For my second entry in #marchintosh is this #spicyPillow in a 2012 Mac Pro. IIRC I picked this up at #EFM #electronicsFleaMarket on the cheap, fully intended for a project but was packed up from the move. Unpacked the box this weekend, and noted the lid being pushed out – and upon opening noted the touchpad broken in half.

I opened it up & pulled out the spicy pillow, installing a spare battery I had on hand. Connected power, and it booted! The touchpad works, but to click/double click you have to push down to make the touchpad level while clicking/double clicking. Time to find a replacement touchpad, and when I do then also max out the RAM while installing an SSD.

#siliconValley #SillyValley #sanfrancisco #sanfran #sanfranciscocomputers #sanfrancomputers #sanfranciscovintagecomputers #sanfranvintagecomputers #sanfranciscovintagehardware #sanfranvintagehardware
#vintagecomputing #vintagecomputint #vintagecomputer #vintagecomputers #vintagecomputalk
#vintagehardware #computerHistory #VCF #vintageComputerFestival #retro #retrocomputing #retroComputers #WallOfRetro
#retroTech #retroTechnology #nerdsOfVintage #happyNerding
#computer #tech #computerHardware
#apple #VintageApple #VintageMacintosh #macintosh #mac #mac_pro #mac_osx #MacintoshPr0n
#RetroApple #retroMacintosh
#upcycle #restore #TechnologyRepair #WasteNotWantNot #reuse #RepairReuseRecycle
#IT #ITsupport #hardwaresupport #computerrepair
#makeShitMonday #showmewhatyougot

Well what do you know – The Electronics Flea Market (EFM) has moved back to Saturday mornings and if you park in lot 2 it is free. Looks as we get to share the campus with the farmer’s market, so I get to peruse fruit & veg for the week and get my nerd on. Hopefully I will find another security appliance from a vendor I do not have yet for my test rack in the garage.

The first date is Saturday March 14, 2026 at West Valley College in Saratoga, CA (south bay area): http://www.electronicsfleamarket.com/

See you there!

#EFM #eflea #siliconValley #SillyValley #ham_radio #ham_operator #HamRadioOutlet #ham
#siliconValley #SillyValley #sanfrancisco #sanfran #sanfranciscocomputers #sanfrancomputers #sanfranciscovintagecomputers #sanfranvintagecomputers #sanfranciscovintagehardware #sanfranvintagehardware
#vintagecomputing #vintagecomputint #vintagecomputer #vintagecomputers #vintagecomputalk
#vintagehardware #computerHistory #retro #VCF #vintageComputerFestival
#retrocomputing #retroComputers #WallOfRetro #retroTech #retroTechnology
#nerdsOfVintage #happyNerding
#computer #tech #computerHardware #laptop #laptops #vintagelaptop
#IBM #thinkpad #thinkpads #VintageThinkPad #X86 #WindowsVista #IBMhardware
#lenovoHardware #Thinkpadnium #ThinkPadRepair #vintageDell #DellComputer #upcycle #restore #TechnologyRepair #WasteNoWantNot #reuse #RepairReuseRecycle
#IT #ITsupport #hardwaresupport #computerrepair #retroNetworking #networking #wifi #homeWiFi #homenetworking #AP #accessPoint
#apple #VintageApple #VintageMacintosh #macintosh #mac #mac_pro #mac_osx #MacintoshPr0n
#sunmicrosystem #vintageSun #sunOracle #SAS #sparctember #suntember

Electronics Flea Market

In the #ewaste scores is this random USB drive, with the "Bank of Communications" on one side and "2010 USB Key" for bankcomm{DOT]com
Serial number: HDE-30156307

It shows up in a fresh Win11 install as an "unknown smart card" (because I was not going to insert this USB from #China in any old #PC of mine).

In my searching so far there are no drivers are found anywhere for this device.

Do I keep messing with getting this to work, or does it go back to ewaste and I use the #yubikey that was found? 🤔

#vintagecomputing
#vintagecomputing #vintagecomputint #vintagecomputer #vintagecomputers #vintagecomputalk
#vintagehardware
#computerHistory
#retro
#retrocomputing #retroComputers
#WallOfRetro #upcycle #restore #TechnologyRepair #WasteNotWantNot
#retroTech #retroTechnology
#nerdsOfVintage #happyNerding
#computer #tech #encryption #security #cybersecurity #siliconValley #SillyValley #sanfrancisco #sanfran #sanfranciscocomputers #sanfrancomputers #sanfranciscovintagecomputers #sanfranvintagecomputers #sanfranciscovintagehardware
#sanfranvintagehardware #informationsecurity #IT #ITsupport #hardwaresupport #computerrepair

Grabbed a #Lenovo #Ideapad C330 (#Chromebook) from my local #ewaste facility, looking to log into certain #Google Workspace accounts without providing a footprint on an actual #PC. And in the future when no longer supported install #Debian on it.
Also: this Chromebook folds to a tablet.

Unfortunately, the battery never fully charges: solid red for a few hours, then blinking red LED. I can get it to boot, but it will stay on for just a few minutes and then dies. Leaving it charging overnight, I was able to get logged in and started the upgrade for #ChromeOS 105.0.5195.134 (32 Bit), got the reboot and then it died. Left it unplugged, and there is no juice at all.
I found replacement batteries for $5 and up on #ebay, $10 plus shipping on gotlaptopparts.com, and stupid prices elsewhere. My concern is that it is not the battery but the circuits that managing charging the battery (which I would consider beyond repair and take back to eddies).

Via https://cros.tech/device/maple/ it looks as this Chromebook will support ChromeOS 143.0.7499.46, so there should still be some life in this device if the power issue is addressed.

Anything I’m missing here/not considering? Worth getting that cheap assed ebay battery and giving it a try?

#siliconValley #SillyValley
#vintagecomputing
#vintagecomputing #vintagecomputint #vintagecomputer #vintagecomputers #vintagecomputalk
#vintagehardware
#computerHistory
#retro #IT #ITsupport #hardwaresupport #computerrepair
#retrocomputing #retroComputers
#WallOfRetro
#retroTech #retroTechnology
#nerdsOfVintage #happyNerding
#computer #tech
#laptop #IBM #thinkpad #thinkpads #VintageThinkPad #IBMhardware
#lenovoHardware #Thinkpadnium
#upcycle #restore #TechnologyRepair #ThinkPadRepair #WasteNotWantNot #Thinkpadnium

maple - Chrome OS Updates

Dam, spoke too soon. This #thinkpad #P70 running #Win11 #LTSC decided to shit the bed overnight. I was using it last night to organize #ROMs, closed lid should have hibernated. Tried to start it up today, get #BIOS test screen and then a quick flash of text, then a black screen. Tried booting into advanced recovery mode, unable to get it to work with the holding the power button 3x, so I try to boot with my win11 LTSC install USB and get the same black screen....

I picked this up a few months back. Intel xeon i7 2.66 with 64 GB RAM, primary storage is a Samsung M2 which is showing up in the boot BIOS and as a boot-able device in the BIOS.

As posted previously, I was having some weird USB issues over the weekend when I was moving ROM collection file to external SSDs for archiving, but I had attributed to the #SSD in the external #USB sleds that was/has now failed. Man, it would bite of the controller chips on this #motherboard are failing.
Thankfully I had already moved all my job hunting notes & stuff to a different laptop, but all the ROM and #hakchi2 stuff is on this #laptop

Just in case, I started the #Lenovo diag mode to confirm hardware was ok when the battery died (I swear I had it plugged in). Now this POS will not even go into Diag mode.

Any thoughts on next steps for getting this Thinkpad booting again?

Any chance I can take the storage out of this and put it in a comparable P70 I have? and it will boot & let me log in?

#vintagecomputing #vintagecomputer #vintagecomputers #vintagecomputalk
#vintagehardware
#computerHistory
#retro #retrocomputing #retroComputers
#WallOfRetro #retroTech #retroTechnology
#nerdsOfVintage #happyNerding
#computer #tech #computerHardware
#IBM #thinkpad #thinkpads #VintageThinkPad #X86 #IBMhardware #lenovoHardware #upcycle #restore #TechnologyRepair #ThinkPadRepair #WasteNotWantNot #Thinkpadnium
#makeShitMonday #showmewhatyougot
#reuse #RepairReuseRecycle #IT #ITsupport #hardwaresupport #computerrepair

Identity 4 - 2025 | Racintosh Plus