frisse@wucs1.wustl.edu (Mark Frisse) (03/02/89)
Can an EGA be used with a vintage-1985 Zenith Z-151 PC? I have such a PC -- I have no way of knowing the version number of its ROM-BIOS, but the "monitor" function is copyright 1984. I installed a VEGA Deluxe EGA card (vintage 1986 from Video 7) and Multisync monitor (original version) using the card and monitor configurations that Video 7 recommends for this specific PC. Turning on the computer then makes the monitor come up with an orange border and a flashing white center...no text or anything else. The keyboard is also unresponsive (except to Ctrl-Alt-Del). (The monitor is influenced in SOME way by the computer, since rebooting causes a transient rearrangement of meaningless rectangles on the screen.) This monitor/adapter pair works just fine on an ancient IBM PC with an updated BIOS ROM. Any ideas? Zenith Data Systems has been no help (why should they break tradition?). Since I don't have an account that can access the newsgroup, please mail any response to me at this address: beard@ibc3.wustl.edu Thanks.
parker@epiwrl.EPI.COM (Alan Parker) (03/04/89)
In article <718@wucs1.wustl.edu> frisse@wucs1.wustl.edu (Mark Frisse) writes: >Can an EGA be used with a vintage-1985 Zenith Z-151 PC? I have such a >PC Yes. You need the latest ROM version. I don't recall the part number, but any Heath/Zenith retail store can tell you. I had no trouble at all doing this a few months ago. > >Zenith Data Systems has been no help (why should they >break tradition?). > I don't believe you tried very hard. I called their customer support number and told them what I had and what I wanted to do. They told me exactly what ROM I needed and how much it costs. Try to get IBM to sell you a ROM upgrade to the PC 1! The ROM was only about $12 by the way. I've always found Heath/Zenith more than reasonable to deal with; considering this is a mass market now.