Archived from groups: alt.sys.pc-clone.dell (More info?)

Got a new 9100. It's a terrific box. Quiet, lots of fans and heat
sinks, esthetically pleasing, superfast (compared to the 8200 I had),
truly a serious upgrade, I think, even from the 8400. However, I got a
couple of issues I need help with. The machine is stepping away from
legacy I/O so there are no PS/2, serial, or parallel ports.

I have used a NorthGate Ultra (now Avant Stellar) keyboard for 17
years and don't really want to get away from it. I like the
clickyness, the layout, the nice heavy feel, and the size. I am a poor
typist, so transitioning to a plastic, mushy keyboard is a disaster
for me. The new $100 wireless keyboard/mouse combo I just got is
awful. I got a little plug that supposedly "converts" a PS/2 plug into
a USB plug. Tried it with the keyboard but it doesn't work with the
Dimension 9100.

Question No. 1: What is the solution for the above? a) port
replicator; b) PCI card with a PS/2 port? c) any other ideas?

Question No. 2: The 9100 doesn't have a cable select cable (CSC). Just
a one-connector ribbon for the Serial ATA drive. Can I replace it with
a CSC so I can add a second hard-drive (the IDE from my old machine)?

Sure would appreciate some help with this.

TIA.
Best,

Andrew

--


Birmingham, Alabama, USA
rozsa@usa.invalid

Archived from groups: alt.sys.pc-clone.dell (More info?)

You couldn't be a worse typist than I am.

I can help you with the keyboard question, but I have no experience - yet - with SATA drives.

It takes more than a simple adapter to plug a PS/2 keyboard into a USB port. Your keyboard lacks the chip needed to make PS/2 output work with USB. It's an easy fix though: Just buy a PS/2-to-USB converter cable. It's a Y-cable with two wires for connecting PS/2 devices (typically a mouse and a keyboard) and 1 USB wire to plug into your computer's USB port.

Ted Zieglar

"Andrew J. Rozsa" <rozsa@usa.invalid> wrote in message news:lhmvg1lb91obvbkh3hj24cf80ujbldgros@4ax.com...
> Got a new 9100. It's a terrific box. Quiet, lots of fans and heat
> sinks, esthetically pleasing, superfast (compared to the 8200 I had),
> truly a serious upgrade, I think, even from the 8400. However, I got a
> couple of issues I need help with. The machine is stepping away from
> legacy I/O so there are no PS/2, serial, or parallel ports.
>
> I have used a NorthGate Ultra (now Avant Stellar) keyboard for 17
> years and don't really want to get away from it. I like the
> clickyness, the layout, the nice heavy feel, and the size. I am a poor
> typist, so transitioning to a plastic, mushy keyboard is a disaster
> for me. The new $100 wireless keyboard/mouse combo I just got is
> awful. I got a little plug that supposedly "converts" a PS/2 plug into
> a USB plug. Tried it with the keyboard but it doesn't work with the
> Dimension 9100.
>
> Question No. 1: What is the solution for the above? a) port
> replicator; b) PCI card with a PS/2 port? c) any other ideas?
>
> Question No. 2: The 9100 doesn't have a cable select cable (CSC). Just
> a one-connector ribbon for the Serial ATA drive. Can I replace it with
> a CSC so I can add a second hard-drive (the IDE from my old machine)?
>
> Sure would appreciate some help with this.
>
> TIA.
> Best,
>
> Andrew
>
> --
>
>
> Birmingham, Alabama, USA
> rozsa@usa.invalid

Archived from groups: alt.sys.pc-clone.dell (More info?)

1) this should do the trick....
http://tinyurl.com/bw9y5
2) the thin data cable you see between the motherboard and the hard disk is
a sata (serial ata) type cable. if you want to add a second sata drive you
need another drive and cable and to connect the cable to one of the four
7-pin sata connectors on the motherboard. if you want to attach a pata
(parallel ata, aka an ide type drive found in your 8200) you can connect it
to the ide controller that the cd rom drive(s) in your system are connected.
if you already have two cd rom drives on that cable then you can remove one
to temporarily connect the hard drive and copy your data to the new drive.

"Andrew J. Rozsa" <rozsa@usa.invalid> wrote in message
news:lhmvg1lb91obvbkh3hj24cf80ujbldgros@4ax.com...
> Got a new 9100. It's a terrific box. Quiet, lots of fans and heat
> sinks, esthetically pleasing, superfast (compared to the 8200 I had),
> truly a serious upgrade, I think, even from the 8400. However, I got a
> couple of issues I need help with. The machine is stepping away from
> legacy I/O so there are no PS/2, serial, or parallel ports.
>
> I have used a NorthGate Ultra (now Avant Stellar) keyboard for 17
> years and don't really want to get away from it. I like the
> clickyness, the layout, the nice heavy feel, and the size. I am a poor
> typist, so transitioning to a plastic, mushy keyboard is a disaster
> for me. The new $100 wireless keyboard/mouse combo I just got is
> awful. I got a little plug that supposedly "converts" a PS/2 plug into
> a USB plug. Tried it with the keyboard but it doesn't work with the
> Dimension 9100.
>
> Question No. 1: What is the solution for the above? a) port
> replicator; b) PCI card with a PS/2 port? c) any other ideas?
>
> Question No. 2: The 9100 doesn't have a cable select cable (CSC). Just
> a one-connector ribbon for the Serial ATA drive. Can I replace it with
> a CSC so I can add a second hard-drive (the IDE from my old machine)?
>
> Sure would appreciate some help with this.
>
> TIA.
> Best,
>
> Andrew
>
> --
>
>
> Birmingham, Alabama, USA
> rozsa@usa.invalid

Archived from groups: alt.sys.pc-clone.dell (More info?)

On Sat, 27 Aug 2005 04:11:55 GMT, "Christopher Muto"
<muto@worldnet.att.net> wrote:

>:|1) this should do the trick....
>:|http://tinyurl.com/bw9y5

Put an order right in. Seems to fit the ticket precisely.

>:|if you already have two cd rom drives on that cable then you can remove one
>:|to temporarily connect the hard drive and copy your data to the new drive.
>:|

I thought it out. So as not to give them fits if I need help (which is
rare with Dells), I decided to get an external USB box and stick the
old drive in it. With USB 2.0 transfer seems pretty quick. Definitely
at par with the 1394s I had on the 8200. I can live with that, plus
I'll have a portable drive for backups.

>:|"Andrew J. Rozsa" <rozsa@usa.invalid> wrote in message
>:|news:lhmvg1lb91obvbkh3hj24cf80ujbldgros@4ax.com...

>:|> Question No. 1: What is the solution for the above? a) port
>:|> replicator; b) PCI card with a PS/2 port? c) any other ideas?
>:|>
>:|> Question No. 2: The 9100 doesn't have a cable select cable (CSC). Just
>:|> a one-connector ribbon for the Serial ATA drive. Can I replace it with
>:|> a CSC so I can add a second hard-drive (the IDE from my old machine)?

Thank you very much, Christopher. I appreciate the thoughtful and
quick reply.

Best,

Andrew

--


Birmingham, Alabama, USA
rozsa@usa.invalid

Archived from groups: alt.sys.pc-clone.dell (More info?)

On Sat, 27 Aug 2005 04:11:55 GMT, "Christopher Muto"
<muto@worldnet.att.net> wrote:

>:|http://tinyurl.com/bw9y5

Oh, yea... thanks for the tinyURL pointer, too. Checked it out (always
willing to learn something new). Nifty idea. Stuck it to my Links.

Best,

Andrew

--


Birmingham, Alabama, USA
rozsa@usa.invalid

Archived from groups: alt.sys.pc-clone.dell (More info?)

Andrew J. Rozsa <rozsa@usa.invalid> wrote:
> Got a new 9100. It's a terrific box. Quiet, lots of fans and heat
> sinks, esthetically pleasing, superfast (compared to the 8200 I had),
> truly a serious upgrade, I think, even from the 8400. However, I got a
> couple of issues I need help with. The machine is stepping away from
> legacy I/O so there are no PS/2, serial, or parallel ports.
CUT
> Sure would appreciate some help with this.

like this:
http://www.networktechinc.com/usb-ps2.html




--
...........

Archived from groups: alt.sys.pc-clone.dell (More info?)

On Sat, 27 Aug 2005 00:11:01 -0400, "Ted Zieglar" <teddyz@notmail.com>
wrote:

>:|You couldn't be a worse typist than I am.

Stricktly a hunt-and-pecker. My son howls with laughter when he sees
me type. But, somehow, over the years, I managed to type up about 11
thousands documents and proly an equal number of emails/articles. ;-)

>:|I can help you with the keyboard question, but I have no experience - yet - with SATA drives.

See Christopher's insightful advice.

>:|
>:|It takes more than a simple adapter to plug a PS/2 keyboard into a USB port. Your keyboard lacks the chip needed to make PS/2 output work with USB. It's an easy fix though: Just buy a PS/2-to-USB converter cable. It's a Y-cable with two wires for connecting PS/2 devices (typically a mouse and a keyboard) and 1 USB wire to plug into your computer's USB port.

NOW you tell me. But, seriously, I now know the error of my ways and
ordered a converter cable.

>:|> Question No. 1: What is the solution for the above? a) port
>:|> replicator; b) PCI card with a PS/2 port? c) any other ideas?
>:|>
>:|> Question No. 2: The 9100 doesn't have a cable select cable (CSC). Just
>:|> a one-connector ribbon for the Serial ATA drive. Can I replace it with
>:|> a CSC so I can add a second hard-drive (the IDE from my old machine)?

Thanks, Ted. I really appreciate your help and that you took the time
to reply.

Best,

Andrew

--


Birmingham, Alabama, USA
rozsa@usa.invalid

Archived from groups: alt.sys.pc-clone.dell (More info?)

On Sat, 27 Aug 2005 06:11:14 GMT, "Error 404" <error@404.biz> wrote:

Thank you "Error." That's exactly what I learned I need. 'Cept the
people at NetworkInc charge $36.00 for the converter that you can get
for $9.95 from Sewell Direct http://tinyurl.com/bw9y5

>:|Andrew J. Rozsa <rozsa@usa.invalid> wrote:
[....]
>:|> couple of issues I need help with. The machine is stepping away from
>:|> legacy I/O so there are no PS/2, serial, or parallel ports.
>:|CUT
[....]
>:|like this:
>:|http://www.networktechinc.com/usb-ps2.html

Appreciate the input.

Best,

Andrew

--


Birmingham, Alabama, USA
rozsa@usa.invalid