from the someone-who-loves-a-challenge dept.
https://www.leadedsolder.com/2022/10/15/pwp50sx-nec-mini5-psu-repair-pickup.html
In order to get a copy of Tetris for the NEC mini5 series of word processors, I had to buy it along with a whole word processor set from the previous owner. This LCD-based mini5SX is sleek, attractive, surprisingly heavy, and broken. Very, very broken. Let's see if we can fix up this grey beast, and dump its ROMs.
[...] Unlike some other computers in the hoard, the mini5SX was bought on Mercari, where it was being sold by the owner and not some nth-generation reseller or junkyard. This person was nice enough to explain the fault in the ad. Their word processor used to work, and they'd test it once in awhile, but the last time they took their beloved companion out (to play Tetris of course,) it wouldn't start up. There would be a dim flicker of the power light, it would extinguish, and then no response. Thus, the sale.
[...] Not knowing much about the mini5's internal structure, I decided to start by opening it up and finding the power supply. I hoped that I would find something incredibly obvious to replace, like a vented capacitor.
[...] Although I bought this machine only to get Tetris, I couldn't bear to see it in such poor condition. Now I have two Bungos, which I think we can all agree is what makes a house a home.
(Score: 3, Insightful) by EEMac on Wednesday October 19 2022, @02:03PM
I greatly enjoyed this article, thanks for posting.
(Score: 3, Interesting) by looorg on Wednesday October 19 2022, @02:12PM (1 child)
That must be one awesome version of Tetris if you are willing to buy a machine like that for it. Still for being a blog about how some dude fixes a machine to get Tetris he later never mentions it. Or even shows a picture of it. I guess it wasn't that important compared to fixing a PSU and showing that he can replace some caps.
It's one of those weird fix things, do you want to keep it somewhat close to original or do you just want to get it to work -- preferably both. If I just wanted to get it to work I would have removed the whole psu part and just put in something new and modern instead. You can get very small and quiet power supplies these days that you can replace them with. I personally never have fond feelings about the PSU so they tend to get replaced by something new, usually some new switching psu. While not always ideal in most situations it will be better.
Horrible leaking caps and Varta drum-batteries are like the nightmare gift of the late 80's and 90's coming back to haunt you. I guess they just didn't expect anyone to still care about those machines these days. Or it goes to show how far technology have come.
(Score: 2) by owl on Wednesday October 19 2022, @02:40PM
The manufacturers seldom care much beyond the expiration of the warranty period. Whatever component will live just long enough to get past the warranty time is also usually the cheapest one out of a set, and so to shave down the BOM cost, the cheapest, that lives just long enough, is picked.
How long, or not, that actual component lives is generally immaterial to them, just so long as it is just long enough to get past the warranty timeframe.