What Is The Lifespan Of Motherboards?

[Kyle Brant]

| In article <[email protected]>,
(e-mail address removed)
| says...
| > Isn't anyone gonna bring up the Osborne, the first truly portable
| > computer? Ha, I recall seeing one years ago, it used STD bus
cards.
| > BTW, do ya think my original Coleco game console is a collectors
item
| > now? I still have the "ladybug" game cartridge, and the system
still
| > works (circa 1982). FWIW, I designed numerous systems using 8080
and
| > 8085 processor based systems for manufacturing test and automation
use
| > back in the early 80's, it was a fun time for engineering, with
| > eye-popping 1 MHz CPUs, hehe.
|
| The Osborne was a late comer, the 3B1 and 2B1 were out before that
and
| were 4 times the computer (Unix based) for the same price. The word
| "portable" does not belong in the same sentence with Osborne, more
like
| Luggable
|
|


I think the models you refer to were not portable computers. I could
not find any info on a 3b1, but I see the 3b2 was made and sold by
ATT.

Another early portable that I recall using was the Kaypro II, similar
in size to the Osborne, the Kaypro ran CP/M.

Heh, yup, the Osborne was more like a medium sized suitcase. We had a
DEC contract programmer working in our department back then who bought
an Osborne when they first came out.

 

[Ken]

I've this P4T for 4 years ans its still going strong.
Will this thing eventually die like a hard drive?

My Supermicro P6SNE (Pentium Pro 200, 320 MB RAM)
are working since 7 years back all the time (24/7)
exept power utages, and still going strong
without any problem at all. The cooling are good
and it's never over 40°C in the case.

 

[Ben Pope]

and it's never over 40°C in the case.

I would hope not, unless you live in an extremely hot climate... in which
case I'd recommend air conditioning.

Ben

 

[David]

My Dec 3000/300 is still running away fine, it's about 10 years old now and
I can still run new software on it (150 mhz 192mb of ecc ram). The don't
build em like that no more

 

[Ronald Cole]

I've this P4T for 4 years ans its still going strong. Will this thing
eventually die like a hard drive?

I still have an ASUS SP3g with a 486DX4/100 and 32M ECC ram running
RHL7.3 as a gateway on a test network. I bought it in 1994, so that
makes it 10-years running 24x7... starting as a dual boot WfW
3.11/Slackware 3.0. It's been through 4 power supplies and 5 CD-ROM
drives in all that time. Do I get some kind of prize?

 

[Ronald Cole]

I think the models you refer to were not portable computers. I could
not find any info on a 3b1, but I see the 3b2 was made and sold by
ATT.

The 3B1 was a desktop. 3B2 through 3B15 were room sized behemoths.
They used the WE32000 processor.

 

[Bob]

The 3B1 was a desktop. 3B2 through 3B15 were room sized behemoths.
They used the WE32000 processor.

The 3b's ! I'd forgotten about those. We had a deal with AT&T back in
1985 or so when they thought that "software sells hardware" so they
concluded "we want to invest in software companies". Then, after
sinking about 700 million into software companies (real money in those
days), they changed their mind. I laugh now but it wasn't funny then.

 

[David]

You had to replace parts?! Yesh my alpha's all orginal!

 

[Ken]

Ken wrote:
and it's never over 40°C in the case.

I would hope not, unless you live in an extremely hot climate...
in which case I'd recommend air conditioning.

Here in Sweden I got 22°C to 28°C indoors over the year
where the computer is located. It's no problem at all.

 

[John]

How long is a cats tail lol
I have had new boards fail and old boards
last for many years and are still going
The one thing I have learn't very early in the piece dont buy cheap s---
its not worth the frustration
cheers