What’s your must-have classic computing system? Perhaps one thing widespread just like the Commodore 64? Or maybe you could have a style for unobtainium just like the Apple-1? In case you are a classic computing fanatic, likelihood is you could have a protracted listing of needs. And that listing possible has various uncommon machines that you simply would possibly by no means come throughout in actual life.
YouTuber and retro laptop restorer polymatt not too long ago got here throughout a system he had wished for a very long time on the Classic Pc Pageant Southwest — a 1993 IBM ThinkPad Pill. This early pill was in some ways forward of its time with a 486 CPU, as much as 8 MB of RAM, a VGA LCD show, and pen-based enter. However the specific machine polymatt got here throughout was displaying some severe put on and tear. A earlier drop had utterly killed the show, and the case had taken fairly a beating through the years as nicely.
The place to begin (📷: polymatt)
Figuring out that he could not come throughout one other ThinkPad Pill for an excellent very long time, polymatt bought the system all the identical with the aim of restoring it. The primary order of enterprise was to repair the damaged show. Sadly, the unique LCDs went out of manufacturing many years in the past. polymatt was capable of rating a brand new previous inventory Sharp show with very comparable specs, nonetheless.
The LCD was faraway from the brand new show, then the previous show was torn down. A brand new 3D-printed enclosure was made to suit the marginally completely different design of the brand new LCD, then the digitizer (used for monitoring pen inputs), backlight, and new LCD have been inserted into it. The unique glass, which was closely broken, was changed with a sheet of Lexan to complete off the show restoration.
Testing the mainboard (📷: polymatt)
This new LCD had a considerably completely different pinout from the unique LCD, so some wires have been swapped earlier than plugging them again into the mainboard. As soon as the pill was powered up with the brand new display, it gave the impression to be working, however the picture was very faint. polymatt spent a whole lot of time debugging and recapping the show to no avail. In the long run, it turned out that there truly was no drawback — the distinction dial merely wanted to be turned up. Oops!
Subsequent up, the mainboard bought a better look. Apart from needing new CMOS and sleep batteries — and a little bit of cleansing — all the pieces appeared fairly good. So after that minor work, consideration was given to the pill’s casing, which had definitely seen higher days. A brand new bezel was 3D-printed, sanded, and painted, then recreations of the unique decals have been affixed to it. The rest of the case was cleaned up and repainted as nicely to offer it a refresh.
Computing on the go, Nineteen Nineties-style (📷: polymatt)
This solely left the battery packs — which have been utterly useless — to be handled. After having a look contained in the originals, model new suitable elements have been bought and put in inside 3D-printed circumstances. As soon as put in, the ThinkPad was as soon as once more operating by itself energy, prefer it was 1993 over again.
Completely no corners have been lower in polymatt’s restoration. The video is a grasp class in the right way to revitalize retro computer systems the fitting means, so it’s positively price a watch. Oh, and when you have been questioning — sure, it may possibly play Doom!
