Evie's Conquests

[EvieSigma]

Token ring, huh? So it's basically useless to me.

 

[luckybob]

I suppose. Still a capable machine though. what are your plans for it?

 

[EvieSigma]

Add a SCSI controller and drive and try out OS/2!

 

[Gorgonops]

It has a 386DX-20 and 6MB of RAM installed, which is certainly better than if I had picked a 16MHz machine with 1MB.

Hey, that's a perfectly swell Model 70. They can't all be 70-A21s with the i486 Power Platform upgrade. (Upgrade alone was $3,995 in late 1989, and the A70 to stick it in was nine grand. I'd totally love to get my paws on one of those. Or maybe a model P-70 or P-75 with the red plasma display.)

 

[EvieSigma]

I dug through an entire stack of the things trying to find a DX-25 but they were all DX-16 or DX-20.

...well, except for one that seems to have a silver metal cap with a IBM part number glued over the CPU. I have no idea what was going on with that one, it was the only one that didn't have a normal 386.

 

[Unknown_K]

I have a couple model 70's (not sure speed or cards off the top of my head), they are nice little PS/2 machines.

 

[EvieSigma]

My only problem right now is that I get error codes after the memory count and have no idea what they mean. Haven't found a resource yet...but I can guess at least one is CMOS related.

 

[luckybob]

keyboard error

cmos options not set

time not set

in that order.

http://ps-2.kev009.com/pcpartnerinfo/ctstips/49fe.htm

you will need to replace the battery, then run the setup diskette available here:  http://www.walshcomptech.com/selectpccbbs/

 

[Gorgonops]

Was about to post the same link. So, yeah, it doesn't look like there's anything too serious but you'll have to boot the reference disk. The need for that is one of the bummers related to PS/2s. (Where it really turns ugly is if you end up in the state where you need to boot the reference disk but your floppy drive is kaput...)

 

[EvieSigma]

Making a reference disk is no big deal but replacing the CMOS chip might be...I'm hoping it's a DS1287 because then I can buy a replacement off eBay with a coin cell holder.

 

[Gorgonops]

...well, except for one that seems to have a silver metal cap with a IBM part number glued over the CPU. I have no idea what was going on with that one, it was the only one that didn't have a normal 386.

What was the model number? There's no chance it might have been something like a Cx486 upgrade chip, is there? I think IBM may have produced those with their own house brand on them. (Not to be confused with IBM's own "Blue Lightning" chips, which were conceptually similar but never came in a PGA format; Blue Lightning-based 386 upgrades came in the form of little boards with a QFP soldered to them.)

 

[Gorgonops]

Making a reference disk is no big deal but replacing the CMOS chip might be...I'm hoping it's a DS1287 because then I can buy a replacement off eBay with a coin cell holder.

According to the pictures here the Model 70 has an external battery pack mounted near the speaker? I know some other PS/2 models use Dallas chips with the integrated battery but I'm not sure the Model 70 does.

http://www.classic-computers.org.nz/blog/2009-09-27-restoring-a-ps2-70.htm

 

[EvieSigma]

You're right, that probably is the battery. Guess it's time to go to Batteries and Bulbs or whatever and see if they have a replacement.

I really hope this floppy drive works, because otherwise I'm kinda screwed.

Also, I noticed mine has a different board design than in that link, despite them both being 20MHz models...

 

[Gorgonops]

Here's a page that notes that oddity of some of the 20mhz models using the larger planar. Doesn't have any explanation for it, though.

http://john.ccac.rwth-aachen.de:8000/alf/ps2_70121/

The page also talks about the metal-cased 386 chips. Apparently it's a regular 386 manufactured by IBM under their internal-use-only cross-license; IBM didn't do ceramic packages like Intel so they used the same cans as the MCA chipset components...

Which is actually sort of cool. You might want to snag that metal can chip, it could be a collector's item someday.

 

[EvieSigma]

Wow, how interesting! I wonder if the smaller planar was a later revision, since my machine has what I assume is a BIOS chip with a 1989 copyright date on it.

 

[rickrob]

Did that model 70 come from Kemner's?

 

[EvieSigma]

Sure did! I dug through stacks of them until I found one I was satisfied with...

 

[luckybob]

I'm curious, whats this kemner?  

 

[rickrob]

Sure did! I dug through stacks of them until I found one I was satisfied with...

That one is clean.  I saw all those when I was there and I was wondering how many Model 70's were in that stack...

What version of OS/2 are you planning to run on it?

 

[rickrob]

I'm curious, whats this kemner?  

It's a surplus warehouse in Pottstown, PA.  They have a bunch of old/vintage machines there.