Compaq Deskpro boards/hard drives from the late 1990s

Kevin Anderson kevin_anderson_dbq at yahoo.com
Thu Jul 22 10:12:15 CDT 2021


 In response to Chuck Guzis' mentioning that there was more than one design of what was labeled a Compaq "Deskpro" during the time of PIII processors: the series of desktops that I used to have,, and from where the extra boards and drives I have were all pulled, collectively would be called the Deskpro EN series. Here is sample picture found on the web
https://www.visualalchemy.tv/images/products/671caaf2be654938bd29fd137ed029c4.jpg

Not all actually desktops I dealt with said "EN" on the nameplate, as I believe there was a brief period early on of Compaq switching over to the new case design before the EN series was completely defined, but the basic case design was all the same with option for tower or on-the-side use. This may better date the likely styles of boards and drives I have. I don't recall any of the original computers at work were of the small form factor version in the same series, although I'd expect the parts involved would have still been similar if they had been.

My list of parts is still forthcoming. I will see if I can work on it this Saturday. There may be a couple of other items that I will uncover (such as one or two actual earlier 5.25-in hard drives and possibly an ISA card or two from earlier desktops I also used to have), which I will uncover and list as I start digging. And if folks start showing interest in particular boards or drives, 

I might be able to do some limited testing if someone is indeed interested in a particular item, as I still have a slightly newer HP Compaq d530 desktop (running Linux) that I could pop a card or a CD drive into, or one of those external USB-driven devices that connect up to a variety of PATA and SATA hard drive types and do a simple format with. But if I do have an old ISA card or 5.25-inch drive, those you would have to take untested, as I have no means left to deal with those. For that matter, I know I also have three different models of pulled 5.25 inch floppy drives still in the house that are untested and any one interested in those would have to take as-is/untested; I will list those in my documenting as well.

But as Grant Taylor has correctly interpreted, I am really not that interested in becoming a resale agent in trying to sell every part, nor have the packing materials and payment receipt options to do more than a few sales, nor really desire to invest in all that in order to get maximum value. It is simply the case that I'd like to get these items out of my house, and if someone(s) can benefit in getting items that might have some future value or use, I'd rather not just junk the lot, whether to the rubbish bin or an electronics recycler, if I can help it. (But at the same time, by my asking in the first place, maybe I am simply looking for permission to in fact junk the lot and do so with a clear conscious.)

Kevin Anderson, Dubuque, Iowa, USA
  


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