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PS/2 Model 25

porkchop

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Joined
Sep 28, 2009
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Hey I found this little guy at my job the other day. Doesn't have a HDD or any disks with it. I booted it with a DOS 3.3 bootdisk in an attempt to run the 8088 corruption program but it wont run without a soundcard. So my question is what can I do with this?
 

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Hey I found this little guy at my job the other day. Doesn't have a HDD or any disks with it. I booted it with a DOS 3.3 bootdisk in an attempt to run the 8088 corruption program but it wont run without a soundcard. So my question is what can I do with this?

There is a lot of old games you may be able to run... And you can allways run office programs like Lotus 1-2-3. You may even make your own programs for it!

Soundblasters for such old computers are still able to obtain, either from somebody here or at an auction site like Ebay.
 
Very cool!! Is there any chance of getting a hard drive for it. I am still kicking myself for not taking the XT with a Conner in it.
 
Very cool!! Is there any chance of getting a hard drive for it. I am still kicking myself for not taking the XT with a Conner in it.

See http://wiki.vintage-computer.com/index.php/XTIDE_project for information about the hard-drive posibilities. That project is soon done, and then a bunch of therse cards will be laid out for sale.

If you got the ability to grab an XT, you should consider grabing it in addition. I have to say that there aren't too many differences between an XT and the PS/2 model 25, but the XT is more original and it will run more older CGA-based games if you got a CGA in it. Make sure it got a monitor and keyboard if you take it.
 
Wow lots of exciting stuff! The XT is at a previous job so I'll have to call one of my former co workers to see if it is around anymore.

Is there any networking support for this machine?

Sorry for all the questions but I love these old machines.
 
Wow lots of exciting stuff! The XT is at a previous job so I'll have to call one of my former co workers to see if it is around anymore.

Is there any networking support for this machine?

Sorry for all the questions but I love these old machines.

Ok.

Networking is a little tricky, but it is possible.
 
Ok.

Networking is a little tricky, but it is possible.


That is what I figured. I am a network administrator for a school district so I have some free time at the end of my day to have a little fun.

Are there any recommendations other then games and lotus to do on this machine?
 
That is what I figured. I am a network administrator for a school district so I have some free time at the end of my day to have a little fun.

Are there any recommendations other then games and lotus to do on this machine?

For a Model 25 I got from my local school system I kept it as a RIPL console to a Netware server (it helped that I got the 8595 server they had Netware on). Of course I needed an ISA NIC with a boot ROM on it. Pretty cool, consoling in.
 
That's the kind of fun I'm talking about!

The school system did leave at of their kids' records on the Netware server. Lucky for them, I'm not a malicious person to do anything but delete the data. To be fair, it did have a password of "password" set on the system.

For a RIPL console you don't need any drives at all. Just the boot ROM on the NIC. And, of course, the boot image on the host system.

I've got a number of Model 25s (also EduQuest 40s, which are a Model 25 on steroids) and the NICs...
 
I know Arachne will run on an 8088 PC. Lynx i'm not sure about. If you also do IRC, you can use IRCjr or LeetIRC, both good clients that run on 8088 PCs.
 
About Lynx, at least the versions that are easy to obtain today are 386+ (I've been looking for a text mode browser for my PS/2 30 286).

However, try to find Bobcat. Supposedly it does the same thing but will run on an XT (which is of course an 8088, thereby giving pretty much complete compatibility with an 8086, I don't know the differences)

*sigh* I've been looking for a Model 25 or an Eduquest; all the local ones seem to have been trashed years ago though.
 
I know Arachne will run on an 8088 PC. Lynx i'm not sure about. If you also do IRC, you can use IRCjr or LeetIRC, both good clients that run on 8088 PCs.

I assumed that the Model 25s had an 8086. Also I need a nic for IRC.
 
I've heard good things about NE1000 and clone cards and Xircom Parellel port NICs. Both seem to also have packet drivers, which is what's needed to use Arachne and your IRC client.
 
I assumed that the Model 25s had an 8086. Also I need a nic for IRC.

You're correct, the 25 is an 8086...well actually I don't know that 100% but the model 30 was an 8086, and the 25 and 30 were supposed to be the same but in different physical forms.

I'm sure it's an 8086 though.
 
You're correct, the 25 is an 8086...well actually I don't know that 100% but the model 30 was an 8086, and the 25 and 30 were supposed to be the same but in different physical forms.

I'm sure it's an 8086 though.

The 8086 versions of the Model 25 and 30 ran at 8MHz. Other than looking inside, if your Model 30 has a darker band around the bottom of the case (instead of all beige), it is the 8086 version. Likewise for 720Kb floppy drives (which can be upgraded to 1.44Mb with the right components) or seeing the back edge of the system planar being stepped.

That version was unusual, because the PSU had a larger motherboard connector (all versions of the Model 25, and the Model 30 286, had the same size connector, with the Model 30 286, Model 53SLC2, and Model 55SX sharing the same PSU). I have speculated that the 8086-based Model 30 might have been intended to have the Model 25 planar (and to be in what became the Model 30 286 case, most case components shared with the Models 53SLC2 and 55SX). The 8086-based Model 25 planar was produced later, can use both the 20 and 30Mb HDD (the 8086 Model 30 only can use the 20Mb), handles the 1.44Mb floppy upgrade a little bit better, but didn't have an RTC on the system.

The Model 25 286 and Model 30 286 shared two slightly different planars. If you have a monochrome Model 25 it is the 8086 version (although there were color CRTs for this level too). Also a 720Kb floppy drive is indicative of being 8086-based.

There was also a Model 25SX, but no compable level made for the Model 30...
 
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