Osborne 1 - Resurrection

Hello to all casemodders out there!

After my last project, the BRUBCAT, I have decided to start a different casemod. I bought an empty case of a busted Osborne 1 from 1983. "Different" casemod, because I wanted to keep the original look, which means no holes for fans and no lights, but inside modern hardware.

The comparison:

1981:
year of constr.: 1983 (release of first model 1981)
quantities: about 125.000 (1982)
processor: Zilog Z80A, 8-bit
frequency: 4 MHz
RAM: 64 KByte
ROM: 4 KByte
OS: CP/M 2.2
monitor: 5"-Monochrome (black/green)
textmode: 52 x 24; 80 x 25; 128 x 24
keyboard: QWERTZ, number pad, 69 keys
drives: 2 x 5,25" for 102 KByte-disks
interfaces: 1 x IEEE-488, 1 x RS232C, 1 x Centronics, 1 x Modem, 1 x Video, 1 x Battery/Accu-adapter
size/weight: 51(W) x 32,5(D) x 22,5(H) cm / 10,2 Kg

2006:
processor: AMD Sempron 2600+, 32-bit
frequency: 1833 MHz
RAM: 512 MByte
HDD: 160 GB, Samsung
OS: Microsoft Windows XP Professional
monitor: 5"-TFT
resolution: 320 x 234 pixel
grafix: MSI Geforce Ti4200, 8xAGP, 64 MB RAM
keyboard: QWERTZ, number pad, 104 keys
optical drive: DVD-ROM, Pioneer DVD 104s, slot-in, 5,25"
interfaces: 3 x USB, 1 x S-Video, 1 x VGA-Out, 1 x Audio-Out und 1 x Mic-In, 1 x 10/100 Mbit-network
size/weight: 51(W) x 32,5(D) x 22,5(H) cm / 11,5 Kg

The story has its ups and downs, sometimes I have been close to to defenestrate the case, but I finished the mod finally after 6 months.
If my english is incomprehensible, please let me know.

Step 1: The cleaning
I had no chance against over 20 years of smoke and sun, the case has been yellowed on some areas. But the result is alright though.

Step 2: The keyboard-mod
The osborne keyboard has 69 keys, the new one 104, that means work.

I did not like the red color of the mouse.

First problem: The controller needs more space than available.

Now everything fits.

The original backplate, which held the old keyboard can be used to hold the new one, too.

Detail:

Step 3: Teevee
The old 5 inch CRT has been replaced by a TFT.

CRTs have a curved front, TFTs are flat, that is why the frame of the Osborne-front has to be modified.

I did not want do dismantle the TFT. It is hard to find a LCD like that and I have bad memories, because I have killed a LCD long time ago.

Test

Come on! Let us proceed, there is still a lot of work to do, and a lot of pictures left!

Step 4: The underground
The Osborne 1 has two floors, and I have put the power supply unit and the hard drive in the lower one .

Step 5: The upper level
A small mainboard is found, because space is narrow.

The fan, which blows the air out:

This is close-fitting:

Step 6: Modding the front
The front-fan needs a grill, silver inside, black painted outside.

The DVD-cover is made of black cardboard. Sorry, but I have not had something better at that time. It was very important to build in a slot-in drive, because the 5 inch disk drives of the 80ies have not had a drawer like optical drives nowadays.

The DVD-drive-busy-LED needs a new position:

On/off switch...:

...and the connector to the mainboard.

Step 7: Modding the front interfaces
The front is removable and it would be perfect to mount the interfaces on a batten (right expression?), which is fixed inside. But because of space problems, the batten is screwed on the front.

Elongation of VGA-cable...

...and audio. Almost every connection from the mainboard is repositioned to the front.

Features: 3 USB, 1 VGA-out, audio-out, mic-in, TV-out

Step 8: Assembly

Test before installing Windows:

Everything finished:

After three hours of program installations the PC ran silent and everything looked fine. I slept like a log in that night. The next day I started the osborne again, but ... what was that? Klickklack ... klickklack ... klickklack ... klickklack ...

Many thanks, I appreciate that! :up:

But I have to go on with my story, which is long, very long. I hope you have the endurance to hang on.

Back to klickklack.
This is a 80 GB exhibit:

But why did it die? :think:
The heat is bearing the blame! This is the result after measuring the tempertures: PSU - 60 degrees Celsius, the hard disk - 56 degrees, CPU - about 50 degrees. This is definitely to much! :eek:

Step 9: Improvement
After buying a new hard drive, I inserted a few more fans. Two 4cm-fans sucking hot air away from the hdd and one 6cm-fan blowing fresh air inside, nearby the PSU. I misused the two boxes in the front. Usually you can store your 5inch-disks there (it is still possible), but now they are air ducts.

Argh, the tests have not shown much better temperatures than before. This is one of those moments ... :dead:

Step 10: Improvement #2
I reversed the airflow direction and inserted more fans! Instead of two 4cm-fans blows one 8cm-fan, which is only 15mm thick, fresh air directly on to the hard drive. The remaining holes have been covered. On the other side are now two 6cm-fans, which suck worm air from the PSU to outside.

No air holdup anymore, this is the key fan:

The same reversion on the upper floor! Front fan blowing fresh air over graphics card, the grill has been modified and in the upper cap are two 6cm-fans blowing warm air outside.

Thinner CPU-fan leads to more space to the cap.

Step 10: Final test
Temperatures: PSU - 35 degrees, HDD - room temperature, CPU - about 44 degrees. Perfect! Ready for continuous duty. Ok, the PC is explicit hearable, but it is cheaper not to buy a hard disk every week.

We have picture on 28"-TV and on the 5"-TFT:

Thank you very much for your attention! 8)

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