Discussion:
Goldstar GS620 386sx/20
(too old to reply)
Sallyanne
2008-05-14 19:25:27 UTC
Permalink
I bought a Goldstar GS620 386sx/20 notebook on my way through
Singapore in 1991. It lasted until 1997 and travelled over 200 000 km.
By that time the hard drive had died and the LCD backlight went with
it. Since this was my first PC and for a while my only computer, I
even continued to use it with external monitor and drive until I
upgraded to a desktop. As it happens, after all of these years I
rediscovered this little machine in the abyss of my garage and much to
my amazement, it still works! So in fairness to it, I'd like to fix it
and would like any assistance in opening it up, which I can't seem to
do. A service manual would be nice.

Regards
Sallyanne
Sallyanne
2008-05-14 19:46:20 UTC
Permalink
Just to add ... the GS620 is identical to the Zenith Mastersport
386sx.
Sallyanne
msg
2008-05-14 19:57:14 UTC
Permalink
Post by Sallyanne
I bought a Goldstar GS620 386sx/20 notebook on my way through
Singapore in 1991.
<snip>
Post by Sallyanne
I'd like to fix it and would like any assistance in opening
it up, which I can't seem to do.
<snip>

Hi Sallyanne,

Please post what you have done so far in the disassembly
process; post an url to some hi-res photos of front, rear,
and all sides. FWIW, I have found the mechanics of
case structure easier to deduce on older laptops than the
chinese puzzles often presented by recent models.

Look at some recent threads in this N.G. regarding
disassembly for hints to hidden and clamshell plastic
fasteners too.

Of course, a reader of this thread may already have
experience and disassembly data for this machine, but
as time passes it is less likely such a person will
respond here.

N.B.: consider using an nntp server (like giganews) for
Usenet access; many people are filtering (blocking)
posts from 'googlegroups.com' (Google Groups) due to
unmitigated abuse and spam originating from it.

Michael

Michael
Sallyanne
2008-05-14 20:30:56 UTC
Permalink
Hi Michael.
Thanks for those tips. I should use my ISP's excellent news server,
I'm just too lazy to configure everything because I'm never on the
same computer twice in a day.

I really don't expect anyone to be familiar with such an old computer.
LOL, its almost as old as the latest generation of IT personnel.
Nevertheless, as you say, someone may have experience with one...

I only got as far as removing all the screws on the base of the unit,
including the one hidden within the battery recess. Having done so,
the base seems to give a little, but just enough to peek inside. It
won't go any further and I didn't attempt to force the issue. At this
point, I decided to close everything up & seek info online before
proceeding. I will take photos and post these over the next day or so
and see how we go.

Sallyanne
BillW50
2008-05-14 20:50:49 UTC
Permalink
Post by msg
Post by Sallyanne
I bought a Goldstar GS620 386sx/20 notebook on my way through
Singapore in 1991.
<snip>
Post by Sallyanne
I'd like to fix it and would like any assistance in opening
it up, which I can't seem to do.
<snip>
Hi Sallyanne,
Please post what you have done so far in the disassembly
process; post an url to some hi-res photos of front, rear,
and all sides. FWIW, I have found the mechanics of
case structure easier to deduce on older laptops than the
chinese puzzles often presented by recent models.
Look at some recent threads in this N.G. regarding
disassembly for hints to hidden and clamshell plastic
fasteners too.
Of course, a reader of this thread may already have
experience and disassembly data for this machine, but
as time passes it is less likely such a person will
respond here.
N.B.: consider using an nntp server (like giganews) for
Usenet access; many people are filtering (blocking)
posts from 'googlegroups.com' (Google Groups) due to
unmitigated abuse and spam originating from it.
Oh man! I love these kind of projects (been into computers since '74 in
the military)! I tried to search on Google and I found nothing except
battery replacements. This laptop can use a CGA or a VGA monitor? Does
it have 4MB onboard and a 16MB PCMCIA card?

Usually I find buying a working old same model computer easier to use to
fix an older computer (especially true of laptops). Although I can't
even find a broken one anyway on the net. I sure wish this was my
project. I love these kinds of things to do. :-)
--
Bill
Sallyanne
2008-05-15 02:02:15 UTC
Permalink
Hi Bill,
Post by BillW50
Oh man! I love these kind of projects
So do I ... But if only I had more time to do them all! :-(
Post by BillW50
(been into computers since '74 in
the military)!
I started with unix on a PDP 11 and a Vax II in 1981 with Pascal and
Fortran - on printer terminals and before Pascal even had string
types! I later bought an Exidy Sorcerer Mark II, which I still have,
but I then left computers for almost a decade, until I bought this
notebook for work.
Post by BillW50
I tried to search on Google and I found nothing except
battery replacements. This laptop can use a CGA or a VGA monitor? Does
it have 4MB onboard and a 16MB PCMCIA card?
Colour VGA (B/W LED + VGA port), 4MB, no FPU (although a slot is
present and easily accessible) and no PCMCIA, although it could be
fitted with an internal modem. It had just been released when I bought
it at a cost of about AU$2500.00 in 1991.

I found out about the lack of info myself, that's why I'm approaching
the forums. However, I'm amazed they're still making batteries for
them. Just goes to show how much of a workhorse they really were.
Despite coming with me on at least 200000km of flight between
Australia and Europe (and one trip to Alaska), mine actually almost
looks the same as it did the day it left the store. No scratch marks,
discolouration or wear and tear - not even on the keyboard, despite
periods of very intensive use. I can't say the same for my aging IBM
thinkpads 600 and 600E with flaking skins.
Post by BillW50
Usually I find buying a working old same model computer easier to use to
fix an older computer (especially true of laptops). Although I can't
even find a broken one anyway on the net.
Neither can I, although the Zenith Mastersport 386sx is identical.
Still, I don't need to. I have some parts which may fit this unit. In
any case, apart from the dead backlight and harddrive, the PC works
just fine. I will post photos ASAP. In the event that I can't use my
spare HD I have a feeling that I can interface (with some prodding) a
spare IDE 2GD Orb drive, which just happens to be both the same size
and colour as the original floppy drive (by removing both the floppy
and HD the power supply should cope well). When I finally settled down
to home life, in the interim weeks before I purchased a new Pentium
class PC back in 97, I used this notebook like a mini PC: external
keyboard, colour VGA monitor and Parallel LS120 Superdrive from which
I booted into DOS, Geoworks Ensemble and Win 3.1. It worked well
enough, but then, not if you're used to a Quad Core 4 GHz Pentium with
4GB of ram :-).
Post by BillW50
I sure wish this was my
project. I love these kinds of things to do. :-)
NO! Its mine and You can't have it ! ;-)
Post by BillW50
--
Bill
Sallyanne
BillW50
2008-05-15 18:40:15 UTC
Permalink
Post by Sallyanne
Hi Bill,
Post by BillW50
Oh man! I love these kind of projects
So do I ... But if only I had more time to do them all! :-(
:-)
Post by Sallyanne
Post by BillW50
(been into computers since '74 in
the military)!
I started with unix on a PDP 11 and a Vax II in 1981 with Pascal and
Fortran - on printer terminals and before Pascal even had string
types! I later bought an Exidy Sorcerer Mark II, which I still have,
but I then left computers for almost a decade, until I bought this
notebook for work.
Oh that was a great time to get into computers.
Post by Sallyanne
Post by BillW50
I tried to search on Google and I found nothing except
battery replacements. This laptop can use a CGA or a VGA monitor?
Does it have 4MB onboard and a 16MB PCMCIA card?
Colour VGA (B/W LED + VGA port), 4MB, no FPU (although a slot is
present and easily accessible) and no PCMCIA, although it could be
fitted with an internal modem. It had just been released when I bought
it at a cost of about AU$2500.00 in 1991.
Wow! That was a lot better than what I was using in '91. As I was still
using my Sharp PC-4501 V20 (aka 80188 compatible). I had DOS and GEOS
Ensemble running on it. The LCD was monochrome (no backlight) and I
bought a CGA color card for it to use with a CGA monitor. I got it back
in '89. No audio except for PC beeps. LOL And it still works too.

http://cgi.ebay.com/Sharp-PC-4501-vintage-laptop-circa-1987_W0QQitemZ220234784260QQihZ012QQcategoryZ4193QQcmdZViewItem

Wow I forgot how ugly those PC-4501 are. LOL
Post by Sallyanne
I found out about the lack of info myself, that's why I'm approaching
the forums. However, I'm amazed they're still making batteries for
them. Just goes to show how much of a workhorse they really were.
Despite coming with me on at least 200000km of flight between
Australia and Europe (and one trip to Alaska), mine actually almost
looks the same as it did the day it left the store. No scratch marks,
discolouration or wear and tear - not even on the keyboard, despite
periods of very intensive use. I can't say the same for my aging IBM
thinkpads 600 and 600E with flaking skins.
I am in *love* with your laptop. :-)
Post by Sallyanne
Post by BillW50
Usually I find buying a working old same model computer easier to
use to fix an older computer (especially true of laptops). Although
I can't even find a broken one anyway on the net.
Neither can I, although the Zenith Mastersport 386sx is identical.
Still, I don't need to. I have some parts which may fit this unit. In
any case, apart from the dead backlight and harddrive, the PC works
just fine. I will post photos ASAP. In the event that I can't use my
spare HD I have a feeling that I can interface (with some prodding) a
spare IDE 2GD Orb drive, which just happens to be both the same size
and colour as the original floppy drive (by removing both the floppy
and HD the power supply should cope well). When I finally settled down
to home life, in the interim weeks before I purchased a new Pentium
class PC back in 97, I used this notebook like a mini PC: external
keyboard, colour VGA monitor and Parallel LS120 Superdrive from which
I booted into DOS, Geoworks Ensemble and Win 3.1. It worked well
enough, but then, not if you're used to a Quad Core 4 GHz Pentium with
4GB of ram :-).
I am thinking that this laptop can't read anything more than 512MB on a
HD without a MBR patch. There might be a BIOS update, but where to find
one if it exists. Plus computers around this era usually wasn't
updatable without changing the ROM.
Post by Sallyanne
Post by BillW50
I sure wish this was my
project. I love these kinds of things to do. :-)
NO! Its mine and You can't have it ! ;-)
LOL I guess I have to find my own. :-(
--
Bill
Sallyanne
2008-05-16 03:07:14 UTC
Permalink
Post by BillW50
I started with unix on a PDP 11 and a Vax II in 1981 ... [snip] ...
Oh that was a great time to get into computers.
Bill, it was an **innocent** time for computing. Besides, at the time
(early 80's) we were just a bunch of teenagers playing with million
dollar toys!
Post by BillW50
Wow! That was a lot better than what I was using in '91. As I was still
using my Sharp PC-4501 V20 ...[snip]...
Don't feel to bad about that, mine was an impulse purchase on my way
through Singapore, where I got it duty free and at a much reduced
price compared to elswhere.
Post by BillW50
Wow I forgot how ugly those PC-4501 are. LOL
Now, don't be mean, they have feelings!
Post by BillW50
I am in *love* with your laptop. :-)
... Get over it ! ... The answer is still no !;-)

[snip]
Post by BillW50
I am thinking that this laptop can't read anything more than 512MB on a
HD without a MBR patch. There might be a BIOS update, but where to find
one if it exists. Plus computers around this era usually wasn't
updatable without changing the ROM.
[snip]
Post by BillW50
Bill
I agree with you here. I'm not sure what limitations that old BIOS may
have. In any case, I won't even consider patching it, too risky even
if it can be done, which I doubt. So I'm more inclined to patch MBR /
translate the BIOS by providing fake geometry etc/disk manager,
whatever is feasible, but I'll cross that bridge when I figure out how
to open the silly thing. I'm just floating some whimsical ideas around
in my head: internal LS120, IDE CF adaptor, whatever works ... Let's
just say that this project falls into the *just because I can*
category :-)

Sallyanne
G.G.Willikers
2008-05-16 17:10:57 UTC
Permalink
Post by BillW50
Post by Sallyanne
Hi Bill,
Post by BillW50
Oh man! I love these kind of projects
So do I ... But if only I had more time to do them all! :-(
:-)
Post by Sallyanne
Post by BillW50
(been into computers since '74 in
the military)!
I started with unix on a PDP 11 and a Vax II in 1981 with Pascal and
Fortran - on printer terminals and before Pascal even had string
types! I later bought an Exidy Sorcerer Mark II, which I still have,
but I then left computers for almost a decade, until I bought this
notebook for work.
Oh that was a great time to get into computers.
Post by Sallyanne
Post by BillW50
I tried to search on Google and I found nothing except
battery replacements. This laptop can use a CGA or a VGA monitor?
Does it have 4MB onboard and a 16MB PCMCIA card?
Colour VGA (B/W LED + VGA port), 4MB, no FPU (although a slot is
present and easily accessible) and no PCMCIA, although it could be
fitted with an internal modem. It had just been released when I bought
it at a cost of about AU$2500.00 in 1991.
Wow! That was a lot better than what I was using in '91. As I was still
using my Sharp PC-4501 V20 (aka 80188 compatible). I had DOS and GEOS
Ensemble running on it. The LCD was monochrome (no backlight) and I
bought a CGA color card for it to use with a CGA monitor. I got it back
in '89. No audio except for PC beeps. LOL And it still works too.
http://cgi.ebay.com/Sharp-PC-4501-vintage-laptop-circa-1987_W0QQitemZ220234784260QQihZ012QQcategoryZ4193QQcmdZViewItem
Wow I forgot how ugly those PC-4501 are. LOL
Post by Sallyanne
I found out about the lack of info myself, that's why I'm approaching
the forums. However, I'm amazed they're still making batteries for
them. Just goes to show how much of a workhorse they really were.
Despite coming with me on at least 200000km of flight between
Australia and Europe (and one trip to Alaska), mine actually almost
looks the same as it did the day it left the store. No scratch marks,
discolouration or wear and tear - not even on the keyboard, despite
periods of very intensive use. I can't say the same for my aging IBM
thinkpads 600 and 600E with flaking skins.
I am in *love* with your laptop. :-)
Post by Sallyanne
Post by BillW50
Usually I find buying a working old same model computer easier to
use to fix an older computer (especially true of laptops). Although
I can't even find a broken one anyway on the net.
Neither can I, although the Zenith Mastersport 386sx is identical.
Still, I don't need to. I have some parts which may fit this unit. In
any case, apart from the dead backlight and harddrive, the PC works
just fine. I will post photos ASAP. In the event that I can't use my
spare HD I have a feeling that I can interface (with some prodding) a
spare IDE 2GD Orb drive, which just happens to be both the same size
and colour as the original floppy drive (by removing both the floppy
and HD the power supply should cope well). When I finally settled down
to home life, in the interim weeks before I purchased a new Pentium
class PC back in 97, I used this notebook like a mini PC: external
keyboard, colour VGA monitor and Parallel LS120 Superdrive from which
I booted into DOS, Geoworks Ensemble and Win 3.1. It worked well
enough, but then, not if you're used to a Quad Core 4 GHz Pentium with
4GB of ram :-).
I am thinking that this laptop can't read anything more than 512MB on a
HD without a MBR patch. There might be a BIOS update, but where to find
one if it exists. Plus computers around this era usually wasn't
updatable without changing the ROM.
Post by Sallyanne
Post by BillW50
I sure wish this was my
project. I love these kinds of things to do. :-)
NO! Its mine and You can't have it ! ;-)
LOL I guess I have to find my own. :-(
Believe it or not, I see working models like this quite often in our
recycling shop. Like you guys, the time to putz with them is very
limited. I have set aside some of the more ancient units, that powered
up, in decent shape, but they are currently in storage.

In the next month or two I may be getting that kind of stuff up on ebay.
I will definitely let you all know.

I kinda plan on specializing in laptop spare parts and cater to repair
guys so they can actually make a few bucks on the turn around.
sallyanne
2008-05-20 02:25:11 UTC
Permalink
After Michael's advice I moved away from Google and now have an accoun
with *How to fix computers*, so I hope this works well.

Anyway, I haven't had a chance to get those photos onilne yet. I d
have a life, really! But I would like to request some help in trackin
down a service manual even for the Zenith Mastersport 386sx, which seem
to be better represented online (one was offered on ebay this year).

G.G., since you deal with these computers, have you come across a PD
anywhere?

regards
Sallyann
G.G.Willikers
2008-05-21 16:29:23 UTC
Permalink
After Michael's advice I moved away from Google and now have an account
with *How to fix computers*, so I hope this works well.
Anyway, I haven't had a chance to get those photos onilne yet. I do
have a life, really! But I would like to request some help in tracking
down a service manual even for the Zenith Mastersport 386sx, which seems
to be better represented online (one was offered on ebay this year).
G.G., since you deal with these computers, have you come across a PDF
anywhere?
regards
Sallyanne
That may be hard to find.
unknown
2010-07-23 01:03:25 UTC
Permalink
Hi all, I also I have a gs620, but unfortunately has the power boar
wrong and will not start, I'd like to get a plaque or a gs620, someon
knows who can sell, thank you very much, J.C. (SPAIN

--
mokoyo
t***@gmail.com
2015-12-17 05:01:01 UTC
Permalink
Post by Sallyanne
I bought a Goldstar GS620 386sx/20 notebook on my way through
Singapore in 1991. It lasted until 1997 and travelled over 200 000 km.
By that time the hard drive had died and the LCD backlight went with
it. Since this was my first PC and for a while my only computer, I
even continued to use it with external monitor and drive until I
upgraded to a desktop. As it happens, after all of these years I
rediscovered this little machine in the abyss of my garage and much to
my amazement, it still works! So in fairness to it, I'd like to fix it
and would like any assistance in opening it up, which I can't seem to
do. A service manual would be nice.
Regards
Sallyanne
Do you still have it, ma'am? You seem to own one of those rare ones with 4 MB, which means yours has a very hard to find, proprietary 2 MB RAM card. I would need that card so badly, even just temporarily! I can explain everything, of course, but first I would need to know if you still have it.
just_me
2015-12-18 07:36:01 UTC
Permalink
Lady Sallyanne,

Do you still have that GS620? I have both one of those and a Zenith Mastersport. Neither of them has 4 MB of RAM like yours does, and that means your machine has one nifty but proprietary, custom-made 2 MB RAM card.

I found another Zenith for sale and I would like to have four of these connected to each other, working as a single machine. I found sufficient Linux software to do that, but I really need at least one machine with that 2 MB card in it. I found an engineer who said he can clone it if I manage to find it. Not easy, but doable.

So please, if you still have that little laptop, tell me if you're willing to sell it for very good use :)

Alex
Bob_Villa
2015-12-18 13:50:39 UTC
Permalink
Post by just_me
Lady Sallyanne,
Do you still have that GS620? I have both one of those and a Zenith Mastersport. Neither of them has 4 MB of RAM like yours does, and that means your machine has one nifty but proprietary, custom-made 2 MB RAM card.
I found another Zenith for sale and I would like to have four of these connected to each other, working as a single machine. I found sufficient Linux software to do that, but I really need at least one machine with that 2 MB card in it. I found an engineer who said he can clone it if I manage to find it. Not easy, but doable.
So please, if you still have that little laptop, tell me if you're willing to sell it for very good use :)
Alex
This person had one post in '08...what do YOU think?

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