jheronimus wrote:

Some interesting hardware today:

an 8-bit SB clone, based on ES488F chip with OPL2. I wonder, how compatible is this thing with the original SoundBlaster? Are there any particular games or tests I could run?

More likely AdLib compatible. But may run as Sound Blaster clone as well.

Grzyb wrote:

oeuvre wrote:

Can I see a picture of this contraption? That sounds crazy

Pics taken from https://allegro.pl/oferta/karta-wifi-symbol-s … adka-8283090774 - apparently still for sale...

Crazy !
I just use a Wifi extender with all my old computers. Just plug the ethernet cable in and your online.
First you need to register your Wifi extender with your router of course.

Link
https://www.ebay.com/itm/TP-LINK-TL-WA850RE-N … fsAAOSwiPBc8UDY

How-to Video:
https://youtu.be/PPPkcLhbUes

I use a raspberry pi as a router for all my old computers. It lets me do some cool stuff like network booting 😀

Networking on DOS machines is something I don't know much about. It would be cool to see people's take on it. I really like the idea of using a wifi extender with a passive switch or something to connect all the retro machines in my man cave. 😁

mothergoose729 wrote:

Networking on DOS machines is something I don't know much about. It would be cool to see people's take on it. I really like the idea of using a wifi extender with a passive switch or something to connect all the retro machines in my man cave. 😁

Yeah, it’s easy once you do it once. You just need the packet driver for your network card.

See how I did it here:
Intel 486dx4-100 vs. AMD 5x86-133 on LS-486 with SB AWE64

For multiple connections you would want something like the Linksys WRT150N DD-WRT Wireless N Router broadband bridge extender.

Or

D-Link DAP-1522 Xtreme N Duo Wireless Bridge Access Point Wi-Fi

Bought, trade. Same thing right?

I traded a couple of XP Home and Pro SP3 disks for this.

Its a Pentium 166 MMX currently running original Windows 98 with an unknown about of ram or HD size. Cirrus Logic 5424 for video and an unknown Yamaha sound card. Although I am not really interested in the components and will probably sell them. I really wanted it for the case.

The case needs some work. I intend to experiment with some plastic bonding epoxy to stabilize the crack. Once stabilized I will fill it with plastic filler and see how well that works.

twilliamc wrote:

Bought, trade. Same thing right? […]
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Bought, trade. Same thing right?

I traded a couple of XP Home and Pro SP3 disks for this.

20190708_185422.jpg

20190708_185352.jpg

Its a Pentium 166 MMX currently running original Windows 98 with an unknown about of ram or HD size. Cirrus Logic 5424 for video and an unknown Yamaha sound card. Although I am not really interested in the components and will probably sell them. I really wanted it for the case.

The case needs some work. I intend to experiment with some plastic bonding epoxy to stabilize the crack. Once stabilized I will fill it with plastic filler and see how well that works.

Plastic repair epoxy works great.
https://www.jbweld.com/products/plasticweld-syringe

I've also used it to build up stuff to make it stronger after the initial gluing stage. And it isn't that runny when initially applying either. You just need to have the thing you are fixing at the correct angle with possible something underneath it to keep it from oozing out.

null

Received a neat Toshiba Libretto 50CT today with docking station but without pcmcia floppy drive.
I have however somewhere a 110CT that is dead broken (dropped by a previous owner from height and nothing works anymore) with all accessoires so I hope I can use that one.
It also has just 16mb ram, gonna see if the 110ct has some expansion RAM I can use to beef up the 50ct

The 50ct works, but windows 95 is installed in Italian..

So my plans for it are:
- Clean the unit
- Change the original 810mb drive for a Disk on Module of 2GB size.
- Reinstall in English/Dutch
- Upgrade RAM
- Try to find a new pointer tip, since the existing one is worn out.

The battery atleast holds charge, if it is too far gone then I will order a replacement or repair the battery with new cells.

Any tips from other Libretto owners?

Picked up a boxed, complete with manual and advertisement sheet, original Microsoft Sidewinder USB Joystick for $3.00.

It even came with NovaLogics Jetpack (which contains F22 Raptor, F16 MRF, and MiG29 Fulcrum) with its manual.

Hi all,

Just managed to acquire my first MSX machine. Its a scarce platform where I live, except they had some use in the music scene, and so I present you the Yamaha YIS503FB... It didn't had the illusive SFG-01 module, but no worries, I have 3 of them waiting for a matching machine...

Haven't tested yet because its missing the PSU, those bricks (+/-12V & 5V with weird 13 pin DIN connector) are hard to find. Guess I will have to hack my way in. Cant complain really, for 60€ I think it was a steal.

The SFG-01 is a FM synt that uses the YM2151 that was specially intended for those machines and CX5 family.

Waiting for the 13 pin Din to start playing with it.. 😀

I hope you have one of the accompanying Yamaha MIDI keyboards, because they won't work with a normal MIDI keyboard:

https://www.msx.org/wiki/Yamaha_SFG-01

Nvm1 wrote:

Received a neat Toshiba Libretto 50CT today with docking station but without pcmcia floppy drive. I have however somewhere a 110 […]
Show full quote

Received a neat Toshiba Libretto 50CT today with docking station but without pcmcia floppy drive.
I have however somewhere a 110CT that is dead broken (dropped by a previous owner from height and nothing works anymore) with all accessoires so I hope I can use that one.
It also has just 16mb ram, gonna see if the 110ct has some expansion RAM I can use to beef up the 50ct

Any tips from other Libretto owners?

Those notebooks look soo good, I am a fanatic of old gre notebooks 😈
Here someone wants to sell this on the phot for 450EUROS, They are trying to sell it at least two years

Xicor wrote:

Hi all, […]
Show full quote

Hi all,

Just managed to acquire my first MSX machine. Its a scarce platform where I live, except they had some use in the music scene, and so I present you the Yamaha YIS503FB... It didn't had the illusive SFG-01 module, but no worries, I have 3 of them waiting for a matching machine...

YIS503F_small.jpg

Haven't tested yet because its missing the PSU, those bricks (+/-12V & 5V with weird 13 pin DIN connector) are hard to find. Guess I will have to hack my way in. Cant complain really, for 60€ I think it was a steal.

The SFG-01 is a FM synt that uses the YM2151 that was specially intended for those machines and CX5 family.

SFG-01_small.jpg

Waiting for the 13 pin Din to start playing with it.. 😀

Nice score! I have a CX5MII/128 with the SFG-05 (and the bespoke keyboard, and the DX7 editing software on cartridge, and a DX7 (well, TX802) to edit with it.) It's a fun setup!
Love the silver case. Mine is the boring dark grey.

respect2759 wrote:

Nvm1 wrote:

Received a neat Toshiba Libretto 50CT today with docking station but without pcmcia floppy drive. I have however somewhere a 110 […]
Show full quote

Received a neat Toshiba Libretto 50CT today with docking station but without pcmcia floppy drive.
I have however somewhere a 110CT that is dead broken (dropped by a previous owner from height and nothing works anymore) with all accessoires so I hope I can use that one.
It also has just 16mb ram, gonna see if the 110ct has some expansion RAM I can use to beef up the 50ct

Any tips from other Libretto owners?

Those notebooks look soo good, I am a fanatic of old gre notebooks 😈
Here someone wants to sell this on the phot for 450EUROS, They are trying to sell it at least two years

They are indeed fantastic looking and very mobile.
And the one you have in the picture is very complete with all docks, floppy, chargers, ram etc but no way somebody will pack €450 euro for it 🤣
What do these kind of sellers smoke?

Nvm1 wrote:

They are indeed fantastic looking and very mobile.
And the one you have in the picture is very complete with all docks, floppy, chargers, ram etc but no way somebody will pack €450 euro for it 🤣
What do these kind of sellers smoke?

Its sad but here are only a few collectors and a lot of people who calls themselves collectors but only wants the money. For example I know someone who got some 286 computers for free from a school which had those about 20 years in a classroom never used and he sold 50-100Euro/piece. And these kind of people try to sell a pentium 4 as ultra rare hyper retro super computer for high prices...

Nvm1 wrote:

They are indeed fantastic looking and very mobile. And the one you have in the picture is very complete with all docks, floppy, […]
Show full quote

respect2759 wrote:

Nvm1 wrote:

Received a neat Toshiba Libretto 50CT today with docking station but without pcmcia floppy drive. I have however somewhere a 110 […]
Show full quote

Received a neat Toshiba Libretto 50CT today with docking station but without pcmcia floppy drive.
I have however somewhere a 110CT that is dead broken (dropped by a previous owner from height and nothing works anymore) with all accessoires so I hope I can use that one.
It also has just 16mb ram, gonna see if the 110ct has some expansion RAM I can use to beef up the 50ct

Any tips from other Libretto owners?

Those notebooks look soo good, I am a fanatic of old gre notebooks 😈
Here someone wants to sell this on the phot for 450EUROS, They are trying to sell it at least two years

They are indeed fantastic looking and very mobile.
And the one you have in the picture is very complete with all docks, floppy, chargers, ram etc but no way somebody will pack €450 euro for it 🤣
What do these kind of sellers smoke?

It's because it's boxed and there's one of them for sale on ebay right now, not quite the "Adlib Gold" situation, but getting there. In addition, the plastic Toshiba used has become brittle on most of them so finding one that doesn't have broken plastics is quite rare.

The accessories are the real pain to get - I paid more for the port expander than I did for my Libretto 50CT, then I realised it doesn't even have PS/2 ports on it 😊
And the floppy drive, again really specific because the laptop itself has no floppy controller, is also really hard to find now in a working state. Thankfully that drive is at least not belt driven like a real Toshiba floppy drive would be so it started working after some exercise.

Anders- wrote:

Seeing that exact case brought on a trip down nostalgia lane 😀 You wouldn't happen to know the name of the case? It would be helpful when trying to locate it.

Nothing identifying it that I can see. Just a serial number and barcode. Both show nothing in google.

yawetaG wrote:

jheronimus wrote:

Acer WarpLink. I'm guessing, these are Wi-Fi adapters in the form of PCMCIA and ISA cards? […]
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Acer WarpLink. I'm guessing, these are Wi-Fi adapters in the form of PCMCIA and ISA cards?

Probably, but if they are only for long-dead standards.

You'd be surprised... spotted someone selling a pile of Linksys WiFi-g 16b PCMCIA cards. Now WiFi-g is itself 15 years old, but it supports WPA security so (if you can find a supplicant for your vintage OS) you can hook up to a properly secured modern WiFi network.

Was tempted, but seller didn't want to split a large pile of otherwise very uninteresting (PCI 100MbE and WiFi-g stuff mainly) hardware he wanted a bit too much for :'(

Xicor wrote:

Hi all, […]
Show full quote

Hi all,

Just managed to acquire my first MSX machine. Its a scarce platform where I live, except they had some use in the music scene, and so I present you the Yamaha YIS503FB... It didn't had the illusive SFG-01 module, but no worries, I have 3 of them waiting for a matching machine...

YIS503F_small.jpg

Haven't tested yet because its missing the PSU, those bricks (+/-12V & 5V with weird 13 pin DIN connector) are hard to find. Guess I will have to hack my way in. Cant complain really, for 60€ I think it was a steal.

Nice find. You never see that MSX model in my country.