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New England NOS Green 753 Laptop

Covers: Vermont, New Hampshire, Massachusetts, Connecticut, Rhode Island and Maine.
Drat. I guess your memory is different than anything I've run across. Two things I can offer, one, I will swap with some I have or two, take a Dremel to each memory module and lengthen the notch until they fit.
 
Don, I appreciate that. Do you think it is just the wrong socket, but the right voltage (are we sure it is 3.3V)? I can dremel it or the memory if there doesn't look like there are any traces in that area.
 
My CPU is coming today, so once I have that the system should be up and running. I don't see any traces in that area of the memory and it doesn't layer like a 4 layer pcb, so I'm going to try my luck at dremeling it to fit.

Since they are a so-"D"imm, should it work with only one of the two slots filled?
 
Pentium 166 MHz non-mmx installed and it is booting. Floppy drive booted DOS and I've got a 500 MB 2.5" PATA hard drive in it that is still works.

It took awhile to get it started, so maybe it has to charge that on board nicd for cmos before it will come up. I kept turning it on and off and just let it sit for a bit in the on position and finally the it came on and I had a display.
 
Memory is in and working. Those Harbor Freight micro flush cutters never stop being amazing. I just used them to cut the notch higher on the sodimm modules and they went in fine and were recognized by the BIOS.

I can post a pic of the battery tonight!
 
I've seen those leak far too often, it's why I can't find a working WinBook XP. They stuck that same three in a row battery right next to the CPU on those. Can't be trusted, but it's good that they didn't put it right over the board so they're likely ok. I’d remove the original even though it’s new, just to be safe.
I'm surprised you've never seen them leak.
 
Here is the battery picture.

I was able to get WIndows NT Workstation 4.0 installed on it. I even found a sound driver for it.
 

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Ooh, that looks like it’s right on the board? I’d get it out just in case if I were you. These just can’t be trusted.
 
I understand that Varta batteries have a reputation for leaking, however I've seen several hundred of these laptops and only one or two problems with the battery. IIRC, one was dead cells. I have a bag of NOS replacement Varta batteries and almost never used them. But if you want to cut the leads, cut high and then if someone else wants to replace the bat.they can solder to the old leads.
 
I'm genuinely surprised to hear that, unless much of your experience was 10+ years ago? Because they would have been fine then. I've seen probably at least a dozen of these dating from 1993 NiCad Vartas through to 2002 NiMH ones, and all but one was leaking. Of those, most I caught before any damage was done (just leaking down the cables), but I did lose one laptop to one and another sustained damage that was near fatal. if they're NOS then I do wonder if they'll take longer to leak. That is what I've seen with some other NiMH batteries, such as the PowerBook 190/5300 main batteries. Some of the worst I've seen in terms of leaking, but people who've found them NOS have had them completely fine and taking charge still.

My rule for CMOS batteries in general is just that I get them out if they're NiCad or NiMH just in case. Just recently I took apart a Compaq LTE Elite 4/75CX that I just got in to remove its NiCad CMOS battery and found it intact and still working somehow! (wasn't a varta which probably helped). I removed it regardless just because I don't trust them.
 
You know Varta is a european brand right? They still make batteries. And they are not a budget dollar store brand. The reputation they have is caused by certain types of batteries (barrel and 1/2 AA) on 35+ year old boards but it doesnt reflect the company over all. Its just stupid sheep mentality to assume the brand is bad all around. When I was in central Europe over the summer all I saw were varta batteries... This notion they are "no good" needs to f@*king go out the window with CRT disclaimers.

Don is right these small cell bios batteries almost never leak. And you can find equivalent new ones on ebay to connect in thier place. My 1999 Dell Pentium 3 uses the same type. The original didnt leak when I replaced it 2 years ago it just stopped keeping the settings. You know what leaks? Modern AA and AAA batteries regardless of the brand(although I havent had lithium cells leak yet).

Lets think for ourselves people. Sheep belong plated at the dinner table.. Not sitting and speaking at it.
 
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VERAULT said:
Don is right these small cell bios batteries almost never leak.
Click to expand...
My own experience and that of dozens of other people says otherwise here. I don’t hate Varta as a brand - in fact, I praise their Lithium batteries (like those put in the early Mac IIs and SEs) as the longest lasting and lowest leak rate out of any of the brands apple used. Many have found them still holding charge decades on.
But their NiCad and NiMH batteries just don’t last. I’m not saying they’re a crappy company, I don’t expect any battery to last that long. All I’m saying is that nowadays those batteries just can’t be trusted to not start leaking.
There’s a reason why I can’t find any WinBook XPs or Toshiba Satellite Pro 430CDTs working on eBay to buy (check out that corrosion on the bottom of this one from one of those Vartas: https://www.ebay.com/itm/266326094541)

If you think those batteries leaking is rare, go ask all the people on 68kMLA who have had their PowerBook 2400s, 3400s, G3 Kangas ruined from those same green Varta batteries.

Also by the way- I’m not trying to discredit Don’s experience. I’ve heard accounts of these leaks going back to a bit over 10 years ago, but it’s only really become common in the last few.

I don’t know where you got the idea that I’m some “sheep” here just spouting garbage, but I really don’t think I am. I’m just speaking from experience here and trying to just give a warning about these. I don’t wish to derail this thread though so I’m gonna leave things here.
 
But these small cell "hearing aid" size batteries strung together like in these laptops.. rarely leak.. So what do you mean? This style "coincell" sealed battery has a very very low leaking potential.. Like CR2032.. So I dont know what you are talking about. And as for what dozens of people say.. Again. I dont care.. The internet like modern society is full of people regurgitating things.. I already addressed the types of batteries known to leak and from when.

I think you missed my point. Barrel batteries (like these)
716YfqRlByL._AC_UF350,350_QL80_.jpg
and 1/2 AA like these
TL-2150%5ES.jpg
as seen on 286 to 486 classic clone boards and 1/2AA on Many macs.. I already mentioned them.. And they only represent a small period of time (1985 to 1990 or 1991). Again it doesnt reflect the company.Rather the choice in battery types. I dont replace Macintosh II batteries with 1/2AA. I use coincells for a reason.

Edit: @3lectr1c I didnt mean you were a sheep. I was speaking in generalities about how word of mouth can sway opinions on the internet.
 
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