• Please review our updated Terms and Rules here

Hey look. I found an ANS!

NeXT

NeXT

Veteran Member
Joined
Oct 22, 2008
Messages
8,149
Location
Kamloops, BC, Canada
Was helping a friend clean out his garage and noticed this sitting outside next to his deck.

100_0597.jpg

100_0599.jpg

100_0598.jpg

100_0600.jpg


It's in madly sad shape (rusted shielding and weathered palstics) since it's been sitting outside for a few years but it is indeed an ANS 700/150. It even has the keys! :D
The inside looks a lot cleaner so ther is still a chance it can be recovered. Erik and Shiner are the last sources of info on these beasts on the net however the necassary AIX 4.1.x software and installation media is the hard part. Linux is not an alternative (The linux kernels are just as ancient and useless now) so what do I do?
 
You've certainly come across the Yellowdog install on ANS. I guess I would start by checking for parts you can replace or maybe even unrust then see if it powers on. If so you're most probable bet is to try linux or netbsd and then maybe you can still use it as a NAS or something.

Interesting find. Never heard of it before :)
 
As opposed to the other stuff I recently bought, no, this was free.
My question is how to restore the plastics. The dark parts have faded badly and the white sirfaces have not yellowed but have started to turn into a white powder that scratches easily and looks awful.
 
Good question. Not sure if this would be a candidate for some paint or what.. I'd have to go on a googling binge to learn tricks to rejuvenate plastic (probably some oil or something?). So what's the super secret floppy that's in it? (though I guess it'd be good to consider it a blank or dust by now).

Well, quick search just gave me http://www.kenrockwell.com/tech/brasso.htm with a few untested suggestions and the rest of the first page of results indicate you should contact a plastic surgeon <g>
 
Last edited:
First off, I would like to be very thankful to a man who I will only name "M" for making this moment possible.

Anyways, many hours and several phone calls later I am now in possession of one...
P5063906.jpg



two....
P5063907.jpg



THREE!
P5063909.jpg


That's right, I now own all three systems and I'm very thankful that M was nice enough to do this.
Anyways, I powered one up immediately, I have yet to do another one and the nasty one I spent the afternoon stripping down and cleaning the entire system. It's a lot nicer now but to be on the safe side I won't try powering it on until the box dries out.
That floppy disk was also the RAID card configuration disk. I'm greatful that was not lost.

That was not all. Remember how when the Macintosh was released, they had the signatures of the team stamped inside of the case? Well when I took the front off, it appears the same applies here for the ANS team.
P5063915.jpg


This is looking to become an awesome summer! :cool:
 
You seem to have lucked out on the ANS computers õ_ô
You also just made a few people jealous I'd think ;)

I love the look on M's face in the pictures. Or is that you?
In the first, he's like :D
In the second, he's like :| as if he's thinking, "I'm giving these away?" (if you then "Where am I going to put these?")
In the third, he's like :O as if he's thinking, "THREE? THREE?"
 
No, that's me. Crazy hair and all.
One would of been fun, two...well I guess I can have one as a parts box and then three, well, I guess I can try to get AIX, YDL, and if I'm really nuts, try PowerPC Windows NT if the ROM SIMM revision permits.
 
*flop*.

twitch. twitch. twitch...

If one of those feels like driving a few hundred miles South, I'd happily, uh... Lessen your power bill. I'd even be willing to trade for some of my Apple-branded DDS-3 tapes!
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top