CFOG's PIP, December 1987, Volume 6 No. 2, Whole No. 62, page 8
The Osborne Survival Kit
reviewed by Phyllis M. Brace
This winter's most popular video tape may turn out to be not something you pick up at your favorite movie video store but Mark Witt's Osborne Survival Kit. If, like me, you worry about taking your computer apart because you're afraid all the pieces won't fit back in the case or you regard the interior as a maze of wires and chips, then you are probably concerned about the decreasing amount of support for the Osborne and the possible decrease in readily available repair service.
Mark Witt comes to our rescue with his usual foresight. The sixty-five minute video tape invites comments such as "so easy even a child can do it!" Mark co-stars with sons William and Daniel, ages 7 and 9. William demonstrates how to clean your disk drives and Daniel shows you how to install a new keyboard. Although William, with two years less sophistication than Daniel, is sometimes a little difficult to understand, both do a convincing job, and the directions are easy to follow. Their performance definitely deserve an "Adam."
Mark, dressed in a business suit, then proceeds to demonstrate repairs and improvements such as installing an 80-column board. The tools you need for any particular operation are all listed and shown on screen, and each section is complete in itself, so you won't have to replay the tape to pick up any previous information you may have missed. Mark includes such cautions for beginners as reminding us to put the screws where we won't lose them, not to remove the screws all the way, or to put the case where we won't step on it. With his usual droll humor, Mark remarks that when assembling the case you can put the handle in backwards and it will almost -- but not quite -- fit.
In spite of its simplicity, you should review the tape in advance before undertaking any unfamiliar repair. For example, for some repairs, Mark tells you that the power source should be turned off half an hour before disassembly. Now, why didn't you tell us that sooner, Mark?
Lest you think this is all fund and games, as the difficulty of repairs progress, Mark includes suitable cautions such as warning you to wear protective goggles and have the kids leave the room or proceed slowly since a particular operation may be very delicate and flying pieces of plastic can be injurious. Mark is quite frank about the fact that some of these repairs should not be undertaken by beginners -- but having the tape available may help you persuade a repairman not familiar with the Osborne to undertake them.
Three of us, representing various stages of expertise (or lack thereof) watched this tape enthralled one Saturday morning. We were impressed with the very good close ups and the attention to detail, and the only criticism we could make was that we wished that some of the detailed close ups that Mark shows had been a little more brightly lit.
Aside from the entertainment value of this tape, Mark also offers you information about several sources of parts other than Witt Services. A number of other offers are made on the tape, but since the tape was made Mark Witt has closed his business and these offers are no longer available.
[The Osborne Survival Kit is still available from Witt Services, Box 1609, Bolingbrook, IL 60439. The tape was originally $49.95 and was offered with technical support and an offer to apply the purchase price to service charges you incurred if you couldn't fix your Osborne 1 yourself. Since Mark Witt no longer offers Osborne service, the price has been reduced to $39.95, without the support or service deals. -- bhc]