Thinkpads Forum

I picked up a TP235 recently very cheap, sold as parts. It is in lovely condition, but always shows a 162 POST error and boots into the BIOS set-up screen. The problem is that it's in Japanese!

The hard disc sounds unhealthy, so I'm going to strip it down and test/replace the drive.

I was just wondering if anyone knew of a translation of the Japanese TP BIOS screens, or some guide to configuration. Google translation is making a stab at translating TP235 websites, but of course I'm stuck trying to work out my way around the Japanese script on the laptop screen. Anything to allow me to pattern match for "boot sequence", "configuration", "save and exit" etc.

For the 162 error, it will go away if you replace the CMOS battery then reset the time and date in BIOS. Good luck with the English BIOS translation for a laptop made 20 years ago for the Japanese market only.

After you have replaced the CMOS-battery, take it with you for a meal in a Japanese restaurant, where they have authentic Japanese-speaking staff, preferably one that might be young enough to enjoy a computer.
Then ask them for some quick assistance/translation.
Or maybe there's a university near you with Japanese students.
Or check out the local Karate clubs, etc.

This posting is about a year old but it might help:

http://litmob.com/ibm-thinkpad-235-repa ... pad-models

Creative IT, a computer support company in London, says they can handle the 235.

edit:

This might also help:

http://translate.google.com/translate?h ... rmd%3Divns

It's a translation of the following page: http://digital.hmx.net/02contents/pc/i3 ... p235.shtml

I just started googling... but i wonder if a bios swap would be feasible...

Thinkwiki states:

This machine is specific to Asia Pacific (mainly China, Hong Kong, Japan and Korea). It was designed by RIOS, a joint venture between IBM and Ricoh, under the codename "Chandra2" or "Clavius". It was marketed under a number of different names including Ricoh Magio, Hitachi VisionBook Traveler, Hitachi Flora Prius Note 210, Epson Endeavor TK-300/TK-400, ...

looking at http://www.extremecomputing.com/ricmag16.html does indeed look like a 235, with a sharp looking white keyboard... dunno if its bios isin english... maybe with more research somthing is plausible...

Other info from googling...
It was also sold in Japan by Hitachi as the Prius 210 (first in a 120MHz version, then in the 133 MMX version sold in the US).
It was also sold as the Frontier RT-21V.
Was (briefly) marketed as the Nimantics Persona. (also sold by CPC without brand-name in the UK, with a model number T-120)
All of these machines are based on the same 1.24kg (2.7 lb) OEM platform from RIOS Systems, code named CHANDRA.

Ricoh Magio: US based... http://replay.waybackmachine.org/200106 ... hw/minipc/

more googling.. no bios yet ...
http://groups.google.com/group/comp.sys ... 376e04898a
google image search "Hitachi Flora Prius Note 210" ... http://f19.aaa.livedoor.jp/~hirataz/tzdr01.jpg
google image search "Hitachi VisionBook Traveler" ... http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v453/ ... tachi2.jpg
From the images in links that rkawakami posted... it looks unlike any bios i've ever seen... Phoenix, Award, etc...

Harryc wrote:For the 162 error, it will go away if you replace the CMOS battery then reset the time and date in BIOS. Good luck with the English BIOS translation for a laptop made 20 years ago for the Japanese market only.

Thanks Harry - I understand your scepticism but you'd be surprised what exists for the PC110 - a palmtop made 20 years ago for the Japanese market only

I've found the date/time settings so will replace the battery as you suggest.

ThinkDan wrote:you'd be surprised what exists for the PC110 - a palmtop made 20 years ago for the Japanese market only

I have been looking for some time for a PC110... that is such a COOL little machine!

came across it originally at http://boole.stanford.edu/pc110.html

Also the Japanese only 220... runs on 6 AA rechargeable batteries