First post, by 68krazy
Hello everyone,
I've been a long-time lurker, but finally decided to make an account. This is such a great forum! Thanks to Vogoners and all of the retro YouTubers (LGR, 8-bit Guy, etc), I have rediscovered my love of 90s consumer PC hardware. Thank you all for keeping the scene alive!
I've been wanting to get a 90s ThinkPad ever since LGR made a video about the 380XD, and last week I found a 380ED on eBay that seemed reasonably priced. It's supposed to arrive tomorrow, whoo! I have a few to-do items I could use your advice on:
1. OEM install of Windows
The seller says the hard drive has been wiped. I know I can put a clean install of Windows 95B on there and that drivers are still available from Lenovo, but I would really like to get an OEM install on there. I want it to feel as original as possible, with the ThinkPad desktop backgrounds and whatever else IBM pre-installed back in the day. Does anybody know where I can find an .iso of the recovery media? Or would anyone who owns the media be willing to make me an image? Google yielded a few forum posts of people asking similar questions a few years ago, but no .iso.
2. Replacement battery
The laptop is shipping without a battery installed. That's fine, honestly, as the battery would have probably been long dead anyway. Does anyone have any suggestions for buying and/or putting together a working battery pack? I would love to be able to use this as an actual laptop that doesn't need to be plugged into the wall to run.
3. Replacement LCD panel & disassembly guidance
The laptop's TFT panel seems to be deteriorating in the top right corner. I'm not sure what the deterioration is called or what the cause is, but I've seen it in other eBay listings for other 90s laptops, so I think it's age-related. I found a few forum posts about the 380 series suggesting that the TFT panel can still be ordered new from China. Does this sound plausible to you guys? Does anyone know if I can get part numbers without having to take the machine apart so I can start looking at availability and prices? And, once I receive the laptop, does anyone know where or if I can find some good disassembly instructions?
4. ThinkPad fanbois
I'm getting the impression that ThinkPads have a loyal following. I've never been a ThinkPad fanboi, but I can see the appeal. And who knows? Maybe this 380ED will be my introduction to the world of ThinkPad. Does anyone have any resources/websites/forums they can recommend so I can get a clearer picture of ThinkPad culture and why people like them?
Let me know what you guys think. Any and all input is appreciated. Thanks for reading!