I'm not an expert in most of your questions, but a USB2 floppy will work
fine. USB2 devices are backwards compatible to USB1.1 (and Ben, come on, I
know you know that).

Tom
"George Vigneron" wrote in message
...
Thanks Ben,

The processor is an AMD K6-2 333, slow but effective. I'm slow too (but
some question the effective part).

The floppy acts like the drive mechanism, not the electronics. That is
what it seems like anyway. I have used peripherials that conform to the
USB 2.0 spec with this laptop and they worked, perhaps they were backwards
compatible? I was referring to the external drives that plug into the
PCMCIA slot and are attached with a small cable and use power from the
slot. I saw some the other day in a CDW catalog listing. Seems they would
work without the drive electronics.

As for the batteries, will my charger handle the lithium replacements??

Sorry for all the questions. I am trying to avoid the replacing of the
laptop, perhaps that will be the most cost effective way in the end.

Thanks again.

George

Ben Myers wrote:

George,

Most USB external floppy drives now available conform to the USB 2.0
specification. A USB floppy is not an option for your old computer.

Alternatives include a PCMCIA floppy, which are getting hard to find
nowadays,
and simply installing a replacement floppy inside the laptop chassis. The
latter is a viable option only if the drive itself is defective, and not
the
controller electronics of the laptop.

Replacement batteries are still available, either from a reputable eBay
seller
or a battery supply company like Fedco.

A replacement hard drive would have to be 2.5" form factor. Depending on
the
age of the computer, it may well not accept a hard drive larger than
8.4GB, one
of the famous hard drive BIOS limitations that hit every so often in the
last
like a brick wall. What type and speed of processor is in the 1245?

It sounds like you might have to spend quite a few bucks to get the laptop
where
you want it. A replacement, even used from a good source, may be a more
cost-effective option... Ben Myers

On Wed, 01 Sep 2004 16:57:43 -0500, George Vigneron
wrote:


My 1245 laptop has a few issues. The floppy drive has died and the
battery is dead too. I can live with that (I use the 110 plug all the
time anyway, probably what killed the battery anyway). I figure that a
PCMCIA driven floppy will care for the drive problem.... will it???? Or
should I use a USB external??? What are the pro's and con's??

The battery can be replaced without too much trouble, can it????? Can I
use a lithium (that was an option when I bought it if I remember right)
with the standard charger/power supply??

The hard drive is only a 3.02 gig and that is the big rub. Can I replace
with a larger drive (2 1/2 inch form factor??) and if so what type is it
(EIDE or scuzzy??)
And if I replace it, I can use what size in its place?? With a BIOS
overlay can I go up to about 20 gig or more??

I know, it is old and slow but so am I and I am still working.

Thanks in advance for any and all advice, useful or not.

George