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Thinkpad 365XD

Raven

Veteran Member
Joined
Mar 7, 2009
Messages
2,752
Location
DE, USA..
I just got this nice little machine, powered her up, worked nicely.. Moved it to the other room to start to play with it, and when I plugged it in the floppy and charging lights were blinking. I tried to turn it on, no go. Tried replugging it, no go. Smelled the area, dead component smell.

I think I need to replace the charging circuit, but I haven't opened it up or checked through it or anything yet, so I'm not 100% sure yet. Opinions? Advice on opening?

Edit: Looking through it's service manual right now..

Edit 2: Forgive me for answering my own questions, but the service manual didn't help much. I did however figure out how to open it, and was absolutely ASTOUNDED at the design.

You hold the clips for releasing the screen, and pull up on the plate of the case that encompasses the keyboard, then do the same to the other side. It opens like a car hood - amazingly easy access (wtf is wrong with designers today?).

In standard troubleshooting fashion, I pushed on every cable I saw to make sure it was tight. I then removed the battery, as it wouldn't hold a charge anyway (knew that from before the issue) and it then powered up fine. Seems a faulty battery can prevent boot on these machines. Since it didn't hold a charge, I'd be replacing it anyway, so no worries and now it's back to operating normally - I'm glad, because I am really optimistic about having such a nice compact retro box for DOS games with sound, wifi (PCMCIA FTW!), etc.

I still don't know terribly much about these machines, as the only thinkpad I've ever owned was an R40 before this. I've worked with 90s laptops plenty, but mostly Toshiba, so if anybody has any pointers or caveats I should know, and so on, please let me know - I'd appreciate it. :3
 
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Did you isolate the source of the burnt component smell or was that a false alarm?

P.S. How was vacation?
 
I think it was a false alarm or the battery itself, because it was very much gone once I removed the battery, and the smell didn't linger like a totally broken component usually would. Might have been one that was burnING but not burnt yet, and I saved it? Dunno.

Vacation? U just mean being gone from here for a bit? I go in and out of my retrocomputing obsession every few months, focusing more on other things, then it, etc., so nothing special. Lots of Minecraft and Terraria lately have been played.
 
If I recall correctly, the 365xd has a tiny fan, attached to the aluminum upper support plate. Its upper left side if I recall correctly. Perhaps the fan died, or the machine was full of dust when heated up, and that smell was just dust burning off? *scratches head

On a side note I happen to have a few dead 365/760 machines. If your fan did indeed die, I happen to have a replacement. :)

Most amazing thing about 365/760's is the 32 bit cardbus! You can run a pcmcia usb card, or any modern wifi! 760's were slightly better, having option for composite/svideo out.
 
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I will check that next time I have it on. The only thing I know I need atm is a battery that holds a charge - don't suppose you have a spare one of those? :p
 
Is it normal for the screens on these machines to ghost HORRIBLY? I was testing the thing with the shareware version of Commander Keen 4, since I had it sitting here, and while it picks up the sound and everything works brilliantly, the screen is goddamn awful.

It has some backlight leakage in any bright part of the screen, as well as the corners (the top ones more), which is disappointing but usable - the ghosting however..

If this isn't the norm, perhaps you have a spare 365 screen in one of your parts units, twolazy?

As for that fan thing, couldn't find any ventillation on the whole machine, save the speaker holes. :p

Edit: After perusing the internets a bit more, I find that these shipped with either a DSTN screen or a TFT screen. Since I'm quite familiar with TFT screens, I presume that this ghosting beast is a DSTN screen. Perhaps you have a TFT, twolazy?
 
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Thats pretty normal for machines of the era, active matrix tend to ghost a little, dual scan ALOT. They aren't much good for gaming, unless you use an external monitor, or like I do with my screenless 760XD, on my tv!( its my virtual CoCo3 LoL! ) As for extra screens sorry no, all the units I have atm are dual scan which are next to worthless... I do have a small collection of other parts though, like dead batteries, memory, keyboards, hdds, cdroms, covers, power adapters etc

http://ps-2.kev009.com:8081/pcpartnerinfo/gifs/de86_0.gif

Hrm you may be right. Chalk that up for another difference between 760s and 365s. My 760s all have fans. Another difference are sound cards. If you have the mwave chipset its total junk for dos games. You'll need to get your hands on the ESS sound module. I believe I might have a spare...
 
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Well I booted up Keen and it detected a SB/Adlib which worked fine, so I think I'm ok on sound - unless other games turn out to be more picky. Monster Bash is my test game of choice for pickiness, so we'll see!
 
If its working good, then most likely not an mwave chipset! ROFL.

What cpu do you have btw? If its slower then one I have in my dead 365 your welcome to it for cost of postage ... That smell could also be due to crispy heatsink compound. Prob best if you replace the compound with some crappy white stuff you have lying about. Don't waste good AS5 or something on it. If I recall correctly, it has pads that you'll need to clean off first, then smear the tiniest amount back on. Been a long while since i changed cpu cards on a thinkpad thats for sure!
 
Haven't checked yet - when I next boot the machine up I'll let you know. So far the machine needs (in order of priority):

1. TFT Screen
2. Battery
3. More RAM (has 24MB, good enough for DOS but this machine could smoothly do 9x if it had more) - I might have compatible RAM around, haven't checked what it uses yet.

A CPU upgrade is always welcome, so I'll gratefully take it if the card you have is better. Will let you know. :D
 
I have either a 380E or ED at home, with WinME on it, and it still chugs along, don't use it very often though.
It was my boss' first laptop back in the day, we got cheap toshiba's and he got the cool thinkpad.

Interesting note: I'm not sure if your box can use the same docking station I do, but the docking station has USB (1.0 or 1.1) on it, and I believe a cardbus pcmcia slot. Where as the cardslot on the laptop is not cardbus, and of course, no usb on the laptop.

Of course, things like USB and MMX are sometimes taboo subject on this board, hah!

Have fun!
 
At work atm, but once I am home I will dig out the 365 and figure out which cpu it has. If I recall correctly, its either a 133 or 166. I believe its a 166 but its been ages since it was gutted for parts. Like I said, you are welcome to it for cost of shipping, as I have no use for it. :)

BTW my 760EL has cardbus. Perhaps thats another difference between 3xx and 7xx series. I know this to be true because my usb 2.0 pcmcia cardbus adapter works great in it. :)
 
Im not sure what speed this is, looks like maybe a p90 i dunno... Won't work btw, different motherboards I guess.

29H9198

yep it is. Fits these models. Wow it can work on the 760C P66 models :O. Ok wait this is strange, this thing's keyboard and body say 365ELD *scratches head... Somehow I ended up with a mutant lol.
ThinkPad 760C 9546 (10.4 HPA), ThinkPad 760C 9546 (10.4 TFT), ThinkPad 760C 9546 (12.1 TFT), ThinkPad 760CD 9546 (10.4 TFT), ThinkPad 760CD 9546 (12.1 TFT), ThinkPad 760L 9547 (10.4 TFT), ThinkPad 760L 9547 (12.1 TFT), ThinkPad 760LD 9547 (10.4 TFT), ThinkPad 760LD 9547 (12.1 TFT), ThinkPad 760XD 9546


anyways here's wiki's say about it
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/IBM_Thinkpad_760
 
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Are 760 and 360 series screens interchangeable? That would explain your mutant one, and would also mean that between Unknown_K and you one of ya might have a TFT that would work on my box (which Unknown_K might have anyway, seeing as he has multiple 365s it seems)? This screen makes it unusable for anything but text.
 
Are 760 and 360 series screens interchangeable? That would explain your mutant one, and would also mean that between Unknown_K and you one of ya might have a TFT that would work on my box (which Unknown_K might have anyway, seeing as he has multiple 365s it seems)? This screen makes it unusable for anything but text.

I don't think the screens can be swapped between those models.
 
Do you have any 365 machines with TFT screens that you wouldn't mind parting with (the screen or the entire machine if you prefer not to remove it)?
 
I would have to look, I think I have one with a cracked (and glued) LCD hing. All of mine are complete and working. Have anything to trade?
 
Mine is in good condition casing-wise, so if the cracked/glued one is a TFT I can mix and match. I have loads of stuff to trade - you can check my (somewhat outdated) list in my sig link, or let me know what *sort* of thing you're looking for and I can list off things or give you some ideas.
 
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