Useful or not?

[stevo1210]

Hello Everyone,

I have found a Texas Instruments Travelmate 6030 series laptop under a pile of computer equipment at my friend's place.

The laptop belonged to me before I gave it to him a few years ago.... before I even bought my trusty Dell inspiron 6400.
It's a 1996 model laptop which i got in 2001 from the USA.

It has an Intel Pentium 133MHz CPU, 72MB of RAM, 2MB Cirrus Logic Video, ESS 1788 Audio, 2 PC card slots, CD-ROM, 1.4Gb HDD and a 12.1 inch colour TFT LCD screen.... No USB ports though. I've got a USB 1.1 PCMCIA card somewhere.
It's also got another 3 HDD's all 1.4GB and loaded with a different edition of Windows. Windows 95, 98 and NT 4.0 If I remember correctly.

I feel that the Texas Instruments laptop is like one of those old vintage things that you can't find anywhere.
I want to fix it up a little and use it with Linux or use it as a firewall. Only problem is the parts.
I can't find spare parts for it anywhere. The screen is in perfect condition and the AC adaptor still works. The battery holds a charge of 45 minutes. But the plastic around the hinges are completely broken.... most likely because of the stiffness of the hinges. The hinge covers are also missing.

I just wish that there was some very powerful glue that could hold the plastics and screws together.... I tried super glue and that didn't work either.
But then again, my friend drilled though the plastic and put bolts in to hold the hinges in place.... so the plastic is practically finished.

Does anyone know where I can find a suitable LCD housing?? Also, what version of Linux is compatible with this old vintage laptop??.

Thanks.

[linuxguru]

Re: Useful or not?

Most Linux distros are compatible - it just won't be possible to do anything useful as a desktop Linux box with limited RAM. 72 MB RAM limits the distro/version to some slightly dated ones - I'd recommend RedHat 7.3 or Mandrake 7.2/8.1/8.2, perhaps with the last free version of StarOffice (5.2) installed. Fedora Core 3/4 may install in 72 MB, but it won't be possible to comfortably run X plus apps.

As a firewall, you can run Routerlinux in as little as 4 MB of RAM, but 16 MB is better. A P133 is a comfortable fit for a routerlinux firewall.

[willawake]

Re: Useful or not?

can you get more ram into it?

could slim down 98 otherwise 95

[stevo1210]

Re: Useful or not?

can you get more ram into it?

could slim down 98 otherwise 95

72MB is as high as it goes. It had 32MB when I first got it and a few years ago, I added a stick of 32MB and 8MB.
The original OS it had was Windows 95 and there's even a sticker on the laptop saying it's "Designed for Windows 95".
I had 98 on it for a few years then I got bored and put NT 4.0 on it.

[Topcat]

Re: Useful or not?

with a little more RAM, NT4 would run on it fine.

[stevo1210]

Re: Useful or not?

with a little more RAM, NT4 would run on it fine.

I wish it could handle more RAM.... but it can't

When I installed Windows NT 4.0 with 72MB of RAM, I felt that it ran faster than Windows 98.
On the Acer website (Acer bought TI years ago) , I saw that this laptop is also Windows NT 4.0 Workstation capable and all the drivers for NT 4.0 are available.
I am also wondering if the CPU in this laptop can be upgraded?? I have a regular desktop socket 7 150MHz and 166MHz CPU lying in my spare parts box. I am not sure if the older laptops have a different type of mobile Intel Pentium CPU?.... I know that the TI Travelmate 6050NT uses the same motherboard, BIOS and runs on an Intel Pentium 150Mhz CPU.
I think the DC power port also needs replacing.... to get power to the laptop, I have to put some force or stretch the cable which is a bit annoying.

[gdement]

Re: Useful or not?

I wish it could handle more RAM.... but it can't

When I installed Windows NT 4.0 with 72MB of RAM, I felt that it ran faster than Windows 98.

That's as it should be - NT4 is faster and uses less memory than 98. 98 has a more bloated interface which integrates with IE, so it's always lagging and accessing the hard drive every time you point at anything. The older interface from 95 and NT4 is much quicker, but doesn't have all the features people take for granted now, like being able to click and drag or right click to edit stuff on the start menu.

If you install IE4 on an NT4 system then you will be prompted with an option to install the IE integration features. If you do that then it will act more like Win98, but of course it also slows the system down just the same. IE5 and 6 can also perform this update but it's not as obvious how to invoke it.

I am also wondering if the CPU in this laptop can be upgraded?? I have a regular desktop socket 7 150MHz and 166MHz CPU lying in my spare parts box. I am not sure if the older laptops have a different type of mobile Intel Pentium CPU?.... I know that the TI Travelmate 6050NT uses the same motherboard, BIOS and runs on an Intel Pentium 150Mhz CPU.

I don't know anything about that laptop, but I think it's pretty common for laptops back then to have the processor soldered onto a proprietary module. That was the case on my sister's old P133 Compaq, and Intel themselves started making modules like that by the time of the P2. Even if it's socketed, if it's a travel oriented laptop then it probably has a lower power mobile version of the CPU. Mobile Pentiums do definitely exist, according to this page:
http://www.cpu-world.com/CPUs/Pentiu...20Pentium.html

By the P2 timeframe Intel was putting their mobile chips on modules which also contained the cache RAM and I think even provided their own voltage regulation. I remember reading an article about this at tomshardware.com a long time ago, and it gave the impression that modules like this are easy to upgrade. These intel modules were called MMC-1 and MMC-2, but unfortunately I don't think these apply to the 586 pentiums.

If you can find a service manual then that's the best way to figure out what you'd need to upgrade it. If it's a socketed chip then the remaining problem would be to figure out how to raise the multiplier. That should be manageable by soldering on the back of the socket if all else fails. In the absence of a mobile Pentium, you might get away with underclocking a desktop chip instead.

[stevo1210]

Re: Useful or not?

I took the laptop home yesterday afternoon and I tried to install NT on one of the hard drives, but when I formatted it, it was fine. But When installation starts, it can't install it. I don't know what's going on.... I'll check it out on the weekend when I have some time.... I have a feeling that the other hard drive is saying goodbye.
The hard drive inside it now has Windows 95 installed and it seems to work fine with no problems so far.
I just had a look at the CMOS battery this laptop uses and it looks like a barrel type of battery soldered onto the motherboard. The battery after 11 years still remembers the time and date!.
Yesterday when I turned the laptop on, it asked me about daylight savings.... My friend put this laptop away for some while now.
I'm just wondering if these barrel type batteries were rechargeable.... It's been 11 years now and it still functions perfectly.
As you can see in the image, the plastics around the hinges are all broken now. I think i'll have to get some epoxy and glue a piece of metal to the back on the weekend, then solder on a few small nuts to tighten the hinge screws onto.



Thanks.

[stevo1210]

Re: Useful or not?

I want to open this laptop up, but I can't. I untighten all the screws, but it's stuck in the middle bit and I'm afraid to pull it because I think I might break something (e.g motherboard).

Does anyone know where I can find a service manual for this laptop to open it up??
I know it can be done because my uncle did it once when I was younger because I dropped it onto the florr and something came loose inside. He tightened the screws back on, but there is one screw that was tightened on before the plastic chassis was put back on, so I have this bulge in the middle at the back.
I asked him how to open it and he forgot how he did it.

The most I got in opening the laptop was to the stage of taking the keyboard off using a flat head screwdriver and pulling against the tabs that hold the keyboard down. I'm wondering how I can disconnect the keyboard and display cables?? do I just pull them out or do I have to do something else before pulling those ribbon cables out??

Thanks.

[stevo1210]

Re: Useful or not?

I had a look at Fedora core 2/3 and the hard drive space it requires is more than the 1.4GB that this laptop has. Redhat 7.3 also comes on three CD ISO's so I guess that it won't fit.
I need a version that can run on this laptop and also be able to fit in the 1.4GB of HDD space. I was actually thinking something really small like DSL linux but DSL is a bit too small and too simple, but then again it's a live CD and runs on practically anything....

[Paul S]

Re: Useful or not?

I have SLAX Linux installed on a 1GB USB drive. It has a ton of modules available to enhance the basic install. I boot it up from my laptop, and I can use the wireless to connect to my AP. I use the NDISWrapper, wpa_supplicant, kwifimanager and the Firefox modules. I have it set up to save any changes, something that you can't do from the live CD.

I don't recall the exact process that I used to do the install. I got it from the internet, somewhere. But, if it can be done on a USB drive, I'm sure it'll work on a regular hard drive.

Paul

[stevo1210]

Re: Useful or not?

I want to open this laptop up, but I can't. I untighten all the screws, but it's stuck in the middle bit and I'm afraid to pull it because I think I might break something (e.g motherboard).

Does anyone know where I can find a service manual for this laptop to open it up??
I know it can be done because my uncle did it once when I was younger because I dropped it onto the florr and something came loose inside. He tightened the screws back on, but there is one screw that was tightened on before the plastic chassis was put back on, so I have this bulge in the middle at the back.
I asked him how to open it and he forgot how he did it.

The most I got in opening the laptop was to the stage of taking the keyboard off using a flat head screwdriver and pulling against the tabs that hold the keyboard down. I'm wondering how I can disconnect the keyboard and display cables?? do I just pull them out or do I have to do something else before pulling those ribbon cables out??

Thanks.

I took the whole laptop apart. I took a bunch of screws out holding the heatsink onto the motherboard and the chassis came loose.
I inspected everything and I found that the CMOS battery is leaking acid! its even turned the plastic around the battery a grey colour!.
Looks like I need a new battery....
I put it back together and everything works perfectly. Oh and the CPU is a mobile Pentium and soldered to the motherboard
Now I am going to look for a decent Linux OS.

[gdement]

Re: Useful or not?

I had a look at Fedora core 2/3 and the hard drive space it requires is more than the 1.4GB that this laptop has. Redhat 7.3 also comes on three CD ISO's so I guess that it won't fit.

I still have a server running 7.3, I just checked it and it looks like it's using about 1.3GB of space right now. I'm sure it could be installed in less space than that, but it would still be on the cramped side with that drive. I'd be inclined to try it but only because I have an affinity to redhat 7.x.

A couple years ago I successfully set up a 12GB drive on my sister's P133 laptop by using one of those boot manager gizmos that hard drives sometimes ship with. I normally avoid those things but it proved useful in that circumstance. Without the boot software the laptop would freeze on anything larger than 8GB. The alternative was to use an IBM utility to reprogram the drive's reported size to just under 8GB.

[stevo1210]

Re: Useful or not?

I just added a piece of sheet aluminium to where the hinges hook onto the plastic LCD cover.... seems fine so far, but I had to add washers to where the hinges meet the laptop base so boost the LCD up about 2mm higher because the sheet metal kept getting stuck while I was opening the laptop.
I also painted the piece of aluminium but the paint is flaking off everytime I touch it.... looks like paint and aluminium don't mix even though I sanded the aluminium to make it rough for the paint to sitck....

[Maxxarcade]

Re: Useful or not?

I need to dig out my old Toshiba Tecra 740CDT and see what I can do with that. It has a Pentium 166, 144MB ram and a 2.1GB hard drive. I was actually able to install WinXP on it when I was using a 30GB hard drive, and it didn't run too bad as long as only 1 program was running at a time. Ubuntu wouldn't even work on it, and it can't boot from the CD either. The BIOS is dead simple and doesn't support it.

[gdement]

Re: Useful or not?

and it can't boot from the CD either. The BIOS is dead simple and doesn't support it.

That's another benefit of using one of those boot manager utilities. The one I installed on the old P133 laptop will prompt you with an opportunity to boot the CDROM, something the original BIOS can't do.

[stevo1210]

Re: Useful or not?

I took the piece of metal on the hinge and stuck it on with some silastic silicone glue and the hinge and back panel LCD cover is now perfect for use.
I want to use this laptop as an MP3 and music player. At the moment I am using Windows 98 and I can't find any MP3 player applications suitable for this older P133 laptop.
I tried Windows media player and it wont even load a song.... but it can play a music CD....
What would be a good media player for this old laptop??

I tried Linux on this laptop and it won't even load. SLAX told me it couldn't find a monitor and so did PuppyLinux. Damn Small Linux on the other hand took 10 minutes to load, but that's the only one that worked. So Windows is my only path for now.

Thanks.

[kikkoman]

Re: Useful or not?

I'd go with win98 or Me (even better) and Winamp.
make sure you have an old version, since v3 and later versions cause much more load. as long as you don't need a complete media library, it's the best option IMHO.

[kikkoman]

Re: Useful or not?

forget what i said about windows Me. iirc it needs at least 150 mhz.

[stevo1210]

Re: Useful or not?

I got the Texas Instruments laptop replaced today.

The new laptop is a Dell Inspiron 3200. It's better compared to the old one. This new one has a 13" XGA screen that goes up to 1024x768

I got it for only $20 because it was branded as faulty.

Well, so far I've found no issues with it, but there is a small crack in the plastic where the LCD hinges are so maybe that's why it was branded as faulty?

Anyway, I loaded it up with Windows 2000 Pro and added a USB wireless receiver for wireless internet from my router.

So far this is what I have found out about its specifications by navigating through the BIOS and system properties.

* Intel Pentium II 233 MHz CPU
* 64MB RAM (SDRAM?)
* 2MB Neomagic 128XD Graphics card
* Intel 440BX chipset
* 3GB IBM HDD
* Toshiba made CD-ROM

That's about all I've found about the laptop. I will try to find out some more things about it. Anyway I'm going to load Windows Media player onto this laptop and see what happens.

Thanks.