Seagate ST-1102A Hard Drive, Shuttle XPC, PM8M3-V Motherboard

Hello to everybody and Happy New Year. It's been over two months since I was last on the forum. Last ten weeks have been a challenge. Installing a new commercial complex landscape and the irrigation/drain systems are "new stuff". As with anything new, there's a learning curve and we are making the mistakes to match the "curve". I owe a couple members some PM's and apologies. I truly appreciate all the private advice I received on the gold refining. I will get back with you when I can (very soon) and didn't mean to leave anyones inquires unanswered. Just had a lot of my money going everywhere but where I want it to go! I still have sold no E-waste scrap, just keep processing and learning. Have decided to quit trying to locate a buyer in California and sell the premium stuff to members of the forum buyers. Honestly it's a no brainer where the best boards will go. The refiners will also be forum members, no surprise to most of you already but there are some really smart members!



Now for what this post is about, had a chance to look at some boxes yesterday. Found a couple of things that are new to me. I'm sure not for a lot of you, electronics I'm pretty good with and computers I'm not. The Seagate ST-1102A hard drive look a lot different then most. I have more than two dozen I previously pulled to compare to. This is narrow, shorter and in a double stack configuration. What really got my attention! is the "shine" in those gold pin on the back (bling bling). Went to Ebay after finding I had nothing like it. First two listings start out with "vintage" and I learned MFG. date 1989. The other item maybe somebody is more familiar than me. The Shuttle X, is it a computer? Last Item the MSI PM8M3-V H motherboard. This mother is brand new never used, until this one they always came in a computer. This one was still wrapped in new anti-static bags. The disappointment, no CPU INSTALLED! Didn't realize brand new mothers came without the CPU. Just got a sticker that states: Improper CPU installation might cause damage to your socket (MIGHT?). Don't think the mother is anything special, as the board is a bright red (tells me China). As always look forward to everyone thoughts. Will do some pictures tonight, it's time to go to my "better than scrap gig".

Hard drive:
Unless it has something special about it or is corporate type use, scrap it.

The Shuttle X:
if I am guessing at what you are trying to describe they were a compact computer for gaming / lan parties and are indeed a computer. they were termed "shuttle" because you took them wit you when you went somewhere and shuttled them around.

Look inside. they are very tightly packed but you should find the same standard goodies. These parts are worth looking up before scrapping. They require low profile part that is often more expensive and dense. it should contain mid to high grade boards, ram, finger cards / expansion boards, harddrive, ribbon cable, some have cd/dvd drives others do not, iron, etc.

Motherboard:
Unless you buy a new board / CPU combo, many of the better boards all come bare (no CPU / Heatsink). I would not rely on the board being new because it is static wrapped. I repair computers and will commonly put used boards in the static bags for later use if they worked and it was a upgrade. Not saying there is no value if it looks like it is in good shape, you can attempt sale as new but it is helpful to have box and packaging / disks if this were true. You can test it and sell it as used, less money this way but also better saleability due to the fact you can guarantee it to work (list as new-other, used one to test to verify working condition in description.) or just scrap it for what you can get.

hope that helps.

Originally Posted by bcrepurposing

Hard drive:
Unless it has something special about it or is corporate type use, scrap it.

I wouldn't be hasty to scrap anything computer related from the 80s, I'd say that alone makes it somewhat special, and how do you know a corporate used one from another? I've certainly never seen that information in the model numbers, or even on the label.

A quick google on the drive, and a peek on ebay only returned one completed listing, unsold@ $5(didn't check shipping cost) -non working - for parts, it would be my guess most anyone searching for such a drive already has at least one just like it. Any vintage HDD of 89MB, tested and working, should easily bring well above scrap, and they're not that difficult to test. I didn't study into that either(I'm kind of in a hurry here) but search results stated IDE, it should plug right up with any system using IDE, simply run a disk check for starters

I didn't look at your other items either, but good luck with it Burt

the 94 hdd is probably not much value, under 1gb might be some, but time consuming too. The Colorado drives might be worth checking, I have some(not sure same type) software for them, might work. I never saw much in documentation, again, time consuming, but you just might find some jewels(in time ; ) CD drives, new in box, same price CD drives in scrap ; ) haha, my guess anyway Old drivers and software might be worth something to someone, somewhere, somehow, maybe haha again ; )
I have a thing with operating systems software, old Windows DOS type stuff, or Unix, Linux, Irix, Solaris, operating systems software, even Apple. Documentation/manuals with that type stuff is a plus. The trouble with it still is cataloging it all, very time consuming, if you ever even get around to it
Good luck man, and I'd also watch for lone components in the paperwork boxes. Google being what it is, might be much simpler for you now, than it was for him then

Bear kinda answered almost all floppy and hard drives. Feel a little like stupid not a computer guy, but I can read. Made a note to self, no more posting until search feature is utilized. Easy to find most time it's almost always here somewhere. I never had this much computer stuff at one time. I had 30 to 40 hard drives and about the same CD and Floppies all stored. I like to use old coping paper boxes for these. Every thing easy to label, heavy duty boxes and standard uniform box size. Basically keep all Cd together and HD's in another. With this recent find going to have about 60 of each type. Might now be a good time to scrap. What do you guys do, I know much more efficient with numbers, anyone have like cutoff is 100 to overwhelming. On the Hard Drives, what would be the like best three to sell on ebay? 540mb IDE, or maybe pull all 80gb and above for ebay. Are all HD boards Hi grade. On magnets do you keep them seprate or can HD's and CDR magnets be combined?

just take it easy and don't go to scrapping too soon, unless you've just gotta. What you have is a grade A opportunity to learn about the good stuff, and it's sad to realize when you just scrapped a motherboard for $5 when classic ones can bring sometimes over a $100

I save a number of 3.5" floppy drives, you'll rarely see one made in USA any more, what I keep back are ones from Philippines, Indonesia, Japan, most china I just scrap. HDD boards are twice what motherboards per pound. Far as CD/Optical drives I save DVD writers and maybe several readers too(for having a second player when doing drive to drive coppy)

That kinda what I'm doing, going to keep all one of a kind. If it isn't initially recognized and gets my attention, I'm going to study it to death. Already thinking about what kind of 80's and 90's machine I can build. It almost seems like that was what the attentions of original owner. The boxes were to well planned and packed. I think I'm going to find a manual for each component, have matched several already. In cables there's one box of all never opened cables, a lot of internal flat ribbon cables. I don't get going and putting it all in separate boxes and no original boxes. I guess he knew his business and for me its like a puzzle. My money says everything worked when he packed it, to much obvious thought went into this. I was amazed how tight everything was. Components were packed in big boxes, about the size of the largest counter top microwave. I helped my new dumpster sorter (HIRED WEEK BEFORE XMAS) left them out. I had to actually jump end, wanted either of hurting our backs. That first box was easy 200 lbs. im going to need some kind lifting device. New guy has to be at least 60 and I'm not but maybe six years behind him. I was looking for a man I could trust and help me organize a startup. Didn't hire for youthful human crane needing a job to buy presents. New man is organized and I like that! More important comes to work early, very rare these days. My girlfriend was giving me crap for wasting money on someone the week before Christmas. She don't know what I know and man was right fit at right time and he's pleased to be working again. He got a little wide eyed when he saw dumpsters. Going to crossed eyed when told, empty this one, fill that one and any metal, wire or it looks like put it there on big table. Last week he was all questions and this week was, I can't beleive someone throws this out over and over. Can't wait to show him all the tools, gets me wet anyway.

Bear you were right about the box with manuals found one component in another box. A Neiman Marcus catalog sales division shipping box, address that box was sent to, has the repair shops address. Don't know if shipping box & what was inside or connected, does connect to his shop though. Inside was a computer component I have not seen before. A Genitizer Genius Autocad Template, that's how it is labeled on front of device. Device about the size of a 'clip board", measuring 9 1/4" w x 13" h x 15/16" d,. Back of device, manufacturers label, Gentitizer KY893116, model No. GT-906, Serial No. 92012795. Copyright 88, 89, 90. Made Taiwan. I searched google, Ebay, and here, finding very little. Called my brother, a commercial graphics artist, he does a lot of computer art work. He said these were used by artist, designers and engineers. He never used this one though, a lot of artist he knew, liked the pad. Problems were always getting device to interface with existing systems. You needed a high speed system, most users had to do upgrades, time you got it going, newer autocad passed you by. Talking to my brother, the problem was with the users, keeping up with newer applications. Sounds familiar, nothing changed we all still doing that. Anyway would like to find out more about this item, does it have value? What inside components? Silver mylar? Gold plated PCB? Some of you smart computer people might know I thought or someone has found one and scrapped it! This has two cable/wires attached at top of pad. A pointer pen for working pad and 25 pin parallel connector for computer connection. Ideas, suggestions and thoughts anyone? Thanks in advance.

That's a digitizer tablet. As your brother said, you use it for computer graphics. It seems to be (or to have been) fairly popular with people who use Amiga computers, so you might be able to sell it. So what exactly do you have there? Is it the tablet, the pen, and the cable with a DB-25 connector? Is there any software or anything else? Can you sell it as new old stock, still in box? Let me know, and I'll give you some suggestions on how to sell it.

Do you still have all the other stuff you mentioned earlier in the thread? You can definitely sell some of that. The Shuttle, by the way, is what's called a "bare bones system." It's used by people who want to build their own computer. Actually, I might be interested in that one! I was just looking at some of those last night.

Bear that's good Ebay info, I'm still not selling on Ebay, but want to start, time never enough of right now. Will turn to this forum to clear my head of "overload" with other work. I want to do Ebay, as I have a lot of items that have history of selling and much better return than scraping. Also better to have something utilized if others have a need. Flimits the pointer pen is hard wired and has no connector. The other cable looks to me (not verified) same type as some printers have. I t will be latter tonight, I will do some pictures. Going to have to run out to a job site, that I need to get ready, have equipment drop off in morning that needs access road cleared. Thanks guys for your quick response and sorry for my dash & run.