21 Jul
2006
21 Jul
'06
2:18 p.m.
I have yet to find even an adequate book on computer
repair :-(.
PC repair or old computer repairing?
You can find plenty of info on old computers. Apples, Commodores,
Amigas, and like. But nothing about the PC, although if you can understand
the XT schematic, most of the problems makes sense for you.
PC books are going to be boardswapper guides, and will
be useless for
repairing 8 bit micros (it's a moot point whether they're even useful for
repairing PCs ;-)).
Going to be? Have you ever read one of those? :o)
Other than the service manual (which should exist at
least for the
TRS80), my recomendation would be to learn electronics at least well
enough to understand how these machines should work (a good book for this
is 'The Art of Electronics' by Horrowitz and Hill), then read every book
you can find on electronics troubleshooting and repair (radio, TV, etc,
even valve stuff -- the basic ideas of making measurements, thinking
about them, then finding the fault have not changed, and probably can
never change).
ARRL Amateur Radio Handbook - the bible of everything electronics, take
a look! :oD