HP Omnibook 425



Status:Still have it
Name:HP Omnibook 425
Memory:2 mb ram (plus 4 extra (H1042A) for total 6 meg)
Monitor/rez:mono 640x480 vga 16 grey shades (512 kb video ram)
Drives:40mb pcimcia type III western digital caviar
CPU:486-25mhz sx(slc)
Secondary cache:
OS:Dos 5.0+win 3.1 (hp versions with XIP (eXecute In Place) mostly on rom
Extras:powersupply, 12 meg rom card(8meg readable to dos)
Comments:
2 pcimcia III
alt 4 pcimcia II of which 2 can read flash (c: and d:) d: is taken by boot ROM
9 pin serial
parallel port
ir port
cutest mouse i've ever seen


Tips n Trix:
The hdd on this wouldn't format no matter what
so i was given it (thanks jocke)
i ripped the sram card outta omnigo (512kb) and plopped in some disk utils
scandisk disktool, so on..
machine boots from rom card or hdd with dos..so mode was there
so null modem and mode and copy com1: sequence
after that it was...scandisk, format, install doublespaced omnibook system
scandisk (ad infinateum)
once i get it working i'll put win3.1 on a box..and steal what apps i need
comm's comes to mind...with 2 megs i doubt web reader cept possibly dos
arachne?..hmm minuet or nettamer

--update--
i've gotten my hands on memory (4meg extra) and battery pack for it
so today (2001-10-18) i soldered the battery pack (open rip out old cells,
put in new ones, close pack) (with some soldering and so on in between)
it runs msie 3.02 for win 3.1 nicely, and foxmail 16 bit runs nicely too

--update--
i've traded and wheeled and dealed and finally got my hands on a 64 meg compact
flash memory, and a cf2pcmcia adapter...one word..DON*T!!!!
i traded back and got a smartmedia (ssfdc) 64 megger(3.3V), had to wheel and deal
some more cause the ssfdc2pcmcia adapter is more expensive
but the cf would not keep a file system past reboot, the sm (ssfdc) does
it actually works a charm
and 64 megs does double space to about 130 megs *and omnibook reads it all*
the smart media also has the added advantage (i'm told) of tolerating
1 000 000 write cycles as opposed to cf's 100 000 write cycles
never the less, i'm using a sram 512 ram card for user files
now if i can get bcrypt to accept that sram card i'd be really happy
it's been pointed out to me that not all people know what XIP is and so on
so a lil blurb:

XIP is a way to execute the program from linear flash memory (or rom)
never mind what those are, but the point is, that the program being
executed (run) doesn't take up system RAM memory except for what little
it needs for variables and so on
so a 4 meg machine with XIP word, can run word for windows better
than an 8 meg machine without XIP word can

also, suspend mode, this i can press when ever, in the middle of a document
without saving, and the computer powers down, when i press on, i'll
be exactly where i was, same cursor location even, nifty huh?
so no power up boot up, it stops and starts where it is

installed now,well..word and excel are preinstalled so is a pim and laplink remote
access (no modem usage in that version tho)
foxmail (skip the addy book)(16bit)
vc (volkov commander)
internet explorer(exploder) 3.03(16bit)
winssh (16bit)
teraterm 1.4
mininote tab
dos, disk, diagnostics and repair utilities
many utils from techw0rm disk
crypters for dos and windows
arj, lha, rar, ace, pkzip
all programs use ram card as save location (user files), ini files so on
winfax lite 4.0
trumpet winsock 2.1g (or some such)
aim 16bit
mirc 16bit
winzip 16bit
omnigo sync pack
omnicom (for omnigo)
nokia technical connection(dos) software
planned--- texas instruments 86 calc software (dos)

probably at least 50 other programs and custom bat files
and similar to ease my life

HW:nullmodem, sram (512kb)pcimcia card,omnigo w serial cable to write the sram
soldering iron, soldering tin, surgical clamp, pliars scalpel, heat glue
heat shrink tube (soldering iron and forward was needed to rejuvinate a battery
pack)
SW:omnicom, scandisk, disktool, mode, nc (norton commander)


links

another omnibook page (more than just 425)

Service manual:
if you telnet to wlofie.dyndns.org (w0nderer'z delight BBS) and register, then download either via ftp or Z,X or Y modem protocols at wlofie.dyndns.org (w0nderer'z delight FTP)
it's in the misc folder/directory

this one was easy..do a search...quote omnibook 425 unquote
see how easy that was!!! altavista or google :-))

the only hard part was learning that cf wouldn't accept file system
while sm would
i would love to hear other ppl's experience on this


If your question wasn't answered by this page, consider putting a message on the old puter forum. If it was answered or you found these pages useful, please drop a message in my guestbook.Or Visit my BBS. Supporting homepage here.