I recently saw the Compaq Armada M series laptops mentioned and figured one would make a great compact Win98 machine - ATI Rage Mobility graphics and ISA based ESS ES1869 audio!

I saw one really quite cheap on eBay, described as having a faulty keyboard - I took a chance, but it seems the keyboard problem is a broken membrane trace affecting a whole load of keys on the right hand side, including Enter and the arrow keys 🙁

I didn't have any luck finding spare keyboards, but after a few weeks found another "power on tested" M300. This one turned up in better condition than I was expecting, including another dock, and fully working (if dirty) keyboard - but the display hinges are totally loose and floppy.

Machine one has:

- Broken keyboard membrane (could be traced and repaired with conductive paint? But popping off all the keys without snapping hinges seems unlikely?)
- BIOS error code 101 "I/O ROM Error" (I can't find this in the hardware manual or much about it online, but similar Compaq error codes on other machines seem to suggest corrupt EEPROM, but then it does boot anyway - the CMOS battery is dead - could it just be that?)
- Quite worn / chipped lower case around the edges
+ Boots to DOS no problem
+ Great condition screen
+ Nice firm but not stiff screen hinges
+ Great condition touchpad
+ Dock in fully working condition - although eject button very stiff, had an empty MultiBay which I filled with a dirt cheap DVD-ROM from eBay

The second machine has:
- Totally floppy screen hinges
- Slightly duller and somewhat marked screen
- Dirty keyboard
- Dirty / worn touchpad
+/- Outer case less chipped and worn, but some bubbling paintwork
+/- Boots into Windows 2000 but always seems to hang at "Applying security policies" before the login screen (presumably just a corrupted installation/ drive?)
+/- Dock drives and ports work, BUT eject button feels totally locked up and doesn't move the catches (which do themselves move - so presumably some broken lever or spring inside?)

So, the obvious fix will be to move the keyboard from machine 2 to machine 1 ..

Hopefully a new CMOS battery might fix the error 101 on machine 1 ? Otherwise a motherboard swap might be necessary?

I can't help thinking it would be nice to get both of them fixed up though! Any tips on restoring laptop hinges of this generation? I opened up enough of the plastics to get to the hinges and they don't have visible bolts to tighten like more modern laptops - each half just has a blind end, and the screws holding them to the screen assembly and chassis were perfectly tight - so a bit stumped here!