Weekly Project: The $250 Tablet PC and a Project Gone Horribly Awry

Step 6 Prepare a CompactFlash Drive

Format an appropriately-sized CompactFlash memory card for holding a target operating system. For example, a 128Mb card will work for an "embedded" installation of Damn Small Linux. Load the OS on the formatted card. Insert the formatted and loaded card into a PCMCIA card CompactFlash adapter and install the adapter in the large Type III PC card bay of the Stylistic 1000. Turn on the tablet PC and see if the operating system will boot. After trying countless CompactFlash cards (i.e., different manufacturers, different capacities, different operating systems), the following errors prevented a successful boot:

• Operating system not found
• Invalid partition table
• Disk error

The following OS were attempted:

• BG-Rescue Linux
• Damn Small Linux
• FreeDOS
• FUSION PC 3.0
• IBM PC-DOS 6.22
• MS-DOS 6.22
• MS Windows 95
• MS Windows 2000
• TOMSRTBT

Another annoyance with the Stylistic 1000 centers around its picky PCMCIA ports. The card "fingers" that guide the PC card into the computer's port will only tolerate a thin edge. Therefore, you might have to trim some of the guides for an occasional PCMCIA card.

UPDATE: This is a work in progress and new information will be added as soon as results can be verified.

Comments

[Analogue08]

On boot up my Stylistic does the POST which is fine, then when it says Pen initialised (I think) , then it just turns off. It recognised the the 340MB HDD and extra RAM fine , it only makes it to the configuration table if there hasnt been power for a while as the CMOS battery is flat and havent run the BIOS setup. Any Ideas?

[PSdp]

Hmm, here are the "expected" POST messages (your setup might vary) that my three Stylistic systems display on BOOT: Fujitsu Limited. Stylistic 1000 BIOS Version 1.09 CPU - Am486DX4 100 MHz 0000640K System RAM Passed 0023552K Extended RAM Passed System BIOS shadowed Video BIOS shadowed Autodetecting ATA Drive: OK Pen Initialized If you don't see a similar set of messages, then you might have a hardware conflict/error. While it COULD be a CMOS battery issue, I would suggest that your system's main power source is a much more likely culprit. Good luck, Dave P.

[Analogue08]

Hi PSdp, Yeah it displays all those BOOT messages and you can hear the HDD start and see the HDD light, and then turns off. I'll check out power supplies then. Thanks.

[PSdp]

Also, please note, that IF you are using this now discontinued stylus: The Electronic Goldmine #G16599 I have discovered that it can accidentally trigger the Stylistic 1000 to shutdown (e.g., pressing the lower contrast button). In fact, this flaky behavior can happen even when this stylus is held several millimeters above the touchscreen. If you suspect the stylus is causing your power OFF problems, try to eliminate the stylus from your startup routine. Instead plug a keyboard into the Stylistic and see if you can boot to your OS. Dave P.

[hondagofast]

The top is a 16bit CardBus compliant card, and the bottom is a 32bit CardBus compliant card. 16bit cards will work in 32bit slots, but not visa-versa.