IBM PS/2 Model 30 - Unbox and first look #doscember

I've purchased a faulty PS/2 model 30 (the 8086 version). In this video I will take a look at it and see what's wrong with it.

I couldn't do much with it but it's my #doscember contribution!

@Epictronics1 video on a similar machine:

For those who don't understand my "Dremel" joke (Thanks to @The8BitGuy)

00:00 Intro
02:17 Let's take a look
04:40 Let's open it up
07:48 Power Supply test
09:05 Dremel and Paperclip
12:32 The Magic Smoke!
13:38 MCGA vs VGA
15:16 Power up!
17:05 Here come the issues!
18:41 The compulsory Hello World!
19:03 Mechanical HDD
19:22 Dead Floppy disk?
23:00 HDD analysis
23:42 Conclusion

[Epictronics]

Thanks for the mention :) Love the Dremel joke haha. I tend to move stickers like that to the back or inside the machine. That way I preserve its history. Good luck with the project, looking forward to the next video!

[bikerdave]

It was probably made at the IBM factory in Spango Valley in Greenock. I worked there in the 90s.

Every motherboard went through 12 hours of stress testing in ovens which ramped the temperature up and down.

Then random samples of completed PC’s were tested in the PQRL lab where we did DOA tests out the box. Then they were put on vibration tables to simulate shipping. Checked again then put in rooms with the temperatures ramping up and down again.

If you were in the room checking the devices. One minute you’d feel your nostrils burning and within a few minutes you’d have to put on a jacket because it was so cold.

They were built like tanks.

[herbertwongsanimations]

A couple of years ago I bought the same model 286 we had when I was a teenager, this one has a chrome sticker on the front from the store it was originally bought from. I'm definitely leaving it on there, part of it's history. Our first PC was an IBM PS/2 30, the most recent game it would run was Prince Of Persia.

[ted-b]

Nice find Tony, all the best in 2023.

[ingodiekmann]

For my collection i always leave stickers or markings as they are because i think, this machines must tell the story they had. That makes them unique in some way. Nice video :-) and a good and healthy year 2023!

[williamallen]

I used to test, repair, and sell the IBM PS/2's. Plenty of model 30's, but in the last 2 years of that job we had thousands of the model 77's. Which were a very cool computer!

[IBM_Museum]

A "Reference Diskette" is typically for the microchannel PS/2s (Model 50 and above) - It is a "Starter Diskette" for the 8-bit and ISA models. The only configuration aspect for the 8086-based Model 30 is setting the real-time clock. The battery on the riser only runs the RTC - there isn't any configuration saved.

As for the memory, there is 128Kb soldered on the planar, and the SIMMs are 256Kb apiece to make 640Kb. It is able to run (as a diagnostic measure) without the SIMMs. Sometimes there can be parity errors from the planar memory.

The 'Ardent-Tool' website can provide every bit of information you need - and the diskette images for PS/2s and other systems. Good luck with the repairs! I enjoy my Model 30s among the other IBM systems.

[GeckonCZ]

Fantastic! Looks like this Model 30 found a caring owner. Just a few things to be aware of... The dim-bulb tester is not the best choice for switch-mode power supplies - some PSU designs really don't like the "current sharing" configuration and may release some of that precious magic smoke. Compressed air and floppy drives can be a fatal combination too. The air pressure can easily rip the heads off if you aren't careful enough (ask me how I know). The Dremel had me rolling. Nice video!

[thesmokingcap]

Wow! It's very clean inside, cool machine!

[OmegaWolf]

I'd leave the sticker on, as it's part of the machine's provenance.

I have similar school memories to you. My tenth grade touch typing room was converted into a computer lab in the middle of the year and I learned to type on these boxy beige beauties (Model 25 instead of 30 though). If I can set some money aside, I'll definitely buy one for myself.

[bgibson]

Very cool video. Leave the tag for sure.

[force]

Great channel love it :) let the sticker be on it its history :)

[nickwallette]

Those hard drives aren't always as dead as they seem. Those mini electrolytic capacitors are notoriously failure-prone. As are the ones on most of the floppy drives, too. I have a Sony drive in my PS/2 Model 30, and it just needed a thorough cleaning. Most of the other PS/2 floppy drives I've refurbished (Alps and Mitsubishi) needed new caps. One of them needed a new PCB, too, because it was badly damaged under the caps.

[williamallen]

BTW if you need parts, try contacting Back Thru The Future Microcomputers. They may still have some old parts kicking around.

[manuell]

Most important of this machine: It's not MCA.

[stocksj]

Nice video, I’ve been wondering if it’s worth buying an eBay model 30 as most remarks say stay away from them as they are non-standard and hard to fix. Keep up the good work.

[agntdrake]

I had a PS/2 model 30 286 back in the day that I had salvaged at an auction (this would have been around 1990). I loved how over engineered the machine was.

[ravenperch]

hello sir i have an ibm personal system ps/2 model 55 sx i think and i was wondering if you may know what operating system floppy might work with it that might also work with yours? it's a 386... thanks

[christopherjackson]

Happy holidays!

Ps leave the sticker on

[jscipione]

The floppy drive is without a doubt dead and needs a recap on the bottom side of the pcb, endemic to drive I’m afraid.