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Another ComputerLand project computer

J

JonnyGators

Experienced Member
Joined
Mar 9, 2020
Messages
206
Location
Attleboro, MA
There is currently a gap in my collection of vintage computers, I don't have anything that will run Windows 3.1. My Compaq Portable III runs 3.0, and I've attempted an install on my P4 (mostly just to run through the process, tinker around) and that runs into problems, but that's another topic. So with that gap, the obvious next step for a project is something in the 386 or 486 era. So far my attempts at a successful project computer there have failed. I bought a pair of Toshiba laptops that could make for a fun machine to play vintage games on the go - the model has an awful unfixable flaw in the power supply and gives me nothing but error codes that no one can offer anything in the way of useful information except to change random capacitors without any testing. (the suggested fix has done nothing). Then I bought parts to build a 486, only to run into countless problems with motherboards.

I do want to do a build, so I had been shying away from buying already built machines.

But....I regularly do ebay searches under the term ComputerLand. Mostly to try and find a set of books/disks for my BC88. Today, something interesting caught my eye.

ComputerLand PC.jpg

The auction listed under the title "vintage 386/486? computer"

It turns on, but stops on a press F1 to continue prompt, and the seller doesn't have a keyboard for it. The asking price was fair for something that is confirmed to turn on and bring up text, less than some of the motherboards I had been looking at.

But what is interesting is it appears to be a ComputerLand computer, with a ComputerLand logo on the case. I don't know a whole lot about the history of ComputerLand, the other youtube video about the BC88 that was posted taught me most of what I know now, but I was left with the impression that ComputerLand stopped making their own line of computers with the lack of success from the BC88/BC286 model. But here we are, a branded ComputerLand machine from the 386/486 era. Not sure what the story is there, or how uncommon it is. Heck, for all I know it's just a generic machine that someone slapped a logo on.

Anyways, it's going to need to be cleaned up a bit, and in the pictures on the listing I can already see a mess of green near the battery contacts. But....hopefully it'll be a fun project. I'll probably do a video about it, and post more pictures here.
 
And just like that, this project is over. Another waste of time, waste of money, hopes up on FINALLY getting one damn piece of working computer equipment for once, and more frustration.

The ebay listing showed it powered on, VGA output, asking for a keyboard. That is what I went into this with, the understanding that it turns on, and displays a message.

Can I get that?

NOOOOO!!!!!!!

Of course not.

An ebay auction, actually arrive matching the advertising and pictures?

It seems it's expecting too much to just expect that much. I am beyond furious at this point.

The idiot threw it in a box with some slabs of styrophone around it, and called it good. It got knocked around, and god knows what happened to it.

The front faceplate completely came off the posts that are screwed in to attach it to the case. Wires were knocked off of connections.

I took it apart, cleaned everything carefully, tried to salvage what I can with a few dabs of super glue, managed to get half the faceplate to hold to the case again, got the motherboard, power supply, and VGA card back in the case, plugged it in, connected a monitor, and.....nothing but the sound of a CPU fan, the steady light above the turbo button (no matter the state it's in), and after about five minutes, a few beeps that mean nothing to me. No video.

Another pile of parts on the scrap bile that is consuming this house ,another waste of money, another waste of time. So sick of this. Is it so much to just want a purchase to arrive as pictured? Is it so much to just get a damn working 386 or 486 already? Been trying for damn near half a year now, and have had now 5 failed attempts at just a stupid damn blood 386 or 486 to tinker around with. It should not be this difficult!
 
There's not much you can do for dead motherboard and/or dead processor, which is what I keep running into. I just need someone to sell me something with a good motherboard and/or processor already, instead of the clueless ebay idiots that keep selling crap with misleading descriptions or claims of testing that turn into "well....it turned on for me last time I used it" when confronted.

Does anyone, ANYONE AT ALL, have something in the 386/486 era with working motherboard and processor that they are looking to sell? Seriouisly....I just want to buy a working motherboard/processor, no bullshit, just plain and simple works to spec, to get a working 3.1 machine going here.

I've been trying for months to have a weekend of tinkering around with windows install, driver searches, configuring video cards and sound cards, trying to get a working 3.1 setup going.....instead, I waste hours and hours and hours dicking around with broken hardware that is really pilinig up around here. I just want to get to the state where I have a machine to work with already. It shouldn't be so damn impossible to get to that state. If anyone, anyone at all, would just sell me tested working parts for once.
 
My point is that anything that is intact mechanically (and sometimes even not so intact) usually can be repaired with some troubleshooting and repair skill. Generally, processors just don't die (at least not in my experience). Old RAM, sure, but that's a different situation. There are people out there still using 45-year old 8080A CPUs.
 
Ok great.....what do I do with my pile of unfixable crap then? I've asked here for advice and pointers with each dud, and nothing worked, and I'm just amassing a pile of e-waste at this point. I just want to buy a working motherboard/processor.
 
Rotten luck with the ebay shipper, hopefully they at least refunded your money.

If the board gave beep codes, I'd probably still try messing with it a bit. My suspicion would be damaged expansion slots. Is that at least an AT-form motherboard?

It sounds like at the rate you are going, eventually if you can get a known working machine, you can then authoritatively test what works or not and trash what isn't.

The thing with 386/486 era boards is anything in that bad condition is almost certain to have massive battery leak damage. It may power up for someone, but traces around there will be fragile and after getting kicked around and cleaned, they will almost certainly break.

But it is awesome when a beat up machine like that cleans up and more or less works ok. I'd grabbed a nasty 486 at a thrift store a year or so ago. The motherboard was badly eaten up, but the case cleaned up great. Generic AT tower case, so eventually some other board will go in it.
 
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