[Global] Update on things (08/11/20)

Edit: This post is from a couple of days ago, but is being posted 1 day late on this platform; this will likely be the only major update for the next few days, so it being late won't be a huge deal, it's just that I'm a day off my schedule for posting it!

Okay, so a little update. First of all, I’ve not updated the “(John) Romero Face” Doom mod (download here) since working on it, although I do want to eventually, maybe even seeing how I could get it to work in the original Doom at some point, but I think getting it to work correctly in GZDoom first is probably a good goal, not least because it is easier to get it working there first. Secondly, I’ll be shortly changing the names back on my Twitter account, and also the Geeked Up and Gamed Up accounts too, and yes, I was a bit delayed, but things are running a bit slow for me atm, but they are getting done! Anyway, I worked on my Toshiba Satellite Pro (SP) 420 CDT again and found out that it’s pretty easy to get the sound working in DOS (via SET BLASTER in AUTOEXEC.BAT), as evidenced by the fact that it works fine in the copy of Hexen that I installed to CD, seeing as my floppy drive isn’t working right now. However, after mostly disassembling it, I’ve learned that the drive belt has probably gone, although I never got to the point where I could verify this 100%, but after some googling, that’s what I discovered, given the sound that it made in a video I watched! In any case, that, along with the HDD replacement is something that I need to work on.

The sound, just to say what I did, was as simple as using “SET BLASTER” in AUTOEXEC.BAT which means that it should be similar for anything with an “ESS ES688 Audiodrive” inside it at least, such as the SP400-SP430 laptops at least, so that’s one less thing to worry about! The SP430 CDT that I got recently (also with an enhanced port replicator – a major reason for buying it) is currently dead though it does power on and recognises that power is going into it and the battery, but it might just need a CMOS battery replacement, or so I hope; the SP420 CDT needs one too on that note, but I’m gonna need to set aside much time to get that all working properly! I do want to have a look at the 430 CDT’s HDD at some point too, as it’s had an interesting history! As for the IPC Starnote+, that pretty much works perfectly, apart from the fact that it’s missing a hard drive, and also the caddy which I need to get it working fully, though I do also need a battery for it too. I have located a few potential replacement batteries, but they all value in price, though after a quick google just now whilst trying to recall the other part I located (that may fix the screen issue) for the Model 98, I seem to have a location to get some new batteries, although is it worth it getting a new battery for the StarNote+, given I may take ages to find a caddy for it?

That part btw, is an inverter for the LCD… will that fix anything? That said, I’m 50-50 on if I should see if the StarNote+ LCD will work in the Model 98, given that they’re very similar to each other, though that requires me to open them both up first, and that needs space, so that’s something I probably should look at later. I’ve yet to pick up a similar laptop to the Model 98, but I’ll have to wait and see what happens there, and see if there are any other alternatives that aren’t the Toshiba model I referenced previously. One thing I did do to the Model 98 however was add 64MB from the StarNote+ so now it has 192MB (which is the max), meaning it has 64MB RAM basic, just like the StarNote+. I had to use the RAM from the StarNote+ because the RAM I bought to use with it initially is a bit too large… I wasn’t even aware that could happen, but maybe I just need to look at things more closely! Either way though, it’s still gonna be useful for future laptops I bet, so it goes into the inventory!

Something a bit different from retro laptops is that I picked up a box of old PC games, which also had some Mega Drive games, some Amiga games, and one Master System game, all for the sum of £45 (the guy brought it to me which was better than me going all the way to him, as it was faster and cheaper!), and he was fairly local! The games will be posted up in 3 different sets, being one picture each per system (MS goes with MD), with the sides of the boxes shown as an index/for reference, both so people know what I got, but also allowing people to request to see more pictures of certain titles, though there are a few games (which will be in a different set, after the “index” pics are taken, as they’re especially interesting, I think, as well as being some games I wanted to get my hands on for a while, due to their status!

In any case, that’s the bulk of the update… expect the photos on IG sometime this week, as I want to update my StormkeeperGU Instagram page with something! I’m gonna try to do the Pickups & Thrifts thing from January next year, essentially doing them in calendar quarters, and then doing a video in the middle of the following month (i.e.: Jan-Mar will have a video released in the 3rd week of of April, after filming at the 2nd week), which gives me time to get a system going properly, so I am going to pretty much encompass the 1st day of the quarter and end it on the last day, though anything that arrives before filming (hence the 2nd week start) that I ordered the previous month will count as last quarter, provided it arrives in time, otherwise it’ll either carry over, or I’ll do a mini-video or I’ll post it up on Instagram, depending on what it is. None of the new system applies for this year at all, so expect IG photos only for anything I get between now and the end of the year, just to make things easier on me! I will, of course, mention things as they become relevant to what I’m working on, or just little things I’ve learned over time.

I’m done for now though as I need a break from the PC for a bit. This update will filter out to HIVE, STEEM, Ko-fi, and SubscribeStar later on today, with everything else not automatic (Facebook, Minds, Player, VK) getting a link to the post moments after this goes live, so there’s gonna be a slight disparity with updates this time round, as I just want it out and to be seen in some places at least. I want to try to make things more consistent in the future with deploying updates, but this one won’t be a part of that, as I just want it out in some places now, rather than none at all. Either way, that’s it for now… expect the places where this isn’t pushed out to to get updated between now and sometime tomorrow when I have more energy. In the meantime, I’ll catch you all later on.