The Compaq Portable II was a redesigned/lighter luggable along the same lines as the Compaq Portable/Portable Plus line that came out in early 1986. It was built to be compatible, in general, with the IBM AT, so the general specs are similar but not the same. Like the AT, you're probably getting an 8 Mhz 286, but beyond that, it depends on the config of your system. Checking oldcomputers.com, the best base configuration would be 640k RAM, a 20 MB MFM/RLL hard drive and a single 360k 5 1/4 drive, though the specs might be lesser than that. I'd test out that 5 1/4 to see if it's really double density or high density, as the AT's was a high density drive, but it's still the old floppy disks either way.
From what I've read, the HD interface on the MB is IDE but many systems were shipped with MFM drives attached to MFM-IDE converters/adapters. I don't know if this system's floppy drive is HD or not, but I believe the MB supports HD in any case. The problem would seem to be the non-standard form factor drives Compaq chose.
To your questions, here's my thoughts:
1) Theoretically, OS/2 1.X can run on your 286, but given your likely hard disk size, processor, base memory and the like, it will probably run at a snail's pace. On this machine, I'd probably go w/ an older DOS version. The system originally shipped with Compaq PC DOS 3.2. 3.31 would be very nice as well and it seems like many people have a copy of it. With a genuine Compaq, the nice thing is you can use Compaq's highly-tweaked MODE utility to mess w/ things as needed. If you feel the multitasking urge, again I recommend DesqView 2.X.
As above, I believe I will be able to upgrade the HD without too much effort, either with the onboard IDE, or failing that, with an ISA controller. That would allow the needed storage space.
I have dozens of dos machines, and while not totally opposed to putting dos on this, I don't have any AT class 286 machines for OS/2 1.x.
For reference of my techno-masochism, when I was in HS (mid 90s) my father had aquired a Packard Bell 286 machine from a friend of mine at school. The PB was sold with 2MB ram and without an HD, but I was bound and determined to run Windows 3.1, since all the other machines in the house were XT class. My solution at the time was to run MS-DOS 6's intersvr on a clone XT w/40MB MFM drive and interlnk off floppy on the PB. All this over a 115.2Kbp/s link via an 8250 uart on the XT and a 16450 on the PB (don't let anyone tell you it can't be done! though the 8250 did get quite toasty and needed an hour or two "nap" every 8-10 hours or so). With this amazing setup, I was able to install and load Windows 3.1 on the PB! This feat required all day to load the disks during install, and a good 30-40min to load afterwards. When I think about hard drive transfer rates now at 80+MB/s, I always remember sitting there staring at Win 3.1's splash screen as the XT's drive was thrashing around spitting bits out it's poor serial port at ~15KB/s!
It was also using this setup I also discovered how to get WfW 3.11 to run on a 286 which is impossible acc. to MS.
Whatever performance this thing has, I am pretty sure it'll be many times faster than that PB started out (it eventually got a Quantum ProDrive LP 270).
2) If you have a 286 to 486 upgrade, go for it. However, since you will have to run it from the bus, you will lose a lot of performance. The 286s used a PGA package, which is wholly different than the pinout of a 486 (or 386DX for that matter) processor. That said, installing a 386SX upgrade is definately a possibility and would allow you to gain the memory mgt of the 386, even if it is just to run DOS programs.
I have two 286-486 upgrades, one fitting into a PGA socket, and one fitting into a PLCC. Actually I have 2 for PLCCs, but one is in use in my Tandy 1000 TL/2. The upgrades have the mating connector and necessary voltage regulators and PALs to convert the pins/signals required. My primary concern here was mechanical/physical with regards to space.
I'm not really sure I will leave it in, even if I do try it and get it to work, since it would really defeat the point in specifically buying a 286 machine...
3) To the first part of your question, an expanded memory (EMS) board was a fairly standard upgrade for an XT or 286 class computer, although back in the day, these things were usually very expensive, so they weren't, say, an every day occurrence. To the second part of your question, it really depends on what you want to do w/ the machine. If you want to upgrade it to a 386 or 486, then I would look for an upgrade card that integrated SIMM sockets on the card. If however you're intent is to keep the system in it's pure 286 state, then the EMS board is a good idea, but make sure you have or can get a copy of the original drivers that came with the board. You will need to the expanded memory manager drivers to get the darn thing to work. As a last note, if you do go w/ the EMS board (I would), then you definately want DesqView and QRAM because then you can make the most of the 640k base you have, plus you can use your EMS memory to execute and swap MS-DOS programs.
The Acculogic RAMpAT cards are 16 bit ISA cards with 4 30 pin sim slots. The software allows the ram to be used as XMS or EMS, as I believe the hardware just puts the ram straight in the normal address space in extended memory. I think it might even allow the starting address to be configured so the upper memory region can be backfilled.
Any input is welcome
If anyone has a copy available, I would very much appreciate a copy of Compaq DOS 3.31.
Even if I put OS/2 1.3 on this machine (which is one of my primary goals), I will most likely dual boot it. I want to experiment with the "family mode" programming stuff, even though there isn't much point any longer.
I haven't even received this machine, and I am wondering if the integrated video could be tweaked.. to perhaps get EGA out of the builtin monitor, since it seems to support the resolutions and timings. I'm wondering why Compaq only chose to support MDA text and not Hercules mono graphics at least? Herc/CGA would have been preferable to MDA/CGA. I'm curious how hackable it is...
So many projects! argg!
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Trevor
