Oddity Archive: Episode 258.5 - Ben’s Junk: Hitachi Visionbook Pro 7560 (My First, Failed Attempt)
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- Опубліковано 6 жов 2024
- Full Title: Hitachi Visionbook Pro 7560 Laptop (or, My 1st, failed attempt at a Windows 98 Rig)
…because I MUST get my Diamond Rio loaded (ideally, with Diamond Rio songs)!
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"it can handle software with varying degrees of success". Pretty much sums up my life as a vintage electronics enthusiast.
The MovieCD format would play nice with Windows 98, since it's Windows 9x-based and can playback MotionPixels.
@Wadmodder Schalton That's one thing I'd like to revisit.
The ultimate laptop test is playing Janet Jackson’s “Rhythm Nation”. The song contained one of the natural resonant frequencies for certain hard drive models and caused system crashes.
Now I'm kinda regretting the times not picking it up the times I've seen it in the thrift store bins.
Man, could 90s laptops be potential candidates for future Archive episodes? I know LGR has done great videos looking at them
Seems like a nice machine, good screen for the time. I think I know why it struggled so much playing a CD. Back in the day you had two options to get the audio from the disk and into your ear holes, either by decoding the raw digital data with the computers CPU, or using the CD drive more like a traditional CD player except the transport is controlled by the PC. These old CD drives had a built in DAC which could output analog audio directly to the sound card. I think the previous owner has selected digital mode in the media player settings, which is very CPU intensive, setting it back to analog mode should fix the stutter. You might need to go into the sound mixer settings and make sure the CD Audio line is not muted too.
The main difference between '95 and '98 was USB. I remember having to upgrade to the latter in order to be able to use one of those new-fangled web camera, thingies. Windows '95 didn't support it, much to my chagrin at the time. Other than that, I don't think there was a huge difference other than perhaps some of the software that came with it being slightly improved. The main issue with any OS is having enough RAM to run things smoothly. If my memory serves me right, (pun intended), 32Mb was the norm for 1998. But, I think that, with this being a more high-end Hitachi Visionbook, (the Pro bit being the give away), it would usually come with 64Mb. Maybe this one was swapped out for a smaller memory module? It would explain the lack of speed and buffering problems. Notebooks themselves were quite de rigueur, back then, what with this particular models' Pentium II processor running at a whopping 300MHz!
I'm going to go for the obvious reason why it's having problems, and that to do with the drivers! Not that you can really do anything about them, considering the machine is 25 years old! Usually in such circumstances, I'd be tempted to start from scratch and reinstall everything. Windows, the lot! That's assuming you still have the drivers disc handy. If not, trying to find the drivers on-line could be problematic. You can find some, but you have to be careful of where you source them from. Ideally, from the manufacturers website, but they probably stopped supplying them at least a decade or so ago. Such is the way with legacy software. It's not impossible, but it can be a bit tricky. And, even if you do manage to find all the drivers and install them with no problems, there's no guarantee it's going to improve things. Windows '98 isn't a problem as it's easily discoverable on-line. It's practically freeware now. You do need a product key, but any will do. Windows '98 doesn't have any product key validation attached to it. That only came in with XP.
Funnily enough, one of the items I'd like to cover is one of those W98-only cameras (sent in by a viewer).
Actually, the last update of win 95 had reasonably useable usb(OSR2, if I remember correctly).
My MP3 player of choice back then was Winamp (it really whips the llama's ass!) and liked the fact that you could use plugins to play other media formats such as Real Audio (thus avoiding having to use that piece of spyware).
As for shovelware, the closest I got to it back then I was buying emulator compilation CDs from Craig Rothwell and computer fairs so I could play all my favourite computer games from when I was a child. These discs would feature a few emulators (usually in various states of accuracy) and a load of games.
Oh yeah Winamp did everything you wanted to. I think WinMX was another one that had a chat feature with some questionable content.
@@newstarcadefan I remember WinAMP! I also remember using WinMX to burn CDs. WinAMP is most famous for formatting and compressing Cellphone MP3 audio files and allowing you to upload them onto the computer using WinAMP with Windows 98SE or XP. Most infamously, this was how Alaskan State Troopers leaked the Death Audio of Environmentalist Timothy Treadwell, known for his mental illness and blatant stupidity, who was eaten alive by a Large Grizzly Bear on October 5,2003. In December 2003, Snippets of the Audio found on the Camera Treadwell had turned on inside the duffel bag were recorded into a Trooper’s Flip up Sanyo phone. And was soon added to WinAMP and then leaked online to Snuff Site LiveLeak. In June 2004.
Personally, I still use Winamp-VLC messes up the music.
I was always a fan of Sonique, but weird gui's was the style of the day. AIMP is a nice modern version of classic MP3 software.
I don't blame you that machine is in really good shape.. for a 90s laptop anyway.
If your CD-ROM drive is internally "wired" to the sound card for analog CD audio playback, you could try going to the Device Manager (via System in the Control Panel), choosing Properties for the drive, and unchecking "Enable digital CD audio for this CD-ROM device". Then in WMP, go to Options > Tools > uncheck "Digital Playback". Finally, in your volume control (double click the speaker icon near the clock - bottom right), turn up the CD Audio fader and see if you get any sound. It should hopefully stream the audio in a similar manner to a standard component CD player's analog output, without having Windows "decode" the audio in software, thus eliminating the stutter. Hope that helps.
If I can open the Control Panel without the CPU going nuts.
@@OddityArchive Perhaps safe mode would be the best way to do this?
I can do it in Safe Mode-to a point.
I just found a usb to ps2 adapter. I used to have a lappy that ran windows ME that caught on fire. But at least your laptop played nice this time. CD players do tend to just wear out it happens, especially computers. Thanks for the time machine Ben.
Happy Oddity Thursday!
Oh, and if your CD drive is opening itself or refusing to stay closed only when the machine is powered, chances are it's the little tac dome switch for the eject button, they tend to lose their snappiness and collapse in on themselves which will make an unintended connection. Not much you can do about it other than replace the switch or the drive.
I got You Don't Know Jack to run on a 486. For a fun experiment rush an answer before they finish the question. It will put up a text input. Type FU (but spelled out) and press Enter. Seriously though, I would wipe that and put XP on it. It'll do whatever you need it to do from that era.
@9:30 - Used up till 2003.. that's what I love about reconditioning old computers I pull out of Electronic Recycling.. the day they last used it is always interesting and the general snapshot of why they even used a computer. The times and dates can tell a lot - the most common abandonment of a laptop or tower today is when the Ipad came out - so many people threw out perfectly good and powerful computers due to the ipad in hand..and of course the smart phone now most ubiquitous .
i had a pc given to me, and it was an instant time machine, frozen in time 2009, all old programs you expected to have back then
@@JPX64Channel I had a Gateway 950 Desktop built in late 1999. It used Windows 98 and Pentium III. Every time it booted up it would always have the “Please Insert your Epson CD to continue” Firmware message popping up. It also had a built in 56k Modem. We would use Dial Up until 2004. Oh and like The Minnotte Family’s old 1998 Compaq Persario, it came with a DVD Drive as well.
Ben just gave me a funny moment at home...
Stepped out of the room for a second and heard beeping from my phone. Then I faintly heard Ben say something about censoring. Thought to myself, "WOW, dude's a MASTER EDITOR!"
(EDIT: I rewatched it to laugh at)
I'm sure your Rio will be dancing on the sand again one day.
the only big thing that wasn't under-the-hood i can really identify with 98 was that Explorer menus had the little extra details on the side instead of it just being a basic window with files on it.
Imo if you do a fresh OS install I'd recommend Win95 instead of 98. It'd run a bit better overall and most stuff that works on 98 but not 95 won't run well if at all on a Pentium 166 MMX anyway.
Yeah this is the time where PCs were getting into more and more homes (I didn't get the first family PC until my Senior year in high school all the way back in 2001). Still this laptop is...history and is something that probably caused plenty of people to curse harder than the ol' man from a Christmas Story.
20:08 The wipe effect trying to access Control Panel seems too intentional like it is a virus or malware.
Could you use like a fix it stick on something this old?
It's not an effect (at least not intentionally); it's just Windows slowing to a crawl when it's out of RAM and has to page itself to and from the hard drive.
@@michaelcarpenter2498 Nope. It most likely won't boot from USB, and any sort of modern Linux will either won't run on it, or would grind it to a halt.
You could "fix" it by moving its HDD over to a modern machine, through something like IDE to USB adapther and making changes /w modern software there.
@VWestlife Seems like such a minor thing for the computer to overextend itself on.
@@OddityArchive that is why I agree with Ruan. There is more going on here besides memory.
The green head that comes up when you put in a CD is WinAmp; it was never too good at running audio CDs anyway, if I remember correctly. With some tinkering and tweaking of software, system programs and maybe hardware, you could get a better system and still keep it retro and period authentic. Just saying!
The way the machine is behaving either the third party software is wreaking havoc with the unstable 98 OS or a section of the processor is fried.
@8:25 IS THAT BACKGROUND A SNAPSHOT OF THE CAPACITOR PLAGUE YOU WERE TALKING ABOUT?? 😅 (EVERY TYPE OF ELECTRONIC COMPONENT IN THAT PICTURE ! YES EVEN VACCUM TUBES.. I THINK THAT'S AN OLD AD THAT SHOWS HOW THEY WENT FROM THOSE COMPONENTS TO WHAT WE SEE TODAY ON A TYPICAL BOARD)
I think that the laptop needs a RAM upgrade. That would likely fix some of the problems.
I remember a school I attended still used Windows 98 computers well past the OS' lifespan
Hey, I have that book! The one around 13:33 that I literally cannot reference on UA-cam because it takes the site name as a URL and then blocks my comment! Thanks UA-cam! On a related note, I did do a deep dive into that book on my art collective's blog, but again, no URLs, UA-cam would eat the comment... Very good book, in any case, I really like Michael Robertson's predictions on the future of the music industry. Weirdly spot-on.
Don't have much to add other than that. I would love to see more 90s computer and software stuff on Archive, Ben, I'm really in the mood for this kinda stuff these days. Actually, back when the Diamond Rio episode came out, Ben, I did post a comment asking if you were interested at all in doing prehistoric online indie music distribution as an Archive topic, but again! That site name causes the comment to get eaten. It's a shame. There were a couple sites like that, and I'd love to donate any of my research if you find it worthwhile. I think some of this technology certainly qualifies for Archive status.
Removing the spaces in web addresses usually doesn't get swallowed. EDIT: ADDING extra spaces--you could tell it was first thing in the morning when I wrote that.
That’s the laptop unleashing a stream of profanities! 😂
It could be Morse code. 🙂
You mean to tell me Mel Blanc wouldn't be recognized by restaurant Maitre'Ds unless he has his AmEx card? As soon as he opened his mouth I'd be like "Right this way, Mr Rubble."
I'm toying with the idea of finding a Windows XP so I can play the pinball game again.
32Mb should do the trick. Uninstall antivirus, get the right drivers and defrag and scandisk the harddrive.
Wouldn’t Zip Drive also work as well?
JUST REINSTALL WIN98
Local Access Network? That's a new one! 🤣
*Area My bad.
Your comedy style makes me think of Rodney Dangerfield you get no respect even from yourself.
12:30 It reminds me of Morse Code.
17 seconds ago
sees comments from 20 hours ago
OH BOY
It pays to be a Patreon donor.
I would look up an IBM thinkpad I series 1400 they can handle win 98 to xp.
I think you might've seen the future.
Wonder which Linux you could run on it.
you don't have to adjust for inflation with consumer computer devices of the late 90s 😎
Meow
You should really look up the early Chromebooks from RCA
Ben.
Are you me from another universe?
you dont know jack was ahead of its time, its still ahead of its time