Hello Looking for some help. Way back in 1996 I bought this Altec unit in New York on sale for about $400. It connects to laptop by PCMCIA card and its four internal speakers generate the best sound I have ever heard, even in comparison to big stackable systems. I have also compared it to modern Bose, Klipsch and Sony sound docks which all sound inferior. Recently it has developed a fault with its CD-ROM driver; only drivers I can find are Win95/Win98; these don't clear the problem. I can still use the unit to play MP3 through its Line -in port when connected to an equally old laptop. I don't want to have to keep an old laptop just for this purpose, and can play CDs elsewhere, but I am very reluctant to junk such a beautiful sound source. I am technically ignorant but wonder if as the AMC2000 has its own power unit, might it be possible to "by-pass the PCMCIA function and directly connect the Line-in to the speakers. In other words turning it into a simple powered speaker. Hopefully some clever person can advise me. Thanks JL
I found some pictures of the AMC2000 https://www.recycledgoods.com/altec-lansing-multimedia-cd-rom-center-amc2000/ You mention using the line in. Couldn't you just connect the headphone output from any laptop or CD player to the line input ? Sorry if I am missing something, like needing the laptop to control the unit, but most things like Bluetooth speakers that also have a line in have some means (e.g a button) to select it. As for you second idea i am sure it would be possible but you would really need a service manual just to find out how difficult it would be.
Longman Thanks for your response. I can get great sound by doing as you say connecting IPOD or cd player etc to the line-in port BUT ONLY with the PCMCIA card inserted in the laptop. Power down the laptop or eject the card --- result nothing. I have the users manual, which covers all software setup etc. but haven't been able to trace a maintenance manual or circuit diagrams. I'll keep hoping for a solution. JL
Interesting unit, how do you know it's a bad driver? I find a lot of the old CD players quit working when the lube for the laser sled gets old and thick. The belt may also have broken causing the issues. This is the only information I could find on the unit, I don't remember it personally.
Thanks for your message. Interesting that the later AMC2800 apparently had "a built-in Internet phone"! Thanks for the thought. CD tray runs in and out OK. I will try and source an IDE CD-ROM drive to see if that may make the problem go away. Thanks JL
Note that it was "full Duplex for true two way communication" WOW!! Did advertising copywriters have any idea what they were writing? Why would you want this amazing extra facility? Playing CDs would have been enough excitement. Could it have been so that ET could phone home!!
Just looked it up. Apparently they're talking about VoIP services like VocalTec, where if you had the necessary equipment, you could make calls cheaper than traditional long-distance carriers. I didn't even own my own computer back then, so I was ignorant about stuff like this.
Reli Thanks. Never mind "back then" I don't understand VoIP now, along with many other things my PC says it can do for me! I daren't ask Alexa; she'll just think I'm stupid. Cheers JL
I think the duplex phone meant you could be on the internet and still make phone calls. This was a pretty cool feature back then when one person would tie up the house phone for hours surfing AOL.....
Or it means that you could talk and listen to someone at the same time, like a traditional phone, as opposed to something like a walkie-talkie which is not duplex because it's one-way only.
