Shameless Plug : HPC Flickr Group

http://www.flickr.com/groups/handheldpc/

I was trying to disassemble the Mobile Pro 880. I had some difficulty. I thought how handy would it be if there was some kind of picture gallery of Handheld PC's, possibly with some in a state of being in bits.

Not such luck.

Please feel free to add your own pictures to the above group.

Douglas

The reason for trying to take it apart is the battery is constanly reading 10 % even when replaced with a new boxed battery. Wanted to see if there was anything as obvious as a loose wire

*licks envelope, closes it and pops the advertising bill in the post*



Out of interest, why not use the forum to do it. Saves people creating new accounts.

Good thinking though

Spur of the moment idea.



I have a perverse love of seeing pictures of slightly out of date technology.

I have a dream that the more people that see the pictures the more people will cry out for the form factor to make a comeback... and then the world will know HANDHELD PC LOVE !

Sorry got a bit carried away there

Douglas

What forum ?

That would be this forum...

LOL!!!

-Old technology has this kind of quality to it, perhaps because the manufacturers actually cared about a well made and lasting product at one point. Computers used to be an honest (almost) trade, not an economy. Picture threads are great, by the way. Some of the most entertaining, and they let us see what the devices/software look like.

Back in R&D, we used to comment that first gen (or sometimes 2nd gen) devices are usually over-engineered ... so they last forever!!! ... but they usually do not have whistles and bells ... 3rd gen devices have all the whistles and bells ... but last shorter than yesterday's bread!!

Well, I suppose I should get the screwdriver out... I have an unhealthy appetite for taking things apart, and nominally* getting them back together.

The neatest bits of design in a PDA I have seen up until now both come from the Psion camp. The hinge mechanisms of both the 3 and 5 series really are a work of art, and are terribly simple yet beautifully effective.

Pics forthcoming

On the off-topic conversation of "things were built better in them days", I have to agree. The first Psion organiser (the I and II) could withstand being used as a hammer, and the nail would come off worse. The 3 series had hinges that tended to break, and the 5 series' screen was really rather delicate. Built in obsolescence, or the price of progress?

Cheers,
Nick.


* - "nominally: the outside looks about right, it works, but there's a handful of components such as springs, screws and random bits of plastic left over looking baleful"

I did a Psion group as well. Since I am currently falling in love with my brand spanking old Series 7. I'm hoping to get a new module to let me upgrade to a netbook. If the bloke on eBay pulls his finger out I will upload photos.

Now all I need to do is find out where my cat hid my Revo Plus

Douglas

Well lets see, with out worring about the major factor of taking apart the machine's and tearing them up, i have 2 compaq aero's one fully intact with out the screen and on totally apart with a dead mother board...i still have all the peices to my 660lx, just no ram/rom module, and a Jornada 420 pspc, in pieces minus the built in back up battery, and one 420 fully intact....both need the back up bettries replaces and they would work fine, i even have the correct bettries i ordered online, but after as many screw ups as i've had dont want to risk burning the board or somthing with the solderng iron...but the point is, i can take pictures if anyone's intrested.....

Come on dude, if you have already broken so many hpc's in the past perhaps you should have let someone deal with the 660lx...not trying to be rude but there really aren't many of these things left! I can't find c-series anymore, something I would like to at least see out there.

What are you talking about? When i got the Aero 8000's the board on one just had gone bad and it had a broken henge, and the other was fine, the screens just went bad, nothing i did... as for the 660lx its allready fried, and rather i did it, or it was just its time and it happen to not work when i put it back togther i'll never know..
as for the 420's they both work , i've opened both of them before to change around cosmetic parts...Since it was mentioned in this thread about taking pictures of the internals and such..i thought i'd mention that i have the hardware to take pictures like that....Not quite sure what you mean by there are not many old hpc's left, plenty on ebay....and i dont make it a habbit to open up the machines inless there is a good reason...or why it looks like your getting on to me about it?

Hey, that's a great idea while you have got the devices!
We look forward to some high res photo's!