Greetings,
I got the (assumed) GRiDCASE 1520 doing something today!
In fact, it's running an Apple ][ emulator right now. :)
The hard drive was totally hosed. Seized. Dead.
On a hunch, I opened up the Toshiba T1200 (which I can't use without
appropriate power supply) and extracated its HD.
I was happy to see that the Toshiba's drive used the same connector. I
guess it's a standard laptop drive. (Isn't it fitting that my very
first working laptop was also (more-or-less) the very first laptop? :) )
When I cracked open the outer case, I was even happier to see that the
Toshiba's drive was also 20MB and made by JVC.
Toshiba's drive: JD3824G01-4
GRiD's drive: JD3824G00-2
I figured they'd be the same drive, but methinks I was wrong. With the
Toshiba's drive in place, the GRiD now powers up the drive at the
appropriate time, and I guess the drive passes whatever test it needs to
pass, and then the GRiD is able to boot from floppy. But I haven't been
able to access the HD yet. It just makes unpleasant noises when I try.
I don't have the proper SETUP program for the GRiD, but shouldn't FDISK
be able to tell me what's there anyway? Or is the busted SETUP possibly
the only thing wrong now?
Gah!
Anyway, the GRiD didn't complain about the clock not being set, even
after an hour of being turned off. But the clock also didn't advance in
that time. The battery says it's non-rechargable, but I'm still hoping
it will recover. :)
BTW, what a freaking pain working in the Toshiba is, compared to the
GRiD! Plastic framework that goes all over the place, multiple
different screw types in annoying places, etc. Getting the case open
with no instructions was easier, but once inside it's harder to deal
with.
Or maybe I'm just used to the GRiDCASE's innards now. :)
--
Doug Spence
ds_spenc_at_alcor.concordia.ca
http://alcor.concordia.ca/~ds_spenc/
Received on Mon May 17 1999 - 01:58:51 BST