On Mon, 20 Jul 1998, Max Eskin wrote:
Remember that Compaq is the first PC clone maker and
the first
portable PC maker ever. I think that's not bad.
The first company to clone a PC from the schematics IBM gave in the tech
ref? You don't even need to reverse engineer to do that. However, I
need a clarification from my fellow quasi-historians. Which of the
following was the first PC clone/portable?
Compaq
Cordata
Hyperion
(extra credit for release dates)
I doubt any of that is true. I mean, sure, they're
not GRiDs, and I
don't think this one is unergonomic. The power connector bit, I'll
I have seen more broken hinges on Compaqs than any other machine. In
fact, I challenge anybody to find a used Compaq Concerto that doesn't have
broken hinges. There's a thriving third-party industry in Compaq Portable
repair. As a result of this, it's fairly easy to find replacement parts
for them (but often at high prices).
As far as ergonomics go, I give you 10 minutes of trying to use that
screen-mounted track ball before you throw the machine across the room.
have to agree with. Unfortunatley, the docking station
was being sold
for more than the portable. But, hey! You use one too! Hipocrite ;)
I use Compaqs to practice my repair technique. I got a couple of them
recently in which the hinges had become degreased and stiff, so the owners
broke the displays off trying to use their laptops. I haven't found a
good replacement for the hinges yet, but re-greasing and reinforcing the
hinges with metal plates gives me working 486 laptops at around $10 each.
I put them to work as dedicated controllers and linux servers since their
power consumption is lower than an old desktop.
-- Doug