Lookie what i just got! (also need some info)

[Marks256]

I just got this DreamWriter NTS 325 word processor today. I am having a hayday with this thing! It is sooooooooo geeky!


first off, it was made in like '86, so ya know it has to be cool... I was wondering if anyone knew were i could get a rom update for it? It has a BASIC interpreter built right in, but when i try to get to it, it says i need a ROM 2.0 UPGRADE...



anyways, this thing is sweat. It has a PCMCIA slot (not sure what for, extra storage space i think). It also has a parallel port, and serial port including a full terminal!!!!!!!!! YEAH!!!! RS232 TERMINAL!!!!!!

how cool is that?

 

[theinfamousbob]

That thing looks really cool; I may have to eBay one.

 

[Hero999]

I wonder how much they're worth.

I remember using one of those at school because I'm badly dydlexic which meant I coudn't write fast enough to keep up with the rest of the class and they couldn't afford to get me a laptop.

 

[Marks256]

I don't know? I didn't find that many on ebay, and they were going for a few $, but i don't think any of them came with all the stuff i have...

I have the original Macintosh software floppy, as well as the PC floppy. The quickstart manual, user's manual, printer cable for ImageWriter (mac), and the serial crossover cable. I also have the original NTS leather carrying case...

i too am way to dyslexic for the thing... I think it would have been cool to use for notes in class, but the keyboard keys need to be pressed ALL the way down, and not as far as i am used to. they also need to be pressed at a certain angle, that of which i am also uncomfortable with... i am a complainer...


Still, i think it would be fun to get a microcontroller communicating with this thing via the terminal...

 

[blueroomelectronics]

eBay has old Tandy 102 computers, they have BASIC and a RS232 port.
**broken link removed**

 

[Marks256]

hmm... i just may have to get myself one of those...

 

[Brian Hoskins]

You've got enough junk in your basement already!!! Leave alone!!!

Brian

 

[Marks256]

there is always room for more!

i'll just have to move some stuff....

 

[blueroomelectronics]

I've got an old Tandy 100 and NEC around here somewhere.

 

[Marks256]

sounds like bill has more junk laying around than i do!

 

[littletransistor]

Is it an electronic mini typewriter?

 

[mramos1]

I just pitched my old Model-100. It was hard. I think I still have the cassette and other goodies in a box. If someone gets one I will see what I have left and it is theirs.

Marks, if you move some stuff and still no room, go vertical. That's what I do. Sort of hi-rise stacking storage method .

I have DOS from 2.0 up to 6.xx at the office. Through out the mac and print last year, kept the 20meg scsi drive for the case. Have two HP plotter I plan to make a laser etcher on day, just wonder if that day will come.

I will post next time I throw stuff out. I pitched a big controller last week with 4 Z-80s on it. I thought I was bad. I have a spot in the garage with tubes of lm555, lm324, all kinds of chips, spools of R, transistors, diodes.. And I mean 100's of tubes. Still getting to where I can pull a tube of each and part with the rest.

 

[Marks256]

WHY WOULD YOU THROW AWAY A Z80!?!?!??! I have an unknown obsession with z80s for some reason....

anyways....

I think the oldest version of DOS i have is PC-DOS 4.0, which is on a really old machine that has accumulated in the clutter... I also have dos 5.0. 6.0, 6.2, and 6.22. I probably have more, but i honestly couldn't find more if i was asked to...

I also have an UNOPENED box of 5.25" diskettes. I am going to keep that in hopes that it raises in value, although that is HIGHLY unlikely!

 

[mramos1]

WHY WOULD YOU THROW AWAY A Z80!?!?!??! I have an unknown obsession with z80s for some reason....

anyways....

I also have an UNOPENED box of 5.25" diskettes. I am going to keep that in hopes that it raises in value, although that is HIGHLY unlikely!

I know, but I kept the DS5000 (think that was it, a Dalas Semi 8051 with battery, RTC, etc).

On the unopend 5.25" do not could on it. This week I will be throwing out all my Star Wars soda can I collected for the son when he was a little guy and some 1960 or 70's comics. Takes up space and no one wanted to buy them in craigslist. Sad to say, then are going by way of the Model-100.

* Sniff *

 

[Marks256]

Either that or they will make cool floor mats in about 20 years...

 

[Krumlink]

LOL Look Mark, are you jelous yet (ps I dont have one)
**broken link removed**

 

[Marks256]

i want a white one really bad.... :drool:



I charged the battery over night a few nights ago in the dreamwriter, and let it run all day. The battery lasted 13 hours strait. The charger is 6vdc @ 300, and it only takes 4 hours to charge, but the manual recommends letting it charge all night. 13 hours is pretty good to me!

 

[paperbackpiles]

Mark256. This post is from a dozen years ago but worth a shot. I picked up a dreamwriter 325 from a garage sale and it turns on just fine but I can't seem to get it to go any further than the screen which prompts "organizer" or "word processor". I press the two buttons and nothing. Any insight on how to get it going? Thanks for any assistance?

 

[large_ghostman]

Make sure its got new batteries, no idea but maybe internally the roms had a battery, its unlikely they had batteries inside the actual chip (your stuffed if they do), but might be a rechargeable or dead rom battery on the board inside, also use a decent contact cleaner on the switches, blow **** out the connectors and inside off the board.

Alot of old dead stuff comes back to life with a decent clean of contacts and getting the grime out of sockets etc where it causes mini shorts. Take it apart slowly with no power on and batteries out if any, take pics as you go so you remember where stuff goes, dont be cheap use decent contact cleaner etc.

Unless its got a chip with a built in battery, you stand a decent chance of getting it working again.

 

[large_ghostman]

Apparently they have a CR2032 backup battery inside, i would change that and see what happens. If that fails and i would expect it to, you need to find a manual and do a factory reset, it could be the back battery dying means you have to then reset the whole thing when you replace it so the roms are in a known state.