Subj : IBM PS/2
To   : FABIO BIZZI
From : BOB ACKLEY
Date : Mon Oct 22 2018 16:27:22

> Hello Forest!
> 
> IBM made the PS/2 to fight against the various clones of the IBM/PC.

Actually, in order to gain market share in the microcomputer world - 
8080s and Z80s running CP/M were pretty much the rule in 1980 - IBM 
released the PC as open architecture - anybody could make computers or 
parts (just like they could for the S-100 bus when that was state-of-the 
art).  Then when the market exploded, IBM decided to try to take back 
control of it, as it had done in the mainframe world, thus the 
proprietary bus (microchannel) that was incompatible with anything else 
in the PC world.  IBM failed in its attempt, although the microchannel 
architecture is amazing.  

> PS/2 original architecture was amazing at that time, Microchannel BUS, 
OS/2,
> and lot of speed.
> OTOH it was an IBM property design and in a new computer world where 
the
> standardization was becoming the way to the success it was been the 
nemesis of
> PS/2.
> 
> BTW PS/2 30 was the entry level of PS/2, released bt IBM to try sell 
PS/2 when
> PS/2 was already dead, I worked a lot on it for developing, slow, 
really slow,
> expensive and not very upgradable.

The PS/2 model 30 was basically an original model IBM PC (8086 chip) with 
256 KB of RAM and a mouse port added.  The model 30-286 was basically an 
IBM PC/XT using the 80286 chip.  I have at least one each of every model 
of PS/2 except the model 33, all of which are functional (I also have 
OS/2 versions 1.2, 1.3, 2.0, 3.0, 4.0, 4.51 and 4.52).

> Eventually we used it as a VT100 terminal of a VAX 11/780 with kermit. 
:)
> 
>  FM> But what I'd like to know is what people have against the PS/2 
these
>  FM> days. I mean, they sell for hundreds of dollars on eBay, so they 
must

Not to me, they don't.  I picked up most of mine for scrap prices on eBAY 
back in the early 2000s.

> I don't know, but for me PS/2 was a little ugly story in the PC saga.

Basically a business tactic that failed.  While IBM would license the 
microchannel bus so companies could make adapter cards, it didn't do it 
for free, and very few other companies made microchannel adapters.

There is - or was - a group calling itself the "Microchannel Mafia."
--- Platinum Xpress/Win/WINServer v3.0pr5
 * Origin: Fido Since 1991 | QWK by Web | BBS.FIDOSYSOP.ORG (1:123/140)

.