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Spotted on E-Bay: IBM PS/1 Consultant 486SX 33MHz processor with DOS and Windows 3.1

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bettablue

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Don't you just hate it when you're looking for something, and it's not available for several months, so you start a new project to make/build/whatever to get one? In this case, I have been looking for a nice 486 or similar to use as a new Tweener. Well, a member of VCF (Jimmy) had ever so graciously given me almost everything needed to build the new PC. We build the PC, and find that the Mobo is bad, so we're getting a replacement.

Then this morning at around 3:30 AM, this showed up in my E Bay saved searches emails: http://www.ebay.com/itm/IBM-PS-1-Co...OM-/181105047107?ssPageName=ADME:B:SS:US:1123

It a great example of a computer I would have had no problem using as a tweener! It's a very nicely kept IBM PS/1 Consultant, 486SX PC, with 33MHz processor, DOS and Windows 3.1, including a Sound Blaster 16 & CD ROM.

I was able to pull some of the specs on this computer. It would have been an almost perfect fit for my needs. I would have had to locate some sort of external 5.25" floppy or CD ROM in order to make it more useful though. However, If I were to exchange the current CD ROM with an external, it would be quite simple to add in a 5.25" 360Kb DSDD floppy. Either way, it would have been a good machine to use as a tweener, or even a vintage gaming computer.

Oh, well... I saw someone in the forums recently who was also looking for a good 486 PC. If you're reading, I hope this helps. The seller has it listed on E-Bay with a starting bid of $124.95, plus another $59.20 for shipping. And while that price does seem quite high, there were no bids on the computer, so the seller may be willing to talk about selling it for less.
 
I use a tweener. It is a fairly old, but more recent computer running DOS or DOS and early windows. It has a 3.5 and 5.25 disk drives. So, I download (MS-DOS, CP/M) applications from the internet and copy them to an external 3.5" diskette. Then I pop the 3.5 into my tweener and copy to a 5.25 which I can use on my really old computers. Haven't had much success creating TRS-80 5.25s, but haven't really tried very hard.

It is a must have to make old computers useful.

Kurt
 
Kurthamm said:
I use a tweener. It is a fairly old, but more recent computer running DOS or DOS and early windows. It has a 3.5 and 5.25 disk drives. So, I download (MS-DOS, CP/M) applications from the internet and copy them to an external 3.5" diskette. Then I pop the 3.5 into my tweener and copy to a 5.25 which I can use on my really old computers. Haven't had much success creating TRS-80 5.25s, but haven't really tried very hard.

It is a must have to make old computers useful.

Kurt
Click to expand...

Makes sense. I was confused because I have heard that term referred to 286, 386, 486, and Pentium class computers.
 
Chuck(G) said:
Pardon my ignorance, but what makes a 486 system more valuable than, say, a P1 system?
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I think it just boils down to what people associate the processors with. 486's seem to be associated with the tail end of DOS, and DOS gaming, where P1's seem to be associated with Windows environments and early 3D gaming.
Even though a P1 can pretty much waste a 486 in every way, people just like to know there's a true 486 in the computer.
 
By coincidence I use the same Ebay auction model PS/1, as recently my Deskpro 386s 5 1/4" drive lost its function to transfer from 5 1/4 and 3 1/2.
 
Chuck(G) said:
Pardon my ignorance, but what makes a 486 system more valuable than, say, a P1 system?
Click to expand...
Time mostly, P1/2/3 systems will be worth money in the future just because they all get recycled and it takes time for users to get nostalgic. The 286-Pentium era had quite a few companies making chips (Intel, AMD, Cyrix, Winchip, Nexgen, etc) before it turned into an AMD/Intel race, so people look back on it fondly (same for me with the early 3d video card era). I realy like Early Pentium systems (P60/P66) and they are actually pretty rare now (same with proprietary dual 486 and P1 systems which I don't have). Scrappers love the 486/early Pentium systems as well unfortunatly.
 
Yep, it was before Intel patented the FSB with their P6 processor. Interestingly Transmeta got around it by integrating the northbridge into the CPU long before Intel did.
 
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