Knuckledragger
Experienced Member
I finally got a chance to grab a Model 4 at a price I was comfortable with; it arrived Friday afternoon via UPS. It was a complete 64K system with a load of software. Unfortunately as my luck would have it the BROAD I bought it from packed the computer in a box on top of a stack of the brown Tandy software binders and then filled in the void with the numerous books and manuals that came with it and paper. The outer leading edge of the keyboard on the case is demolished and even missing a couple of the broken pieces. They must have come out during shipping as there was a rip in the box. It is also missing the RED Reset Key completely. When I power it on I get a screen full of horizontal and diagonal lines running through the screen. Actually there are FIVE brighter lines running across the top of the entire width of the screen. Then there are SEVEN lines running downward diagonally below the top FIVE from right to left at about a 15 degree angle with SEVEN fainter lines that run horizontally across the screen and intersect from point to point with the brighter diagonal lines. To add to that, only the bottom drive shows a power light when you power on but both of the drives are spinning for a second ot two; the only key on the keyboard that is doing anything is the missing RESET KEY which makes the screen flicker when you press it. The brightness wheel on the left underside is working but I don't get anything when I scroll the other one.
I suppose the $64 question is what do I have here? The woman I bought it from said it was working before I bought it; of course they all say that for the most part. It belonged to her father who used it in his business. What is so cruel about it is the fact that the darn thing does not have a scratch on it other than where the case is busted up; other than that I swear it looks like it has never been used. Its white and not discolored and there are no scratches or burns on the screen anywhere. All of the software binders, tapes and discs appear to have been very well cared for which tends to lead me to want to believe her about the thing. I also know that it was running at least 6 or 7 years ago due to the dates on some of the discs the old man had; she said he had been passed for three years now. I have not had time to go through all of the software because there is so much of it on disc, not to mention the 40 or 50 tapes that are there and the fact that I do not have a way to test it now I suppose. I know there is something definitely wrong here. I am simply wondering if it could be something minor that could have happened during shipping or did the broad see me coming and was just pulling my leg. I am not proud of it but I went against my own practice and rushed into it and bought it off the eBay place site unseen other than the photos. Using eBay as a reference for the stuff I have seen sold I am thinking I may be able to get most of my money back selling off the software and books and manuals. But that could take a while. Does anybody have an idea if something fixable
could have happened during the shipping process and have you ever seen lines like those on a screen? Any comments at all would be greatly appreciated. I already feel like a total nimrod for buying something I could not see; I call it having a case of the Gomer Pyles; I suppose it is like my old grandpa used to say, about the fool rushing in. That’s me I suppose. Cheers to all.
I suppose the $64 question is what do I have here? The woman I bought it from said it was working before I bought it; of course they all say that for the most part. It belonged to her father who used it in his business. What is so cruel about it is the fact that the darn thing does not have a scratch on it other than where the case is busted up; other than that I swear it looks like it has never been used. Its white and not discolored and there are no scratches or burns on the screen anywhere. All of the software binders, tapes and discs appear to have been very well cared for which tends to lead me to want to believe her about the thing. I also know that it was running at least 6 or 7 years ago due to the dates on some of the discs the old man had; she said he had been passed for three years now. I have not had time to go through all of the software because there is so much of it on disc, not to mention the 40 or 50 tapes that are there and the fact that I do not have a way to test it now I suppose. I know there is something definitely wrong here. I am simply wondering if it could be something minor that could have happened during shipping or did the broad see me coming and was just pulling my leg. I am not proud of it but I went against my own practice and rushed into it and bought it off the eBay place site unseen other than the photos. Using eBay as a reference for the stuff I have seen sold I am thinking I may be able to get most of my money back selling off the software and books and manuals. But that could take a while. Does anybody have an idea if something fixable
could have happened during the shipping process and have you ever seen lines like those on a screen? Any comments at all would be greatly appreciated. I already feel like a total nimrod for buying something I could not see; I call it having a case of the Gomer Pyles; I suppose it is like my old grandpa used to say, about the fool rushing in. That’s me I suppose. Cheers to all.
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