Omnibook 430- Other Operating Systems

[Dave Britten]

(12-16-2016 03:33 AM)Omnibook 425 Wrote:  Is it possible to "create" an OB430 ROM Card and does such an upload exist? I have a 425 and would like to try some new operating systems besides windows 3.1.

I believe it can be done. You need a linear flash PCMCIA card (a standard ATA card will not work), and appropriate software to write the image file to the card. I did this a few years ago with the OB300 1.1 system card image to "upgrade" my 300. I can't remember the exact program I used for writing the flash card - it may have been some old DOS program from Intel - and I'm pretty sure I had to run it on an old Win95 machine (either my Libretto, or AST laptop).

It took a lot of trial and error to find a flash card that worked. Fortunately the techs at work had a bunch of spare linear flash cards scavenged from old Cisco routers and I was able to test a bunch until I found one that worked. Some day I might try to find another usable one among the pile. I'm not brave enough to try reflashing my current card with a 425 ROM and screw something up, rendering the OB unusable. (Naturally, I have no idea where the hell I put the stock system ROM card that came with it...)