Big old IBM computers at the local Tops store \ VOGONS

Big old IBM computers at the local Tops store

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First post, by ahendricks18

Posted on 2015-03-09, 18:07

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Hey guys! Sorry I have not been posting for a while, I've been going to the local thrift stores but not finding a lot there or at the transfer station. I did find a 1995 IBM model M keyboard (PS2 interface) and it works. Did not have a matching tower or monitor though, just a bunch of shitty TV's and fax machines. I remember last time I was on here I got a HP pavilion windows 98. Still have it, just sitting in my basement. Also got a Tandy TRS-80 Model 4 but did not post it here. Anyway, as the title states, I was going to my local tops with my dad the other day in town, and this was a smaller tops market than the ones in cities and bigger towns. We were checking out and I saw under the cash register a Huge ass old IBM machine and on the monitor it looked like they were using a DOS program. I didn't ask but I am wondering how I should go about asking. It didn't have any disk drives besides maybe an internal HDD but they might be interesting to play around with.

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Reply 1 of 5, by PeterLI

Posted on 2015-03-10, 01:43

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Last edited by PeterLI on 2016-12-17, 20:31. Edited 1 time in total.

Reply 2 of 5, by sliderider

Posted on 2015-03-11, 16:09

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Exactly how big was it? I used to have an old IBM that was as big as a washing machine and used 8 inch drives. I had to get rid of it because it took up too much room and I was never able to get it to work, anyway.

Reply 3 of 5, by ahendricks18

Posted on 2015-03-11, 22:47

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No, not quite that big. About the size of the regular horizontal cases from the early 90's. This one was one of the bigger sized ones.

Reply 4 of 5, by Jorpho

Posted on 2015-03-12, 00:27

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If they are still using it after all these years, they are probably intent on keeping it until it completely falls apart.

ahendricks18 wrote:
I did find a 1995 IBM model M keyboard (PS2 interface) and it works.

Bucking spring and everything? Those are worth a lot of money, I hear.

Reply 5 of 5, by luckybob

Posted on 2015-03-12, 01:51

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The problem with big IBM iron is EVERY SINGLE MACHINE is a "special snowflake". You will go crazy trying to find parts or just the insane "bios" they used. Expect the parts you DO find to cost twice as much as "standard" parts and be twice as rare.

That said, they are GLORIOUS machines to work on, once they work. I'm currently playing with a model 9595 right now:

Of all the machines of the MCA era, the 9595 probably the most desirable.

It is a mistake to think you can solve any major problems just with potatoes.

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