More broken Apples...

[Tony Duell]

>     It brings to my mind the Exato II Pro (search for it on the web) from 
> CCE (Brazil). It was a beautiful apple clone, with one of the best keyboards 
> I've ever used (similar or better than the GREAT IBM model "M"). It has a 
> row of 10 or 12, I'm not that sure, programable function keys on the top of 
> the keyboard. A real gem outside. But used one of the WORST IC sockets ever 
> made. It is so bad, but SO BAD, that I know of no one that operates well 
> today. And even one I had when they were new had the same problems. The 
> leaf-type sockets oxidised (wow, how do I spell it?) so fast that CCE had to 
> stop producing it and recall many of the computers made. I have two here, 
> maybe someday I'll change all the sockets and have a great machine for 
> playing.

I think the best thing to do with a machine like that is to remove all 
the old sockets (cut them up and desolder a pin at a time), clean out the 
PCB holes and replace them with turned pin (machined pin, whatever you 
call them) sockets. Yes, they're expensive, but I've yet to have problems 
with them. I use nothing else here...

-tony