Phoenix Gold Phorum

Well I think I've decided to put off my adventure with the PC for now, since I hardly use it after getting my laptop, since the laptop is newer and faster than my PC, I just use the PC as mostly a working rig for testing things and a "server" for my files and media that I can access through the network on the laptop(s).

So now I have some pretty crazy ideas for modifying my laptop and ideas that have useflul purpose behind them as well.

Anybody have any links to sites that are sprcifically or have very good information on upgrading and modifying laptops?

The one I currently have is an IBM T30 1.9Mhz, I just upgraded the RAM from the factory installed 256 to a 512 stick that I was able to pull from another laptop I was recently given that has MoBo problems. I'm pillaging other parts like the 60GB HDD (to upgrade from the 20GB I have now, WiFi card that I hope will work with the IBM and then the DVD burner that I'm hoping will fit in my GFs laptop as it's the same brand (Toshiba).

I will also be converting the LCD to a desktop LCD monitor, even though it's only 15", might as well use it.

I have found a page on upgrading the CPU to a 2.4Ghz unit whihc will be on eof the last things I do, since I need to find the newer BIOS and find out how to install it, for the upgraded CPU to work.

Anyway, hit me with what you got.

Thanks


P.S. if the one idea I have comes to fruition, it will require a thread filled with pictures.

Well I've found notebookforums.com so far, seems pretty active and there's a lot of forums to read through.

Also post any links to specific infomation sites.

Thanks

http://forums.afterdawn.com/thread_view.cfm/2/98801

LCD Monitor conversion discussion...

IMO....sounds like alot of work, as well as a bunch of extra money involved to make it work....

But hey....could be a fun project.

HOWEVER....this could be better!!!!!!!!!!!

http://www.mp3car.com/vbulletin/faq-emp ... creen.html

Now your cpu MAY be upgradeable....but you may want to make sure the board can handle it. Voltage plays a big part. Laptops arent as easily upgradeable as desktops. You may need to find a bios upgrade...but that can be dangerous if it is not flashed properly.

Hard drives cool...they are cheap these days.....
MEmory is getting cheap too.
DVD Burner could be easy, or it could be a bit of a pain. All depends on the faceplate on the drive.

According to more than one site, the CPU is upgradable up to a P4 2.4 Ghz. The same sites also say there is a BIOS and another firmware upgrade needed in order for it to work. This is going to be one of the last things I do, since it's not going to make that much difference. I think my next upgrade is to more RAM, most sites say that 1 GB is max, but there have been a couple sites where guys have added up to 2 GB and had it function.
I'll probably just buy 2 sticks of 1 GB and if it oly accepts on 1 GB, I'll put the other stick in the GFs lappy.
I have a 60 GB HDD sitting here that I am taking the files off of it and storing it until the person that gave it to me tells me that she has all the files she needs, then I'll format it and install it in the machine trippling my storage capacity. Partition magic will be used at that point as well.
I also have a WiFi card from the Toshiba that I am trying to determine if it is compatable with the IBM (I believe so) and what drivers I will need for it. I don't mind using my PCMCIA wireless card, but would be nicer to just use an onboard.

I also caught part of a discussing about adding Bluetooth. Said something about loosing the network card, which is fine with me, since I don't use it anyway. I'll have to look into Bluetooth a bit more and see if it will be benificial to add. Some of the vehicle tuning equipment I could use has Bluetooth adaptors, and my phone is also Bluetooth, so I may get more use out of it than I think I would.

DVD burners are available, I was looking on eBay tonight (oh well) and saw quite a few on there, for around $85. I'll probably just put my PC burner in my external optical enclosure and use that if it ever comes to it.

Well, after some screwing around, I have the 60GB HDD installed and running. Now I just need to install all of my programs and files again. Good thing I have an external USB HDD enclosure and PC IDE to laptop IDE adaptor to copy files over. It took me a bit to figure out why I couldn't get my dual screen working and then to find why the driver wasn't installed, all working fine now, I was even able to install the IBM ThinkPad configuartion manager on the new HDD.

I also did go thorugh with moving my DVD burner to my external optical drive enclosure, that way I can use it on any one of the two laptops and PC that's in use in this house.

I tried to install the WiFi card, but the laptop wouldn't even boot up, said something about finding two network connection devices installed and told me to remove the mini-PCI adaptor.
I'll have to look into this one a bit more.
I did notice there was a MAC address label on the bottom of the lappy, and wonder if there was originally a WiFi card installed that has been removed, and now won't accept a new card. I would have thought that the software portion of that would have been on the old drive though.
More learning to do.

On the wifi card....several things.....sometimes there are two mini pci slots....one for a dialup modem and the other for whatever mini pci card usually wireless and has the antenna in it. Did you plug in the antenna (usually a main and then an aux antenna?) to the new wireless card?
IF not, then maybe you have put it in the wrong slot? IE: modem's mini pci slot....? most likely not, but I have seen this configuration on some laptops before.

And if this wasn't the case and you installed antenna's and the card is the only one, then maybe uninstall, and then boot laptop to the bios and disable any networking/wireless card devices you can find? and then install new card to see.....?

Yep, proper location. There was the antenna connections right there, main and aux, connected both.

I will have to boot to BIOS and see what I can find.

Thanks

well I tried finding any device in the BIOS that would look like a network adaptor, and other than the modem/network card there is nothing else that I can see in the BIOS or device manager.

I have my PCMCIA card working fine, and it's not too much of a bother to use, it would just be nice to use an internal wireless adaptor. Yes I had it unplugged when I installed the mini-PCI WiFi card.

Now the odd thing is, that even in the BIOS it shows a MAC address. Would this mean that I would need an IBM specific card, that would allow use of this internal MAC address? I also couldn't find anyway to disable or remove that MAC address either.