I would like some input on a matter; not just solutions or answers, but comments and opinions.
Remember iMac?? That see-through thing that Apple said would replace the PC? Well, Gateway (happily no longer trading in the UK) made an PC version called Astro.The PC and the monitor are in a single box. The system board was a FlexATX ‘reduced legacy’ Intel PB810 with no slots, no ports and no way of talking except by built in i810 Graphics, on board sound/56k and 4 USB ports.
A colleague dumped one on my desk. It belongs to a sick child who can no longer get assisted learning because of the death of said Astro a week after the warranty expired. The mobo had failed and Gateway UK refused to help. I diagnosed dead mobo, identified it as Intel OEM PB810 FlexATX. No other FlexATX board can replace it as there really isn’t room in the case and all others I have seen have slots and won’t clear the chassis.
My solution: remove Celery 400 PPGA, drives and RAM and fit in a baby ATX case with a QDI Socket 370 mobo….on board Trident 3D, AC97 sound and AMR. Fill drive holes in case and spray case (so little fingers can’t poke into case and contact live monitor PCB). Monitor has no vents, just a fan on the rear originally powered from 65W ATX psu…locate 12v and wire fan across! Monitor is ok, but has no control. Computer with new mobo drivers is perfect, but….
Gateway had a program to electronically control brightness, contrast, size, degauss etc…this program will not work on new mobo. Monitor is identified by new mobo as Gateway Astro 15, thus I2C bus for DDC2B Plug and Play IS working between the graphics chip and the monitor and the OS can recognise the model.
How come the monitor is no longer controlled?? Is the communication to the monitor a function of the 810 chipset, the Astro mobo BIOS or what?!!
Comments please!
