T-Squared
Veteran Member
Since the original thread about my copy of IRCjr complaining about text formatting and memory count got off-track, I decided to start a new thread about those who wanted to upgrade their IBM 5150 or IBM Clone system.
For me, you've probably heard a lot about my Sanyo MBC-775, and my efforts to get it working, on this forum. Unfortunately, the system, despite its uniqueness, is not very well-equipped to handle programs made for the original system or other IBM clones. The MBC-775 only has 256k of memory and two ISA slots. Combinations of cards allow me to do certain things with the system, of course, but the fact that it only has two slots means I often have to sacrifice an ability in order to do something else. Even moreso when I have dedicated one of those slots for a XT-IDE card.
For example, if I want to go onto the internet, to websites formatted especially for vintage low-end systems, I have an ethernet card to do so. However, if I want to listen to music or Adlib/Sound-Blaster-based sounds on the system, I have to swap the card out for a Sound Blaster. If I want to play with 16-color-based programs, I could either use a game's specially-made artifact-color mode, or (hopefully) swap in an EGA card (if it plays nice and does what I hope it will do, that is, output full 16 colors to the internal monitor).
In this case, a dedicated 640kb memory expansion card is out of the question, as it gets rid of a chance for more color, sound, and communication capabilities for the computer. Thus, my idea was to desolder the existing RAM and replace them with sockets. If it works, this is a triple benefit, as not only have I been having intermittent problems with the RAM (only once so far), but I can expand the RAM to 1 MB (adding expanded memory for DOS in the process) for 640kb-requirement games and programs, as well as replace failed memory in the future easily.
What I'm hoping is that 64kb memory is pin- and interface-compatible, so I simply have to plug the chips in without modification (even then, I wouldn't know what to modify).
For me, you've probably heard a lot about my Sanyo MBC-775, and my efforts to get it working, on this forum. Unfortunately, the system, despite its uniqueness, is not very well-equipped to handle programs made for the original system or other IBM clones. The MBC-775 only has 256k of memory and two ISA slots. Combinations of cards allow me to do certain things with the system, of course, but the fact that it only has two slots means I often have to sacrifice an ability in order to do something else. Even moreso when I have dedicated one of those slots for a XT-IDE card.
For example, if I want to go onto the internet, to websites formatted especially for vintage low-end systems, I have an ethernet card to do so. However, if I want to listen to music or Adlib/Sound-Blaster-based sounds on the system, I have to swap the card out for a Sound Blaster. If I want to play with 16-color-based programs, I could either use a game's specially-made artifact-color mode, or (hopefully) swap in an EGA card (if it plays nice and does what I hope it will do, that is, output full 16 colors to the internal monitor).
In this case, a dedicated 640kb memory expansion card is out of the question, as it gets rid of a chance for more color, sound, and communication capabilities for the computer. Thus, my idea was to desolder the existing RAM and replace them with sockets. If it works, this is a triple benefit, as not only have I been having intermittent problems with the RAM (only once so far), but I can expand the RAM to 1 MB (adding expanded memory for DOS in the process) for 640kb-requirement games and programs, as well as replace failed memory in the future easily.
What I'm hoping is that 64kb memory is pin- and interface-compatible, so I simply have to plug the chips in without modification (even then, I wouldn't know what to modify).
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