CF-29 w/ no OS, no primary drive?

Hey all,

Reading some CF-29 threads and checking out eBay has really got my adrenaline pumping -- I can't believe how cheap you can get a CF-29 for. But what I've noticed on eBay is that the cheapest CF-29s typically have no OS or primary drive or battery/charger. Which I assume is possible to get around with some additional purchases given that the rest of the machine is in working order.

But before I go down this route, I want to be sure that these completely stripped down CF-29s aren't just useless slabs of metal. I'm a natural DIYer (though I have no experience building computers), so it seems like a good idea to push the limits here and build something up from a bare slate, but I'll only do it if it's possible to actually build a working laptop in the end.

Has anyone purchased one of those stripped down CF-29s with success? Because I wouldn't know how to begin getting started without an OS or even a CD drive.

If you could tell me how to get up and running with no OS or CD drive, it would be a life saver!

 

If you can find a power cord you bypass the battery issue. My way of getting one was order the parts needed before the ToughBook so when it got here I just slapped everything in and tested it within that 3 day DOA. If you order a DVD drive make sure it says caddy or ask the seller.

 

Last thought, Unless that hard drive you buy happens to still have the OS on it I would jump on this

Panasonic Toughbook CF-29 Recovery CD - Restore CD - eBay (item 170525702256 end time Aug-17-10 13:34:23 PDT)

 

Yes.... There are a lot of cheap Toughbooks on ebay these days... They exploded on the scene almost overnight. (4X what they were months ago) BEFORE you buy a "good deal" you may want to add up what the cost would be to ad everything you want/need. This can add up quickly. The hard drive caddy and drive itself (depending on size) can sometimes cost you upwards of the price of the Toughbook itself. Plus... Make sure the sellers feedback is spotless.

 

Is a restore CD necessary, or can you just install Ubuntu? And what are you supposed to do with a restore CD when the machine only has a floppy drive?

As long as I can get an OS up and running, I won't need a CD drive. The only drives I use on my current laptop are USB.

edit: Looks like you can install Ubuntu and possibly even WinXP via USB

Both
http://www.pallab.net/2009/05/31/install-any-operating-system-from-usb-drive-works-on-netbooks/

Ubuntu
http://www.ubuntu.com/netbook/get-ubuntu/download

WinXP
http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;en-us;Q310994
http://articles.techrepublic.com.com/5100-22_11-5928902.html

So it looks possible to boot from a USB drive, so long as you can access BIOS.

 

The Restore CD is very nice, if you have or can get one. If you can't, pretty much any OEM CD of XP Pro will do with the Key from the COA on your machine. All of the drivers needed are on the Panasonic website. Please reads the FAQ for details.

My esteemed colleague from the grand state of California, Gork! has created the definitive source on using Ubuntu on the CF-29 and I have a more humble one on using Win7. Check my Sig for details along with my other small contributions to the CF-29.

I like an internally mounted HDD in the correct carrier. Without it the CF-29 loses a lot of its toughness and therefore its relevance. Therefore I will tell you that Toughbook's advice here is excellent, as is his custom, spend a little more and get a complete machine with Carrier, even if you add a HDD of your own choosing. The Carrier costs way too much separately.

BTW, I would like to suggest to our Keeper of the FAQ that the thread, CF-29 Ubuntu 10.4 Success, be mentioned. There are a lot of folks out there interested in Ubuntu and this is a fine resource.

 

Added to the CF-29 FAQ and props given.

Thanks for the poke, Az - and Gork, thanks for all the hard work documenting it for the rest of us!

mnem
Un-kept. Unkempt? Ah well...

 

I've bought a few in the last few months, and as you'll see, it can be hit or miss.

Most of the CF-29's come without hard drive, hard rive caddy, battery, power supply, adequate RAM, or CD/DVD ROM drive in the correct caddy, some missing port covers.

As a quick reference, I've paid the following:

A CF-29 mark1, $70 - $105

A hard drive caddy - between $65 & $85
A hard drive - about $40
An A/C power Supply - Original/OEM $20 -$30 depending on quantity
A CD/DVD in correct caddy - $65-$75
A gig of RAM - $29 - $45.
A Battery - OEM $60 - $89.
Rubber Port Covers - $10 - $16.

Add to this shipping from some purchases….

At the same time, while surfing Ebay nonstop for a few days, I got a CF-29 that was fully restored with all the parts and Winxp sp3 for a winning bid of $108 from big vendor in NYC, and another from a private with all the bells for $120. Not typical, but I mention it to demonstrate that you can find deals, and some times, buying and building a CF-29 from parts isn’t always the most economically feasible plan.

 

This may also help:

CF-29 Driver Installation Procedure

 

As to power supplies I use the IBM ThinkPad 72W AC/DC Combo Adapter 22P9003. With a Car Lighter Adapter cable and a bag of AC adapters I have a power supply with near world-wide capabilities.

 

Thanks for the guidance guys. If I can find a good looking Toughbook slate with the model # I want, I'll try and grab it and try to stick with mainly OEM parts -- though I fully intend to upgrade the hell out of the RAM as per Azrial's guides . I realize that I'll have to spend some money and time finding batteries and chargers and whatnot, but the potential of getting a portable tank of a laptop, functional or not, for less than $100 is really appealing to me. And going with Ubuntu will really keep the costs down.

Thanks again. I think it'll be possible to pull this off with some good fortune.

Just a quick question for those of you who have built something up without an OS before that I'd really appreciate hearing an answer to. What are some of the common issues you run into when getting things up and running from no OS --> Windows or Ubuntu? Have you ever been totally hosed before? Do Toughbooks ever outright reject an OS being loaded from a USB? Or drivers being loaded manually?

 

A number of us have loaded all sorts of OS' with no problems as long as you follow the download sites and drivers supplied in the stickies.

I used to load all my Os' manually then sysprep them to accept a new COA whenever I needed to clone. Since I now have recovery disks for all the models that I work with... This is no longer an issue. But you should have no problems... Just read the stickies and make sure you do NOT download from other than Panasonic sites and you'll do well.