NooB needs advice...

Just got a couple of CF-28 600 MHZ MK1 lappys off Ebay.

I have 4 different models of Toughbooks, including the 2 CF-28's, 1 CF-27, the tiny CF-17, way back to the CF-61 Monster [Pentium 166 if I recall]!

I am not really Toughbook savvy, though. I just like 'em.

Well, I have to start paring down my collection.

The 2 CF-28's I just bought are visually in great shape. All covers in place, FDD drives installed, HD caddys in place [no HD though], battery on one is pretty good, but the other is not that great, screens in good shape, bottoms look pristine [I assume they spent their lives in a docking station of one sort or another]. I have ran battery refresh on both units, and they power up just fine.

I plan on keeping one of the CF-28's and selling the other pretty soon.

Question is, If I spring for a basic hard drive for the one to sell [and install a 7200 rpm in the keeper], could I expect to re-coup the investment, or should I just take a chance on selling it sans hard drive the way I bought it and let the next guy do whatever? I have found a basic OEM type hard drive on Ebay for $27.99 plus shipping.

Any comments or suggestions welcomed.

 

If you want to get anything out of it, you might as well go with a brand new drive. I'd rather have a brand new drive in something than an unknown used one.

The thing is, you've got an un-modded 600, and they aren't worth much. You may even get less than you paid for it, unless you got a hell of a deal.

I'd at least throw an internal wireless card in, and some antennas.

 

Thats a tough question for a couple reasons...

1. You dont say how much would re-coup your investment.
2. Even if you did say how much, I have learned the TB market is unpredictable from week to week.
3. To make things worse(?) someone has about a dozen 600's on e-bay right now which expire in 4 days, and arent pulling very many bids.

Just off the cuff...I wouldent expect to re-coup much on a 600, I wouldent invest any money in it, I'd stick a drive in it just to make it operational.

But with that said, I would do what I can to make it slightly more attractive than the others by loading an OS on it with all drivers installed too.

 

Thanks for the repiles so far guys. Yeah, I didn't do enough homework when I decided to go with the 600 MHZ, but it will be fine for me [been OK with the CF-27 500 MHZ].

They are Touchscreen BTW and rubber keyboards. I also got a set of recovery CD's, a stylus and an operating manual.

I got about $125.00 apiece in 'em.. That is why I am hesitant about installing a HD and spending any more $$ on the one to sell.

 

I would target it toward someone who just wants a tough laptop....someone who is not looking to modify it...a non-techie...just wants PNP out of the box...someone who dosent want to know the in's and out's of the drivers issues...rubber KB is a plus in that direction...so is the restore disks...

 

Yeah, I guess so. Kinda like me... I really just needed something that I can throw in my truck and not have to worry about when the temps get into the 90's. That is why I chose Toughbook in the first place instead of a entry level Dell. I got a couple of desktops at home that I do all my serious work on.

I saw that long list of CF-28's listed too. I might wait a few days to stick mine back out there.

 

Yup, that dozen are driving the price down right now...supply v demand thing...

Modlys suggestion of an internal wifi card would be attractive too, but that'd be another ~$25.00...

 

Well I got a LinkSys WI-FI dongle that I use now that works just fine. I can connect to the web at any Comfort Inn parking lot. Only got about $10.00 in it [after rebate of course]. I may get something better for the one I keep and let that go with it...

 

You could look at an external GPS too...USB type...that would make the touch screen attractive...~$40-50

Just about anything to seperate it from the "Boot to BIOS" bunch out there would be good.

 

I'd still go with an internal. Anybody can buy a PCMCIA or USB wireless dongle and slide it in, but when they see an internal card (Which may cost $10-25), they take into consideration that it had to be installed.

Are they 12 or 13" screens, and do they have all the port covers?

 

12.1" TFT screens.

All port covers are in place and the levers and latches work perfectly. All port gaskets in place. They are really in great cosmetic condition, especially after I cleaned 'em up.

 

Can anyone point me in the right direction for an internal WI-FI card and installation instructions?

 

There are a number of threads here covering that...just search :
CF-28 WiFi

 

Not to toot my own horn, but check out the CF-28 F.A.Q. that is stickied on the Panasonic threadlist. It has links to most important questions.

 

Thanks!

When all else fails, read the FAQ is what I always say...

I dunno, I may just let it go like it is. If I can get my $$ plus a couple extra it would be OK.

Gonna try some of the mods on the one I keep as I get time and will power.

Next thing you know, I will be cruising for a 800 or 1000 MHZ...


Maybe there's another NooB like me snooping around on Ebay that needs to get his feet wet....

 

I have 2 of the same 600's. Mine have the max ram, CD/DVD, all port covers but only 20gig hd's. My first mods will be larger HDD's and the updated WIFI.
I was going to do the internal GPS but I'll wait until next winter and get an 800 or 1000 and then mod that baby. At least I'll try with the help of all these guys here...

 

If you can do without the coolness of GPS for a while, you'll be better off. Once my boards are out of alpha, beta, and charlie stages... it'll be easy to get GPS.

Did I mention you'll be waiting a while?

 

Gene... You were looking at my hard drives. My thought is that if you want to keep the 600s... stay cheap as you will never get your money back out of them... And even a 7200 rpm drive won't speed it up that much more. (Correct me if I'm wrong guys.) Just my too scents on that.

The best bet (IMHO) would be to either sell both and step up to a 800 or 1Ghz lappy. When you get the new one... THEN put the $ in it.

Modly made up a great FAQ that will steer you in the right direction.

 

Small world huh?

Yeah, I guess that may just be the way to go. Have not decided whether or not to try to get a drive for the one for sale...

I will prob. get with you tommorrow. Still thinkin'...

 

Gene -

If all you want to be able to do is check your eMail & type a letter or two, the 600 is adequate once you max out the ram it will run a lean build of XP pretty smoothly.

I paid $120 for my MK1; it was a bit more than I wanted to, but it had the TS/Wireless(which I found later is not very adaptable to modern usage) and rubber keyboard. My primary holdback was the combined cost; 256MB PC100 RAM, HD AND Caddy, CDROM/Caddy all made for a machine that was too expensive for just kicking around the car for checking eMail. (I typically spend around $200-225 on a beater laptop)

You have a machine that would run if you just put a HD in it; I'd do that as cheap as I can - look around for cheap 2.5" USB HDs; I recently picked up 2 40GB FireLites from Buy.com for $35 ea delivered. One is now my UBUNTU drive for my HP laptop; the other is... handy.

Once its running, use it. See what it can do. If you like it, keep using it - if not, sell it to the first guy who ooohs over how shiny & Bulldozer chic it is.

You will likely find a local buyer willing to spend more than the cheapskates on eBay anyhow.

Your other option of course is to part one or both of them out... there's a lot of people who make a living doing just that.

mnem
Ol' Tougher Than Leather
he didn't care whether
the sun shined or not...

 

I say this every couple weeks, guess it bears repeating.. I use my PII-333 CF27 for just about everything. It has WinXP on it. It isn't dual-core fast, but I don't find myself waiting on it either.

Don't believe the hype about processor speeds. It's more about vanity than necessity. I doubt that many of us do much that goes beyond the capability of a PII-333, much of the time.

 

Yeah, I know...

Processor envy is a bad-bad-bad thing!