9 Oct
2009
9 Oct
'09
3:10 p.m.
On 10 Oct 2009 at 0:41, Alexandru Lovin wrote:
Trouble is, I can't afford an international call
to hear them say yes
or no. Beside that, I really really really want someone to look into
the machine and tell me if a custom RAM card can be made. The thing
comes with 2 MB onboard (4 chips, apparently 4x512 KB) and it has a
custom RAM upgrade card...which of course, can't be found anywhere on
the whole Internet.
You didn't say where in the world you were located. I'm sure that
there must be someone close enough to you.
Now, the laptop also has a custom connector for a
2400bps modem that
it could host. Being a 386SX, it is most definitely 8-bit ISA or
16-bit ISA (but really nonstandard). I think it has 25 pins or so (not
sure, quoting from memory). Were there any other buses used in the
286-386SX generations except ISA? As far as I know, PCI can only be
implemented starting with a 386 DX so it's definitely not PCI.
I'm sure it's nothing as exotic as PCI for a 386SX laptop. It could
well be a version of ISA, but some devices used their own bus
implementation, so it's difficult to say.
I refuse to believe that there aren't any people
left in this world
able to design and manufacture a custom PCB. One for the memory
expansion (and not necessarily with 2 MB on it, it can have more - the
386SX I heard can access up to 16 MB, just like the 286, while the
leap to 4 GB was achieved with the 386DX) and one for something else.
The question is more of "who would want to design a board for a
little-known vintage laptop?" Given sufficient monetary impetus, you
could certainly find someone to do it, but otherwise, why would
anyone want to do it?
I think it's a better use of your time to enjoy the thing for what it
is, not what it was never intended to be.
--Chuck