Chips & Technologies Video BIOS "For Evaluation Use Only" - WinBook XL

[3lectr1c]

Did the WinBook XL laptop ship with an evaluation version of the Chips & Technologies video BIOS?
Below is a photo of the splash message on POST before AMI kicks in. Also notice how in the top left it says "HIPS 6X554..." where I suspect it should say "CHIPS 6X554".
If they did indeed ship an unlicensed BIOS, it likely would have been Twinhead's fault instead of WinBook, they ODM'd the XL.

 

[DeltaDon]

Memory is a bad thing to loose, but IIRC, I've seen that screen before. I don't recall on what machine or if a BIOS flash to a newer version was the solution or not. Got to think about this some more.

 

[3lectr1c]

The date on my BIOS and the latest one are different, but both seem to be Rev. 1.17, so I think I'm on the latest one. I can always double-check though.

WinBook Technical Support

My BIOS is dated 10/20/1999

 

[DeltaDon]

I'd crash the BIOS even if the same version.

 

[3lectr1c]

I can try, although it does work fine as-is.

 

[DeltaDon]

I was working on the broken lid plastics on a Green 755 today and saw the "decompilation or disassembly prohibited" message, but not the "for evaluation use only". The 755 is using a phoenix bios.

 

[Jackson]

If you haven't flashed the BIOS already, can you please dump it with DOS flashrom?

Releases · HowardHo2021/flashrom-DOS-port

Porting flashrom to DOS via DJGPP GCC cross-compiler - HowardHo2021/flashrom-DOS-port

github.com

 

[3lectr1c]

Sure. I’ll do that when I get a chance.