"Real Computers" (was Re: Trivia Question)

From: Tony Duell <ard_at_p850ug1.demon.co.uk>
Date: Sun Feb 23 15:48:00 2003

> On Sat, 22 Feb 2003, Tony Duell wrote:
>
> > > >Patrick Finnegan wrote:
> > >
> > > 1) Yes. I built it; I can fix it.
> >
> > You have proper service data for all the parts in that PC? I am truely
> > amazed (I thought I was about the only person to have that ;-)). Or does
> > 'built' really mean 'assembled from cards'?
>
> OK, I have to take issue here. If I pop a piston on my lawn mower,
> I'm not about to bust off a lathe and a mill and turn a new piston and
> hand-fitted rod. I go buy one at Sears. This makes me really an

Sure... But you don't replace the complete engine if all you need is a
piston ring...

Actually, I have made odd car parts and special tools on the lathe
(nothing as critical as a piston though) when the originals were
unobtainalble, or when you were expected to replace a complete assembly
because one small part had failed...

It's the same with computers. The last repair I did was to an HP9830. A
7402 NOR gate chip had failed, so the I/O operation flip-flop was never
being set. Result : No I/O (not even to the display).

I didn't set up a silicon foundary to make an 'indentical' chip. I just
raided my junk box for a 74x02 and soldered it in. Worked fine. But
equally I didn't replace the entire 09810-66512 CPU clock board (which
also contains part of the i/O controller), or throw out the complete
machine because I could no longer get the complete board.

> The PC I use. A lot. But when it blows a board-level chip, it's

I don't much love PCs either. I use one though...

But there is something of 'me' in this PC -- the homebrew mods, the patch
ROM for the hard disk table in the ROM bios, etc. Which means (alas) I do
have somme affection for it... So I will keep it running...

-tony
Received on Sun Feb 23 2003 - 15:48:00 GMT