Got all this for free
Posted by inKev83@reddit | vintagecomputing | View on Reddit | 59 comments
A few days ago there was a post here on r/vintagecomputing about a barn find of IBM PS/2s. I mentioned I wanted one of these since like forever.
Yesterday, a friend who clears old houses for a living sent me a WhatsApp. Told me she found some stuff that might interest me in a house that she's clearing out. Today I went there and this is what I got, she didn't even want any money for it.
- PS/2 Model 30 8530-021
- 8513 12" Color monitor
- Model M keyboard
- Not in the picture: Compaq Prolinea 4/25s
I haven't tried to power up anything yet. I will clean out the dust and grime, and do some basic checks first.
DogWallop@reddit
Funny thing is, I had one of these forever ago lol. But of course I didn't appreciate it for the classic that it would become, and how much I'd pine for it's return... Sigh, etc.
I do now have a Model M keyboard, Dell branded oddly enough, and I can emulate the machine on 86box, but of course it's just not the same thing.
Let us know if it is still functional. I know that they are very finicky and do suffer from the years, and that the hard drives are notorious for their bad capacitors and whatnot. Also the floppies I understand have bad caps too. There's loads of great videos on YouTube by good techs on their experiences getting the PS/2 line working again.
inKev83@reddit (OP)
I tried powering on and it booted up right away. The hard disk has stuff like WordPerfect and some disk utilities on it. I didn't thoroughly test it yet. I will replace caps, clean the floppy heads, lubricate the track,... first. I will also check the monitor, service and calibrate it. My current plan is: - Getting either XT-CF-Lite or XTMAX - Put my Sound Blaster 1.5 with CMS in it which doesn't have a home yet - Maybe get an EGA or VGA ISA card to supplement the onboard MCGA
I'm still super stoked, I thanked her again yesterday for giving me this awesome setup.
DogWallop@reddit
You really did come up with a miracle there! My only thought is that perhaps it was in constant use until relatively recently, so the caps haven't degraded from sitting idle.
As for the video, you certainly don't want to go backwards to EGA. And I thought that MCGA was only in the Model 25 for some reason... hmm... So yes, go for VGA or better.
Henchforhire@reddit
I think it was this computer I learned how to type on without looking at the keyboard.
inKev83@reddit (OP)
Same here, these computers were the ones we had in school. They were already pretty old back then, somewhere around the mid 90's. That's why I always wanted one of these, pure nostalgia. Now I have the same setup with the monitor and keyboard.
DogWallop@reddit
It's a funny old thing, but I graduated secondary school just before computers were introduced. I'd actually taken typing as a class for a couple of years, and wondered where the heck I'd have any use for that particular skill. A couple of years later I get my first computer and realize... I do have a use for touch typing haha.
I literally haven't looked at a keyboard since, unless it's some really weird, nonstandard thing.
inKev83@reddit (OP)
The Model M keyboard is a dream to type on.
I always remembered I liked the keyboard from school. Having one myself now, it's exactly as how I remember it. Even though it's 30 years or so ago. Damn I'm getting old....
DogWallop@reddit
To put it in perspective, I lived through the 90s when most 'clone' keyboards were absolutely abysmal by any standard (you kids don't know how good you got it nowadays rant), so I really did come to appreciate the Model M at that time.
Henchforhire@reddit
That came out in 87 but I think was one that looked like it early model.
skob17@reddit
This was the first PC of my parents. I learned to program Turbo Pascal on it.
Perna1985@reddit
I have one of those. It's a 286 right?
inKev83@reddit (OP)
It's the first revision, with a 8086. No co-processor either, the socket for the 8087 is empty.
Zdrobot@reddit
Did they also come with VGA cards and monitors? The earliest PS/2 I remember were 286.. 10 MHz?
vwestlife@reddit
The Model 30 and Model 30-286 were sold alongside each other.
Benny-3000@reddit
This was my very first computer, back in 2nd grade...
silverfang789@reddit
One of my teachers had a room full of these computers in my senior year, running Windows 3.1. I loved to sneak a game of Solitaire when I thought I could get away with it. ♠️
inKev83@reddit (OP)
Didn't everybody try that 😉
Gam30verman80@reddit
Lucky
MWink64@reddit
I remember tearing down a bunch of those Compaq Prolineas. I still have one of the tower models. I believe it had originally been used as a server. I kind of regret ripping out the SCSI card, HD, tape drive, etc. Though, I did plop a Pentium Overdrive in it.
inKev83@reddit (OP)
I haven't found time yet to check out the Compaq. I suspect it will be a basic spec machine.
Windows11_@reddit
Beautiful! You are lucky
n1ghtbringer@reddit
This was my childhood computer. I still have the keyboard, but the rest is long gone.
As cool as these are now, they had serious drawbacks back in the day. Almost no one had a 720K floppy drive so you had a hard time sharing files. MCGA had decent support, but it wasn't backwards compatible with EGA so anything that didn't support MCGA was stuck with CGA graphics.
I still kinda want one though.
inKev83@reddit (OP)
Yeah, the drawbacks are apparent. But the machine looks so cool, especially with that matching monitor.
There are 3 ISA slots, my current plan is: - XT-CF-Lite or XTMAX - Sound Blaster 1.5 with CMS - EGA or VGA video card.
n1ghtbringer@reddit
Yeah, the limitations don't really mean anything in 2025. I have fond memories of mine despite the frustration.
Your plan is great!
dkpwatson@reddit
Wow ! that takes me back to the late 80s, Lotus 123 and WordPerfect. Green screen and a fantastic keyboard.
inKev83@reddit (OP)
It still has WordPerfect 4.2 & 5.0 and Lotus 123 on the hard disk, among other software. This screen is a color screen!
FlyByPC@reddit
Nice!
We had a lab full of Model 30s (plus one '386 server) in high school back in 1990.
RetroTechChris@reddit
Running IBM Classroom LAN Administration System I bet!
FlyByPC@reddit
Novell Netware, on Token Ring, as I remember. (We weren't allowed to make any changes to the hardware, which was ironic since I had a PC at home and half of us already knew more than the business teachers anyway.)
virtualadept@reddit
Wow. We used to have those in the library in my high school.
et-pengvin@reddit
I really want to get one of these and try getting ELKS (fork of Linux for the 8086) running on it! https://github.com/ghaerr/elks
Khalydor@reddit
That's a beautiful machine, look for an XT-IDE card to make things easier. You'll probably have replace the Dallas RTC part. I found very good information at Vogons.
inKev83@reddit (OP)
When I checked it earlier, there is a big battery on the ISA riser card. So I assume it's not a Dallas RTC with built-in battery.
I found the XT-CF-Lite project a bit earlier today, which is based on XT-IDE. I already have it in my cart at JLCPCB to have it manufactured.
The HDD still works surprisingly, but I'm not taking any chances, that thing could die any minute.
I will give the floppy drive a full service as well. It's strange that IBM didn't bother to put in a dust lid on the front, like almost any 3.5" floppy disk drive.
Khalydor@reddit
My bad, I was thinking about my Model 30-286. Yours has, as you say, the big battery that you should replace anyway. I got an Adlib replica card as well. I'm only missing the original monitor, but as I have a 17" Mitsubishi I really enjoy how the whole thing feels like.
inKev83@reddit (OP)
No worries. I'm glad I got the matching monitor, because my other CRT monitor is a gigantic Sony 21" beast. It's a very nice monitor, but the size and weight are a hassle.
I have a Sound Blaster 1.5 with CMS chips which doesn't have a home yet. I think this computer would be a suitable host.
Khalydor@reddit
Yes, the Sound Blaster will be more than OK. I saved mine for an 486 I have. Enjoy the IBM!
ZebraBorgata@reddit
What can you do with it though?
Zdrobot@reddit
Oh how lucky you are!
Like I wrote in this sub just yesterday - I love the look of PS/2!
inKev83@reddit (OP)
The timing was so weird, 2 days ago I comment on the other thread how I want one of these. Yesterday on april fools I get a message from my friend, first thought was: haha good one. But that friend has no interest in retro computers at all, so they wouldn't know I posted on this sub.
This morning when I went there is was so excited when I saw the computer and monitor. After some digging in all the stuff I found the keyboard as well.
ksuwildkat@reddit
Big
Red
Switch!
inKev83@reddit (OP)
Missile is armed and ready
responsibletyrant@reddit
I remember that big ol nuclear launch power switch. Had that exact setup when I was a kid. Loved playing police quest on it.
inKev83@reddit (OP)
I love that big red power switch, its's very satisfying to turn the machine on with that clunk sound
at-the-crook@reddit
nice find
gf99b@reddit
Lucky! I have always wanted a PS/2 too.
Be careful with the RIFA cap... the PS/2 power supplies have them and they're known to go out with a smoke show.
inKev83@reddit (OP)
I intend to give the power supply, floppy drive and monitor a full service. Thanks for the heads up about the Rifa, I have removed several of those from other devices.
Sea_Quality@reddit
Sick score! I have been trying to find an IBM monitor similar to that to go with my ps/value point. I have crt's but they don't quite fit the look.
inKev83@reddit (OP)
Yeah, I'm very happy it's a complete set with the monitor and keyboard.
mikee8989@reddit
That's in really good shape for free. Does it actually boot and work?
inKev83@reddit (OP)
Yes it does. After some basic checks of the power supply I tried to boot it and it works. It booted into DOS straight from the hard disk. So it seems the hard disk also works.
nilocrram@reddit
I remember staring in the Computerland windows at the PS/2 model 80, so very expensive back then but it looked so cool...
glhaynes@reddit
So glad to see it with the matching display, that's key to getting the whole "PS/2 look"! Congrats, I'm jealous over here.
Foreign-King7613@reddit
That's great.
BalderVerdandi@reddit
And to think, I was programming in GW-BASIC and Pascal/Turbo Pascal on a similar system in high school back in 1990-1991.
Pascal/Turbo Pascal actually helped me pass my programming class in the Marines Corps.
MobileCamera6692@reddit
you gunna play Wizardry & Zork?
teknosophy_com@reddit
ohhh man i remember these!
Stunning-Produce8581@reddit
Very cool! Now you need to get the setup disk with the very cool introduction about the computer tour. That is really amazing. The disk drive can be a pain, but good cleaning and lubricating can help. Hope everything works! Have fun !
eulynn34@reddit
Hell yea. I always liked the looks of these old PS/2s
Cwc2413@reddit
Dang! I have looking for one! It’s been ages since I have seen one that looks that good!