I-Appliance BBS
The Official Source for Internet Appliance Upgrades and Mods
Amazon Honor System Click Here to Pay Learn More
BBS Main List | Sign In | Sign Up | Search | Help | Linux-Hacker.netReply to Thread | Printer |

Home / I-Appliance BBS General / NEWS, Breaking NEWS
(MSN emachine) EZNET 200 for $49
nice small geode based computer

New Message(MSN emachine) EZNET 200 for $49 (modified 0 times) mp3boombox
Profile | Email
These are a nice little computer, http://www.hitechcafe.com/eshop/product.asp?sku=EZNET+200&dept_id=14 . I got one a while ago and have been doing a lot of work on it! Great for a node, or cheep system. USB bootable (USB-HD/CDROM/LS120). LEDS are controllable, fan port onboard 56k conexant hardware serial com port modem (just like IO modem), 2 usb ports. external monitor connection and AC97 sound. IDE connection mapped out. onboard PS2 PORT with K/B-MOUSE using splitter. external power block. System comes with winCE 2.x
http://members.panax.com/bachh/ My EZnet 200 tower, hacking page.
03-09-2003 14:55:32

New MessageRE:(MSN emachine) EZNET 200 for $49 (modified 0 times) mp3boombox
Profile | Email
Boots to DOS/LINUX/BSD just fine as well! X86 based processor.
http://members.panax.com/bachh/ My EZnet 200 tower, hacking page.
03-10-2003 14:41:49

New MessageRE:(MSN emachine) EZNET 200 for $49 (modified 0 times) jsmmd
Profile
REDUCED PRICE!
ONLY $21.00

(As of 03.20.2003 @ 3:15 pm EST)

http://www.hitechcafe.com/eshop/product.asp?dept%5Fid=14&sku=EZNET+200


Sites with info:

mp3boombox's site
eMachines MSN Companion Information Resource
Hackability of the MSN-Companion eMachines device

There are also other more detailed postings through-out the site. Use the site Search for: emachine msn. (Click on Match All Words, and Click on the down blue arrow to select all the groups.

03-20-2003 13:49:22

New MessageRE:(MSN emachine) EZNET 200 for $49 (modified 0 times) mp3boombox
Profile | Email
that link above goes to a page stating that they no longer have the devices. Unless they find more? email them and ASK if they can fine more :). Well theres always EBAY :) try doing different searches. eznet, eznet 200.
http://members.panax.com/bachh/ My EZnet 200 tower, hacking page.
03-28-2003 13:51:36

New MessageRE:(MSN emachine) EZNET 200 for $49 (modified 0 times) Chicago773
Profile | Email
ok - I give up. I've tried to boot this thing to a number of devices WITHOUT having to go out and buy some drive that costs more than the unit itself. SO - two options... I'd like ot either sell the unit to someone who will give it a good home, OR even better, send it to someone along with either some cash or hardware in exchange for making it useful to me (boots to something that will hook up to my network?). What can anyone offer and I'll offer something in return. THANKS IN ADVANCE!
03-30-2003 12:43:28

New MessageRE:(MSN emachine) EZNET 200 for $49 (modified 0 times) mrkemak
Profile
Cheapest option I found for a boot device is a Pendrive. Keep an eye on techbargains.com and you should see someone selling for a decent price, or theres always Ebay. (I'm using a SOYO Cigar Pro)

Theres a jumper on the board, to the left of the CPU that must be closed for USB booting.
And the only way I've had mine boot, is to set the BIOS boot option to USB-ZIP.

Now, getting it to do something "useful" is another matter, and thats half the fun of playing around with these things

Have fun

MrKemak

03-30-2003 13:33:02

New MessageRE:(MSN emachine) EZNET 200 for $49 (modified 0 times) Chicago773
Profile | Email
Alright, I've been thinking of picking up a usb storage device anyway, so I'm game... what's the minimum size I need? Thanks again!
03-30-2003 14:03:02

New MessageRE:(MSN emachine) EZNET 200 for $49 (modified 0 times) mrkemak
Profile
Bigger the better I guess. Most of the I-Appliance install images are 16Meg so thats the minimum.
I got a 32MB one for $20 + shipping. I just looked on Tigerdirect, right now they have a 64MB one for $9.99 after rebate (dammit!)

If you go for another brand, double check the specs to sure it can be made bootable.

Also have a look at this linux distro : http://www.8ung.at/spblinux/


Have fun,

MrKemak

03-30-2003 15:22:06

New MessageRE:(MSN emachine) EZNET 200 for $49 (modified 0 times) jsmmd
Profile
I'd get at least a 256, but if you are thinking of installing Windows on a usb flash memory device, i haven't been able to figure that one out yet.

the reason is that when windows initazliaes the USB bus, you drive mapping A: (if you use it to boot, or D: if you mount it manually through dos) will vanish and the OS will be looking for files that it can no longer see.

does that make sense?

03-30-2003 15:25:34

New MessageRE:(MSN emachine) EZNET 200 for $49 (modified 0 times) mp3boombox
Profile | Email
Rember there is a JUMPER on the bottem inside which you MUST jumper inorder to boot from usb devices. and enter the bios with the F2 key. where the only ones that are doing major work on the device so far. and I'v only mainly been hardware so. ad to thinking this will be an over night hax, haa where are it!!!! about 12 people that I know of working on doing the hacks. and I'm the main person who's done 90% of the hardware research. The next easyest hack fot the eznet is to make a bootable m-system chip but the prob is programing it. thas where external USB devices come in handy :) the m-system is the cheepest and easyest hack you can add to the eznet I'll ask one of the guys if they want to hoast a sandisk image that was dolly'ed. its an image I made which makes the hard drive boot to a dos prompt.
http://members.panax.com/bachh/ My EZnet 200 tower, hacking page.
04-02-2003 21:46:08

New MessageRE:(MSN emachine) EZNET 200 for $49 (modified 0 times) Chicago773
Profile | Email
yeah - I've got some DOCs from WebPlayers and WebSurfers (with Win98Lite on them). I'm skipping the socket and just dropping it in (crossing my fingers) - when I boot up with a DOC in, any chance it will actually make it into windows?
04-03-2003 11:54:28

New MessageRE:(MSN emachine) EZNET 200 for $49 (modified 1 times) jsmmd
Profile
I've gotten Windows 95B to load on the machine from a USB flash memory device. (I had problems, as expected, once I installed the USB supplement). It should load up assuming the DOC is recognized.

FYI. Thanks to codeman, I will be adding, as soon as I have time, an eznet related section to my area on his server.

Till I get it organized, if you get me the files, I'll post them with a simple page linking to them.


jsmmd / MethodicJon
04-03-2003 14:00:40

New MessageRE:(MSN emachine) EZNET 200 for $49 (modified 0 times) mp3boombox
Profile | Email
DO NOT just drop in that DOC, it HAS to be solderd. Thats why I suggest adding a socket. you will screw up the DOC if it starts arcing from a BAD contact. Soldering the DOC straight will work But i wouldnt reccomend it. If the DOC goes bad good luck removing it in one piece. now what if you want to upgrade the DOC to a larger storage size?

Rember the other prob with booting usb devices is that you HAVE to make shure the device is bootable. i have yet to get a USB hard drive to boot on its own (to microsoft any thing) but other's have had success. USB floppy and CD boot every time just great! Thats why I boot from the sandisk then access USB.
If any of you know someone who has an extra EZNET or a dead eznet I'D love to get my paws on one. So i can finish doing the tracing of the pins which are untracable due to being sourced from under the BIG chip's.

04-03-2003 16:44:58

New MessageRE:(MSN emachine) EZNET 200 for $49 (modified 0 times) Chicago773
Profile | Email
ok - so I'd be willing to spend a few bucks on a socket to prevent trashing the DOC (since they seem to be worth as much as a websurfer these days) - anyone got a source? Then, assuming I have a nice bootable Win98 lite image on it, will the EZNET boot to Windows?
04-03-2003 20:18:14

New MessageRE:(MSN emachine) EZNET 200 for $49 (modified 0 times) mp3boombox
Profile | Email
The only 100% way RIGHT now, to get into windows is with my IDE hack and putting a hard drive on the device. Now thats not an easy mod but its the only 100% way. other wise your left to figuring out how to do it with a usb drive. OR yes even a DOC should boot into windows. But i worn you its going to wear out fast!!! reason is that there is not enuff memory on the device to boot with out Vmem. so your forced to run Vmem.
04-05-2003 18:18:09

Reply to Thread | Printer |
All times are PSTPowered by UltraBoard v1.62



Copyright © 2000, Netmake Inc. All Rights Reserved.
See Terms and Conditions for more information.




i-opener opener laptop notebook computer help drivers dll free windows dos repair fix linux mac macintosh 2000 95 98 nt pc configure hardware software sound video netscape explorer network networking lan wan software cmos fat bios printer card mouse modem ide scsi cd rom controllers scanner tape hard drive cgi scripts source code mp3