way up to $250. That might give me a little incentive to refurb a couple of A31p systems that need new CCFLs.
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Re: A31p - a decade later (LONG)

#78 Post by MisterB » Fri Mar 20, 2015 6:13 pm

The legacy Thinkpad market is pretty random as far as prices are right now. Compared to some of the Amiga stuff like the PPC accelerators and the Amiga 4000, legacy Thinkpads are cheap. I own two Amiga 4000s I bought several years ago and I couldn't afford to buy them now. $75 for an A31p is not much at all. The seller relisted it a couple of times before it sold. I thought about that one a bit.

I just sold a 1992 Powerbook 180 for $100. A few years ago, I couldn't get anything at all for it.

The other factor that got me to just pop the money for the non A31p is the original disk with restore partition. Most of the old Thinkpads don't come with original restore media and finding one with it always perks my interest.
I've got a T580, 2 W500s, a W520, an X201T, an X220T, an 3 X61Ts, a 15" T60, a 14" T60P, a 15" UXGA T60P, a 15" T42p a W701, and my first Thinkpad, a 770X.

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Re: A31p - a decade later (LONG)

#79 Post by ajkula66 » Fri Mar 20, 2015 6:27 pm

MisterB wrote:
The other factor that got me to just pop the money for the non A31p is the original disk with restore partition.
I have a few sets of restore media for older systems available. If you ever need copies made, feel free to drop me a PM.
rkawakami wrote: That might give me a little incentive to refurb a couple of A31p systems that need new CCFLs.
The one that you've sold me is an absolute gem, and I can't thank you enough for it... :thumbs-UP:
...Knowledge is a deadly friend when no one sets the rules...(King Crimson)

Cheers,

George (your grouchy retired FlexView farmer)

One FlexView to rule them all: A31p

Abused daily: T520, X200s


PMs requesting personal tech support will be ignored.

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Re: A31p - a decade later (LONG)

#80 Post by MisterB » Fri Mar 20, 2015 10:21 pm

After my initial disappointment, I feel a bit better about my impulse buy. It is an interesting Thinkpad hack even if it isn't an A31p. The display is beautiful and unblemished even if it isn't UXGA. It is a hack job but someone did a pretty good hack job from the looks of it. It was worth the price paid for it. For a yard sale price, I got an interesting yard sale item.
I've got a T580, 2 W500s, a W520, an X201T, an X220T, an 3 X61Ts, a 15" T60, a 14" T60P, a 15" UXGA T60P, a 15" T42p a W701, and my first Thinkpad, a 770X.

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Re: A31p - a decade later (LONG)

#81 Post by ajkula66 » Fri Mar 20, 2015 10:28 pm

MisterB wrote:After my initial disappointment, I feel a bit better about my impulse buy.
Good to hear. And here's to another A3x system - hacked or not - that ended up in a loving home... :thumbs-UP:

If you need parts, I've got boxes and boxes of A3x stuff that I've been giving away for the cost of shipping...
...Knowledge is a deadly friend when no one sets the rules...(King Crimson)

Cheers,

George (your grouchy retired FlexView farmer)

One FlexView to rule them all: A31p

Abused daily: T520, X200s


PMs requesting personal tech support will be ignored.

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Re: A31p - a decade later (LONG)

#82 Post by MisterB » Sat Mar 21, 2015 12:01 am

ajkula66 wrote:
MisterB wrote:After my initial disappointment, I feel a bit better about my impulse buy.
Good to hear. And here's to another A3x system - hacked or not - that ended up in a loving home... :thumbs-UP:

If you need parts, I've got boxes and boxes of A3x stuff that I've been giving away for the cost of shipping...
Thanks George. I will have to check the hack out some more when I have time to take it apart. The display is definitely an SXGA+ Flexview and a nice one at that. The Think light doesn't work and the wifi card is active but can't find any signal which tells me that the antenna cables and Think light connection aren't connected.

The system is vintage IBM Xp. Not even service pack 1. It only uses 80mb of system ram--wow. Just a little more than Windows 2000 which is around 60mb. The bundled software is halfway between that of my 770X and T40. It's pretty lean compared to later models. No third party software at all, just Windows Xp and the IBM utilities. The boot time is surprisingly short in spite of the old hardware. There's not much installed to slow it down.
I've got a T580, 2 W500s, a W520, an X201T, an X220T, an 3 X61Ts, a 15" T60, a 14" T60P, a 15" UXGA T60P, a 15" T42p a W701, and my first Thinkpad, a 770X.

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Re: A31p - a decade later (LONG)

#83 Post by ajkula66 » Sat Mar 21, 2015 12:25 am

MisterB wrote:The Think light doesn't work and the wifi card is active but can't find any signal which tells me that the antenna cables and Think light connection aren't connected.
If you're indeed running on the pre-SP1 XP which was the factory default for these systems, the card is not likely to see any networks.
The boot time is surprisingly short in spite of the old hardware. There's not much installed to slow it down.
It's amazing, isn't it? I was in a shell shock when I installed XP from the original disks on an A31p prior to writing the first post in this thread. The darn thing FLEW on 1GB of RAM. Now, connecting to the Internet or installing an AV...well, that part wasn't fun. Nevertheless, it makes one wonder what progress - if any - we have actually made over the past decade or so...
...Knowledge is a deadly friend when no one sets the rules...(King Crimson)

Cheers,

George (your grouchy retired FlexView farmer)

One FlexView to rule them all: A31p

Abused daily: T520, X200s


PMs requesting personal tech support will be ignored.

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Re: A31p - a decade later (LONG)

#84 Post by Hierax_ca » Fri Mar 27, 2015 1:18 pm

ajkula66 wrote:I'm currently in the process of downloading and testing out several Linux distros in hopes of finding one that will play nicely with A31p in today's day and age...will report back in a few days...
FWIW, I've been dipping my toes into Linux and have tried several recent light distros on an A31p (2GHz, 2GB); here's what's worked so far:
  • Zorin 6.2 Lite (LXDE Ubuntu 12.04 LTS) (2013-02-16)
  • UberStudent 2.0.4.2 (LXDE Ubuntu 12.04 LTS) (2013-01-18)
  • Zorin 9 Lite (LXDE Ubuntu 14.04 LTS) (2014-08-13)
  • LXLE (LXDE Ubuntu 12.04.5 LTS) (2014-10-22)
  • antiX MX-14.4 "Symbiosis" non-PAE (XFCE 4.12 Debian 7.8 ) (2015-03-24)
These breathe a lot of new life of full-fledged usefulness into these old computers! I think I may go back and try these on an even older 600x, and a newer T43p, and see how it goes before settling on one as my legacy Linux option...
Toshiba (93-98): t3400(ct), 3600ct, 610ct, 620ct, 660cdt, 490xcdt, 780cdm/dvd

IBM (95-06): 701c*(s) Butterfly, 600(e,x*), A31p*, T43(S*, p,+pS*)

Lenovo (07-12): t60h, T601pF*, x60t+, x61t+*,
W500, W700, W700ds, W701, W701ds, x301*, x200t, x220t, x220*, W520*.

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Re: A31p - a decade later (LONG)

#85 Post by brchan » Fri Mar 27, 2015 2:50 pm

For the 600x, don't bother installing any of those distros on the 600x :D . They may be 'light' for more modern machines, but they are still way too heavy for the 600x. I have wary puppy 5.5 on mine, and it seems to be the sweet spot. You could also try tiny core OS or slitaz, but the lack of proper gpu drivers (unless you hunt for them) make the system slooooow. Even if you do find the gpu drivers, the newer Xorg driver that pairs with it is often too new and disables acceleration features on an already very old gpu.
Current Thinkpads: W530 (functional classic keyboard mod), X301, T61, T60, T43, A31p, T23, 600X, 770
Other: mk5 Toughbook cf-19, mk1 Toughbook cf-53

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Re: A31p - a decade later (LONG)

#86 Post by ajkula66 » Fri Mar 27, 2015 6:08 pm

Hierax_ca wrote:
These breathe a lot of new life of full-fledged usefulness into these old computers!
Thanks for posting this list, I'm certain it will be useful for other members following the *nix path.

I've gone with CentOS on both my A31p and T43pSF and have no complaints so far.

Obviously, YMMV.
...Knowledge is a deadly friend when no one sets the rules...(King Crimson)

Cheers,

George (your grouchy retired FlexView farmer)

One FlexView to rule them all: A31p

Abused daily: T520, X200s


PMs requesting personal tech support will be ignored.

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Re: A31p - a decade later (LONG)

#87 Post by Saucey » Fri Mar 27, 2015 7:10 pm

I just started work at an E-Waste/recycler warehouse and we seem to have a carton full of desktop and laptop HDDs that need to be wiped before destroying/reselling.

Immediately I thought about my A31p for nuking 3 PATA drives at once.
I have an actual use for the dock now.
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Old Favorites: A31p, T43p, T430s

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Re: A31p - a decade later (LONG)

#88 Post by Pokrzept » Mon Apr 06, 2015 10:58 am

Guys,

our beloved A31p's served us well for nearly 13 years by now, most of us still have great feeling for this machine. Despite few serious flaws (GPU failure, defective RAM slots) it still amazes me how robust and reliable it can be. I'd like to share with you quite interesting fact, that i have noticed lately. I've bought one of my A31Ps in late 2013. It came with few accessories, one of those was UltraBay2000 battery (FRU 02K6817) with Sanyo cells in it. It was produced in 2003 and since than recharged for over 100 cycles. I wouldn't write that if there wasn't something extraordinary about it - this one little brick still holds 78 % of it's original charge, which provides me enough energy to do some light work (Siemens S5 coding, web browsing) for nearly 1.5 hour (https://www.dropbox.com/s/i241zh4k0p0to ... t.png?dl=0). This is quite supprice for me since two of my main batteries are nearly dead now.

I'd like to keep using my beloved A31P-trio for as long as I can, and since i have a mixed feelings about buying another main-battery I'd like to ask you to share your experience with A30/31 batteries,

best regards.
P70 / W530 / W700 and 30 more :roll:

ajkula66
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Re: A31p - a decade later (LONG)

#89 Post by ajkula66 » Mon Apr 06, 2015 7:02 pm

Pokrzept wrote:
I'd like to keep using my beloved A31P-trio for as long as I can, and since i have a mixed feelings about buying another main-battery I'd like to ask you to share your experience with A30/31 batteries,
Several years ago I bought ~100 NOS A3x batteries, all produced by Sanyo in 2002. While I've since sold the vast majority of them, I still have a couple of boxed ones, along with about a dozen that were used throughout this period. Some of them have aged better than the others, but all remain usable to various extents.

If you can find a Panasonic one - they are fairly rare - you should be good to go regardless of the production date. I still have two which are in "yellow" but hold 2/3 of the design charge or thereabouts.

My experiences only.
...Knowledge is a deadly friend when no one sets the rules...(King Crimson)

Cheers,

George (your grouchy retired FlexView farmer)

One FlexView to rule them all: A31p

Abused daily: T520, X200s


PMs requesting personal tech support will be ignored.

Pokrzept
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Location: Lodz, Poland

Re: A31p - a decade later (LONG)

#90 Post by Pokrzept » Thu May 05, 2016 1:37 pm

Once again our beloved forum thread shall be revived ;-). In past few weeks I have found A20m and a A22m in a decent shape and today I decided to search for a proper 1GHz CPU for my new-old machine. During digging on a local ebay-alike portal I have found seller who is offering some curiosity - two differently specced P4M 2.4 GHz CPUs:
http://ark.intel.com/pl/products/27361/ ... 00-MHz-FSB
http://ark.intel.com/pl/products/27319/ ... 00-MHz-FSB
Once again I had this wicked thoughts about upgrading one of my A31p and turning it into an oven. Do you - experienced fellows - have any knowledge about how this two CPUs work with our beloved brick?
P70 / W530 / W700 and 30 more :roll:

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