New to forum, my first toughbook. cf-29

I just got this CF-29C off ebay for $150 took it out of the box and it works. has 40gb HDD, 760MB Ram, everything seems to work, but it only has a floppy drive.

I tried to use the configurator, but I couldn't find the setting for discontinued models,

I'm curious if I got a good deal or if I got what I paid for? I surfed the site a bit and I couldn't find any info on best/worst mark of CF-29.


Its got a few dings in its finish, a couple scuffs, and its missing the covers over the COMM port on back, and the Modem/charge/USB ports. and the battery only seems to hold out for a couple hours. But I got lucky, I scrounged around and actually found (for free) A car charger, user manual (CF-29E) and an unmolested set of backup discs in the trash.
Ive used a couple toughbooks as diagnostic computers at some of the places Ive worked, and was not only impressed with the appearance, but how these don't just appear rugged, THEY ARE RUGGED, try dropping one out of a semi truck cab onto the concrete floor, it will handle it, I swear. As hard as I am on stuff, Now that I need a laptop, I want one that can handle me

I Am not really a computer guy, but so far the mods Ive found here don't seem all that difficult. I'm a mechanic by trade, and an avid tinkerer, and suffer from "Tim Allen" syndrome. So I modify everything I get a-hold of. Also I was raised on Star Wars, D-n-D, and comic books, so despite my greasy biker appearence the Geek in me just seems to know what Im doing. (seriously, I kinda just fumble about in a computer long enough and I eventually figure out whats wrong).

So for My first mod, I NEED a DVDRW, so I guess I need to locate a CDrom carrige.

 

WARNING- Toughbooks are addictive and we here are probably the closest thing to a support group available.... and we usually only make the habit worse.

$150 doesn't sound too bad for a complete unit. Post the full model number from the sticker on the bottom and we could definitely tell you more. As for a CD/ DVD, they can usually be found on Ebay as well. Lately they are pretty cheap too- not too hard to find for around $40.

 

CF-29CTKGZKM

and from the serial decifer, it was built Jan, of "04"

Ive been peeking on Evilbay, and found some DVDRW drives for under $60, but they have no caddy, but I also found some OEM CD Drives with caddy in the $40 range, so It looks like Im gonna spend about $100 or more.

Im actually curious if I should reload the windows XP thats on the backup disc instead of the one they put in it to sell it. its got nothin, just windows and a couple other odds and ends in it, but without the drive, I cant, unless I can somehow hook up to my PC and load Adobe and stuff in through there?

 

Welcome monsterbronc!

I'd say $150 for a working 29C with hard drive is a very good price in the US, even better if you're outside the States. The CD mod is pretty easy and most useful. Let us know if you have any problems with it.

-Ken (aka Springfield)

 

This "support group" here will help you spend MORE MONEY, Get your wife mad at you MORE OFTEN and make you collect more crap in your basement and garage...

Welcome!

 

You can copy the Windows disc to a bootable flash drive and install from that. Instructions I have not done this with XP personally, but I did load Win 7 on my CF-30 this way.

 

Great, just what I need, as if 4X4's and home-brewing weren't enough.

I already took this thing to the library and found out the WiFi is working, and downloaded Firefox and stuff, but I'm stuck with rural dial-up at home, but as you can see, the modem works too. so far the only issue I'm having is the touchscreen and touch-pad sensitivity, my "mechanic" fingers are having a hard tine, I'm clicking when I don't mean too on the touch-pad, and have a hard time pushing small buttons on the screen, but a sharpie with a cap on it seems to be a decent stylus.

I think before I try something crazy like ubantu, Ill get this up and running the way I want, then try it in my desktop, and if I like it Ill put it in here, but for now Microsoft is a necessary evil, despite my dislike of the power hungry monopoly, its what I know, I also understand its hard to get some stuff to work in ubantu.

I also just managed to load Office Word through a flash, so I wonder if i can just pick things off my windows disks,? Ive never tried. that would be way easyer that reloading this thing from scratch.

 

We all tend to be gun enthusiasts too... And yes, big 4x4's are a plus too!

Ohh yeah, and boating, and talking about politics too

Good luck...

 

I wasn't going to say anything about guns, but yeah, Guns, 4X4's, Camping, Hunting, Fishing............. It all seems to go together

 

Yea; someone at Panasonic Web Support has sure "Screwed the Pooch" on the Panasonic Toughbook Configurator "utility"!

CF-29CTKGZKM

C = Mk1 Pentium Mobile 1.2GHz ULV (Centrino)
T = 13.3" XGA Touch S reen
K = 40GB HD & 256MB RAM
G = Floppy Disk Drive, 10/100 Ethernet
Z = No Integrated Options
K = Windows XP Pro
M = Notth America distribution

If you look through this Forum you will find the modification necessary to the factory CD-ROM drive caddy needed to make the non-Panasonic DVD drive bootable.

I always sugggest using the factory Panasonic CF-29 Series Pproduct Recovery CD-ROM set to reload the drive, but in lieu of that, load the necessary drivers on a thumb drive and follow the Install Instructions to bring the configuration close to factory.

With that in mind:

Panasonic CF-29 Mk2 Drivers

 

"God, Guns & Guts Made America Great"

 

As promised, we are here to help and support (your new habit). $44.95 shipped for a DVD drive. Ebay link.

 

Seems to me the original poster could combine his vices nicely.
Mount the home brewer "still" in the back of the 4x4, use the guns as needed and the Toughbooks to keep in contact and organized.
One of my personal vices is movies about prohibition era gangsters.

Alex may still have cd caddy assemblies for sale in buy sell trade.

alexs-cf-28-29-optical-drive-sale