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Compaq SLC 286 ENG

The functioning of the machine has not been verified as the original power supply is missing, therefore it is not possible at the moment to make operational evaluations. The physical structure of the machine is remarkable, both in terms of attention to technical details and in terms of assembly complexity. All the components of the machine are enclosed in aluminum boxes built to perfect size, screwed one onto the other following a very precise order. This makes the machine extremely robust and almost indestructible, and at the same time maintains good accessibility to the components for any maintenance. The whole block of the machine is enclosed in a removable casing with a thick and resistant plastic chassis, once the back of the keyboard and the monitor have been removed (just remove a few screws), the machine slides out entirely. Above the box of the motherboard are screwed the aluminum containers of the floppy, the 20 MB hard disk and the box that contains the front panel and protects the 3 ram slots. The floppy is a normal desktop floppy but with power passed through the flat cable from the MB. The hard drive is also 3' 1/2 IDE, with proprietary power cable also coming from the motherboard. The disc is press-fitted in an aluminum case with two foam rubber pads on the sides, there are no screws to hold it in place. The front panel shows the operating lights and the stand-by button. The rams are protected by the front panel box, they can be a maximum of 3, with a particular coupling, comb with 30 contacts.
The motherboard is compact and simple also enclosed in an aluminum box, with slots and openings to pass the connectors for floppy, HD, ram, monitor, keyboard. There is no type of heat sink as the machine does not heat up practically at all. The keyboard is large and comfortable, removable from its housing so that it can be placed on the table for more comfortable writing, as it is located 7 cm from the top inside the machine. The cable is very long and extensible (it has a spring structure), with an easily detachable standard ps/2 connector, even if it is protected by one of the monitor's hinge covers. The keyboard, on the rear edge, has a strange connector with safety hooks, perhaps to connect a numeric keypad.
The keys are comfortable and precise, it is very practical to use, it also has adjustable feet that allow 3 different inclinations. On the sides of the keyboard there are two slits through which the monitor latches pass.
The plastic chassis is very sturdy, it is a single block without joints or assemblies, it has various openings for the passage of the floppies and for the front panel lights. All ports are on the back side. The right front side of the chassis is designed to house a second floppy (in models without hard disk), it is possible to cover the bay with a special cover.
The chassis is closed at the back by a panel that shows the openings for all the ports, and a flap cover to cover and protect them. The right side of the chassis, on the rear, has a small panel that covers the opening for the modem, not standard, but installable as an extra.
Just above the front panel is a sturdy, metal-core retractable handle that is quite comfortable to hold, for carrying the machine. The chassis, in the center, has a large square housing for the battery, which plugs directly into the power supply.
The power supply is made to measure for the machine, like each component which is also enclosed in its box, it has an on/off switch and an external line input jack. Through a flat cable it powers the motherboard, and reports 4 contacts for the connection with the battery. Inside, a fuse protects it from sudden changes in voltage. At the bottom are hooks for something the same size as the machine itself, perhaps a docking station. The chassis has 4 rubber feet in the center of which there are metal contacts probably to engage the add-on.
The monitor is large and thick, monochromatic, at the base there are two cursors for adjusting brightness and contrast, secured by 2 long screws to the body of the machine, a single cable carries the digital connection and the power supply for the lighting, while a separate cable grounds the monitor itself. On the sides of the monitor there are two rather long, sliding cursors which operate two long hooked arms for hooking the screen onto the body of the machine. The two hooks cross the keyboard, also holding it in place during transport.
Overall, the machine is very compact and robust and, apart from the weight of xxx KG, it is easy to transport. Open, on the other hand, it is comfortable to use with the adjustable monitor and the reclining and detachable keyboard, which can therefore be moved away from the camera body.
When it was marketed it was considered a jewel of technology, the price of which exceeded $5,000.

Closed	Chiuso with handle open	Open
Opened with keyborad out	Keyboard can be removed	The wide keyboard
ps/2 connector	The label behind the keyboard	The rear side strange connector
Keyboard support open	The support closed	Keyboard connector on the MB
The rear of the monitor	The logo	The monitor removed
Locking hooks	The whole machine out of chassis	Note the battery connection
Floppy and frontal panel	Floppy side	Without power supply
Whithout frontal panel	Compaq RAM	Floppy removed
Floppy upsidedown	HD removed near the machine	HD
HD out of his box	The plate covering the MB	Mother board
CPU 286	CPU	RAM's slot
Manifacturer label	Power supply closed	Swith and plug
Power supply opened...	... and out of the box	The chassis up view...
...rear view...	...front view...	Frontal panel
The handle	Right bay open...	...and closed
Rear panel closed...	...open...	...MB ports