News Hand 386 Delivers A "True 386 Processor" in a Handheld

[Admin]

Hand 386 delivers true 386 gaming to retro PC gaming fans in a handheld form factor.

Hand 386 Delivers A "True 386 Processor" in a Handheld : Read more

 

[evdjj3j]

Some of the dumbest products I've seen in a while. Why not at least a 486DX? That 386SuX is going to be good for Wolfenstein but forget Doom at any reasonable quality. I also just noticed that the 8088 comes with CGA, wtf it should have at least EGA if not VGA.

 

[ChrisLaarman]

Mark "device has 8gb ram " its right?

He said "8 MB RAM".

 

[ChrisLaarman]

Some of the dumbest products I've seen in a while. Why not at least a 486DX? That 386SuX is going to be good for Wolfenstein but forget Doom at any reasonable quality. I also just noticed that the 8088 comes with CGA, wtf it should have at least EGA if not VGA.

From my then experience with MIDI sequencing, the clock signal of a 486DX may prove unworkable.

 

[Amdlova]

On the specs have mismatch information have changed the information

 

[evdjj3j]

From my then experience with MIDI sequencing, the clock signal of a 486DX may prove unworkable.

What do you mean? There are plenty of 486s faster than 40Mhz that can handle MIDI.

 

[ChrisLaarman]

What do you mean? There are plenty of 486s faster than 40Mhz that can handle MIDI.

Let me put it this way: I have Dynaware's sequencer (and more) DynaDuet (1988, DOS, VGA, mouse). I couldn't run it on my later hardware (as I remember it: starting with my 33MHz 486DX), but a later emulator (DOSBox, I think) made it possible again to access my 1990 songs. (DynaDuet pre-dates Standard MIDI Files.) - At some time I found out, that a difference in clock signal was the culprit.)

 

[Sluggotg]

Let me put it this way: I have Dynaware's sequencer (and more) DynaDuet (1988, DOS, VGA, mouse). I couldn't run it on my later hardware (as I remember it: starting with my 33MHz 486DX), but a later emulator (DOSBox, I think) made it possible again to access my 1990 songs. (DynaDuet pre-dates Standard MIDI Files.) - At some time I found out, that a difference in clock signal was the culprit.)

I don't believe this product is Aimed at people who want to do MIDI Sequencing from 1988. It is clearly designed for DOS/Windows gaming. I like the idea but a 386 is too weak. Also, I may have missed it but does it have an HDMI output. Can it use USB Keyboards and Mice? Also I am not a fan of AliExpress.

 

[ChrisLaarman]

I don't believe this product is Aimed at people who want to do MIDI Sequencing from 1988. It is clearly designed for DOS/Windows gaming. I like the idea but a 386 is too weak. Also, I may have missed it but does it have an HDMI output. Can it use USB Keyboards and Mice? Also I am not a fan of AliExpress.

Nor do I, now that I have a working emulator. I mentioned the sequencing only to explain why a 486DX might /not/ be a better choice than a 386SX.

USB didn't come to the PC until Windows 98. I had a system custom-built back then, and the vendor was very enthusiastic. HDMI came even later. My 2007 notebook (with TV in, and a remote control) features it.

Me, I happen to be a returning customer at AliExpress. However, the fun keeps decreasing. (Note that I'm in the EU, which may well shape my experiences and views.)

 

[Deleted member 2838871]

Ahhhh.... I love these trips down memory lane.

View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VsE0BwQ3l8U


I never used the 386 though... or the 286... or 486. In those days I was using the Commodore Amiga 500... I didn't get my first Windows machine till the Pentium 75 in 1997.

 

[evdjj3j]

Let me put it this way: I have Dynaware's sequencer (and more) DynaDuet (1988, DOS, VGA, mouse). I couldn't run it on my later hardware (as I remember it: starting with my 33MHz 486DX), but a later emulator (DOSBox, I think) made it possible again to access my 1990 songs. (DynaDuet pre-dates Standard MIDI Files.) - At some time I found out, that a difference in clock signal was the culprit.)

So you'e talking about a non standard MIDI device, correct?

 

[evdjj3j]

Nor do I, now that I have a working emulator. I mentioned the sequencing only to explain why a 486DX might /not/ be a better choice than a 386SX.

USB didn't come to the PC until Windows 98. I had a system custom-built back then, and the vendor was very enthusiastic. HDMI came even later. My 2007 notebook (with TV in, and a remote control) features it.

Me, I happen to be a returning customer at AliExpress. However, the fun keeps decreasing. (Note that I'm in the EU, which may well shape my experiences and views.)

USB is supported by Win 95b.

 

[ExplodingLemur]

Here's the datasheet for the main IC, it's a 386SX combined with the ALi M1217 chipset in one: http://www.dmp.com.tw/app/webcamera/pdf/m6117d.pdf

This looks to be a much older DM&P offering (their current stuff is all the Vortex86 line I think) so my guess is someone found a crate of new-old-stock parts and decided to make this product. For all those asking "Why not a 486 with HDMI and a pony too?" it's because they probably came by this part for cheap and it just doesn't do those things.

 

[TerryLaze]

Some of the dumbest products I've seen in a while. Why not at least a 486DX?

Here's the datasheet for the main IC, it's a 386SX combined with the ALi M1217 chipset in one: http://www.dmp.com.tw/app/webcamera/pdf/m6117d.pdf

This looks to be a much older DM&P offering (their current stuff is all the Vortex86 line I think) so my guess is someone found a crate of new-old-stock parts and decided to make this product. For all those asking "Why not a 486 with HDMI and a pony too?" it's because they probably came by this part for cheap and it just doesn't do those things.

Not even old new stock, if you follow the ali link it says on the page that the CPU is "disassembled" and everything else is new, so they are most probably well used CPUs they ripped out of a bunch of old industrial PCs.

It also has an adaptor for PS/2 keyboard/mouse and VGA output.

I agree with it being the dumbest thing ever.
Anybody having any nostalgia for games that old will want to play them on an old computer of that era, anybody that wants to play these games portably can do it on every available device.

 

[ExplodingLemur]

Not even old new stock, if you follow the ali link it says on the page that the CPU is "disassembled" and everything else is new, so they are most probably well used CPUs they ripped out of a bunch of old industrial PCs.

Woof, good catch! I'm curious about the thought process that went into "We have this massive shipment of PC/104 boards from e-waste...I know, let's hit them all with a hot air gun to get the processor and then break into the retro DOS gaming market!"

 

[deesider]

I'm guessing these won't be on the sanction list, so finally the Russians can get some new hardware!

 

[user7007]

lol, I don't get the point. It's fun to remember but wouldn't almost everyone be better off with a steam deck and dosbox or something?

 

[TerryLaze]

lol, I don't get the point. It's fun to remember but wouldn't almost everyone be better off with a steam deck and dosbox or something?

Yup, retroarch with dosbox pure and you can play dos games even on your android phone, retroarch can run on pretty much anything.
You have to spend some time on configuring everything so that it will run and be 100% controllable by the keys you have available though.
Unless you are ok with the on screen virtual keyboard which is terrible to use.

 

[Chung Leong]

Not sure how you can physically make a LED CGA screen. The pixels were rectangular. At the same time it has to support 720x350 Hercules monochrome mode.

Would really like to see the 8088 machine running the original version of GeoWorks Emsemble. A multitasking OS with a full GUI and an office suite on 4.77mhz/640k computer. A feat of programming brilliance unmatched to this date. Citizen Kane of computing. Absolutely amazing stuff that people ought to see in action.

 

[Sluggotg]

Nor do I, now that I have a working emulator. I mentioned the sequencing only to explain why a 486DX might /not/ be a better choice than a 386SX.

USB didn't come to the PC until Windows 98. I had a system custom-built back then, and the vendor was very enthusiastic. HDMI came even later. My 2007 notebook (with TV in, and a remote control) features it.

Me, I happen to be a returning customer at AliExpress. However, the fun keeps decreasing. (Note that I'm in the EU, which may well shape my experiences and views.)

I am aware of when USB and HDMI came out. I was asking because if your going to sell a Retro product for modern use, it is much nicer to use modern Displays, Mice and Keyboards. I don't want to dig up one of my old 5 pin DIN connector keyboards and an old bus or Serial mouse. USB connected ones are easier. I don't want to use one of my old VGA monitors when I could use a modern giant display. Someone else looked it up and it uses PS2 connectors and a VGA output. Definitely a Hard Pass for me. ( If Needed, I still have at least 3 fully functional computers from that era that I built ).
AliExpress.. I tried to buy something from them once. They had me create an account, get all my info then when I tried to finish buying the product they said "Sorry we don't ship to you", (I am in the USA). Then they proceeded to spam me every day, sometimes several times a day for a few months before I could get them to stop. Maybe they have changed.

 

[palladin9479]

Yeah 386SX it too weak, that CPU had all sorts of performance issues due to it's 16 bit data bus. Should of least been a full 386DX or even a proper 486DX with integrated FPU. For everyone else, 86box does a really good job of emulating era specific hardware on modern PCs.

 

[Deleted member 14196]

I can’t believe I used to run a AutoCAD on a 386

 

[MobileJAD]

I'm not a fan of aliexpress much, but I'm a sucker for interesting handhelds and I'm tempted to add the hand 386 to my collection, I tried searching aliexpress but could not find it, is it possible to get some help finding it?

 

[kerberos_20]

USB is supported by Win 95b.

osr2 had aswell, but usb 1.0 only

 

[TerryLaze]

I'm not a fan of aliexpress much, but I'm a sucker for interesting handhelds and I'm tempted to add the hand 386 to my collection, I tried searching aliexpress but could not find it, is it possible to get some help finding it?

The article had a link to it, seems they sold out.
Probably ran out of disassembled (harvested) CPUs
"The main chip is a disassembled chip. LCD, keyboard, shell, etc. are all new production ."

https://www.aliexpress.us/item/1005005542582463.html