[NTLK] "System Q" prototype

[Justin Ried]

Hi all,

Wanted to share another prototype with folks: System Q. This is from the first run of EVT units and uses an ARM 710a CPU, which was replaced by the StrongARM SA-110 CPU in the second run of EVT units. Gallery available here:
https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1QhqrWW2VYL3A76kKM7mRi8gEvgtoxqU7?usp=share_link

ROM build date is April 24th, 1995. The board layout has quite a few differences from commercial units, which might be expected for a relatively early prototype. There’s an interesting 3-stage power switch, too: on, off, backlight enable/disable.

As an aside, I connected it to my PowerBook G3 300MHz (Wallstreet) via serial and bad times ensued. System Q was just fine, but somehow that serial connection did very bad things to the PowerBook, which no longer powers up as normal. Then, I realized I was being rather presumptuous about connecting this prototype via serial after finding this eBay listing for a later DVT build:
https://www.ebay.com/itm/325906825978

That DVT unit features a label that reads “WARNING: Only use DVT Din9 Adapter (gray) with this unit”

Yikes. Lesson learned… do not connect prototype devices via serial. Thankfully, System Q came away unscathed and still works as before.

Justin