Gearbox (computer)
| Company type | Product line |
|---|---|
| Industry | Personal computers |
| Predecessor | IBM PC |
| Founded | 1987 |
| Founder | International Business Machines Corporation (IBM) |
| Headquarters | Armonk , United States |
| Products | Personal computers (desktops, towers, all-in-ones, portables, laptops, notebooks) |
| Owner | IBM |
The Personal System/2 (PS/2), developed by International Business Machines Corporation (IBM), represented a series of personal computers introduced in 1987. This lineup marked IBM's second generation of PCs, succeeding the original IBM PC models, which were discontinued following the PS/2 announcement in April 1987. The majority of PS/2 units incorporated IBM's proprietary Micro Channel Architecture (MCA) bus—an exclusive standard created to reestablish IBM’s dominance in the personal computer market. Nevertheless, certain entry-level versions continued to utilize the widely adopted and mostly open-standard Industry Standard Architecture (ISA) buses found in earlier PC designs. The PS/2 family encompassed a variety of form factors, including desktops, towers, all-in-one units, portables, laptops, and notebooks.
Notes
- Legend
- Clarifications
- Submodels with IBM part numbers assigned for sales outside North America have been omitted.
- Unless specified otherwise, monitors integrated or offered as options are cathode-ray tubes (CRTs).
- The Space Saving Keyboard is an 87-key variant of the Model M keyboard without a numeric keypad.
- The 25 Collegiate was designed for college students, featuring dual 720 KB floppy drives, up to 640 KB of RAM, and bundled with the official PS/2 Mouse, Windows 2.0, plus four blank floppy disks.
- Financial workstation models included a specialized 50-key function keypad tailored for banking software.
- LS ("LAN Station") models were diskless workstations lacking floppy or hard drives, connecting through Ethernet or Token Ring network adapters.
- Ultimedia configurations incorporated microphones, SCSI CD-ROM drives, M-Audio sound cards, volume controls, and front-panel headphone/microphone jacks.
- Array models functioned as PS/2 servers equipped with RAID support.
Primary Series
| Model | IBM P/N | Processor | Clock Speed (MHz) |
Bus Type | Number of Slots |
Number of Drive Bays |
Floppy Disk Drives | Hard Disk Drives | Base RAM | Maximum RAM | Video Adapter | Monitor | Form Factor | Release Date | Remarks |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 25 | 8525-001 | Intel 8086 | 8 (0 wait states) | ISA, 8-bit | 2 | 2 | one 720 KB | none | 512 KB | 640 KB | MCGA | 12-inch monochrome | All-in-one | August 1987 | Space Saving Keyboard included |
| 25 | 8525-004 | Intel 8086 | 8 (0 wait states) | ISA, 8-bit | 2 | 2 | one 720 KB | none | 512 KB | 640 KB | MCGA | 12-inch color display | All-in-one | August 1987 | Space Saving Keyboard included |
| (Additional variants of Model 25 shared similar specifications but differed mainly in monitor type and drive setup) | |||||||||||||||
| 25 286 | 8525-006 | Intel 80286 | 10 (1 wait state) | ISA, 16-bit | 2 | 2 | one 1.44 MB | none or up to a 30 MB ST-506 hard drive | 1 MB | 4 MB | VGA | 12-inch color display | All-in-one | October 1990 | Space Saving Keyboard included; some variants offered Token Ring or Ethernet connectivity |
- Entry-level desktops with Intel 8086 processors and ISA bus (30 series), aimed at fundamental office functions.
- Mid-tier models equipped with Intel i386SX CPUs and MCA bus systems (35 and 40 series), providing enhanced performance and expandability.
- High-end desktops featuring Intel i386 and i486 processors paired with MCA buses (50 through 95 series), optimized for business environments demanding advanced graphics and storage capabilities.
- Typically outfitted with one or two floppy disk drives supporting capacities up to 2.88 MB.
- Hard disk options ranging from none to over half a gigabyte utilizing ST-506, ESDI, IDE, or SCSI interfaces.
- Base memory configurations starting at approximately 512 KB with maximum supported RAM reaching up to 64 MB depending on the model.
- Video adapters spanning from MCGA and VGA to SVGA and XGA-2 to enhance graphical output.
- Optional networking cards such as Ethernet or Token Ring for enterprise connectivity.
- Starting with Model 50 and higher, Micro Channel Architecture (MCA) was introduced as IBM's proprietary bus technology delivering improved throughput and scalability.
- Models like the Ultimedia M57 SLC featured multimedia enhancements including superior graphics and audio components targeted at multimedia business applications.
- The Model 90 XP series incorporated advanced Intel i486SX/DX processors alongside support for large storage capacities and extended graphics arrays tailored for demanding computational workloads.
- The diverse configuration options allowed IBM to address a broad spectrum of business users ranging from small offices to large enterprises.
- The integration of faster CPUs and expanded memory capabilities was part of IBM’s strategy to sustain competitiveness in the evolving personal computing market throughout the late '80s and early '90s.
| Model | IBM P/N | Processor | Clock Speed (MHz) | Bus Type | Slots | Drive Bays | Floppy Drives | Hard Drives | Base RAM | Max RAM | Video Adapter | Monitor | Form Factor | Launch Date | Remarks | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Selected IBM PS/2 Desktop Models (30,35,40,50,55,56,57,60,65,70,76,77,80,90,95 series) | ||||||||||||||||
| (This extensive desktop range covers Intel processors from the Intel 8086 through i486DX4 and includes both ISA and MCA bus architectures; key highlights include:) | ||||||||||||||||
PS/2 Server
... [similar entries omitted for brevity] ...| Model | IBM P/N | Processor | Clock speed (MHz) |
Bus | Number of slots |
Number of drive bays |
FDD | HDD | Base RAM |
Maximum RAM |
Video adapter | Monitor | Form factor | Release date | Remarks | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Server 85 | 9585-0X6 | Intel 486SX | 33 | MCA, 32-bit | 8 | 7 | one 2.88 MB | 104 MB (SCSI) | 8 MB | 64 MB | SVGA | optional | Tower | Template:Date table sorting | ||
| Server 85 | 9585-0X9 | Intel 486SX | 33 | MCA, 32-bit | 8 | 7 | one 2.88 MB | 160 MB (SCSI) | 8 MB | 64 MB | SVGA | optional | Tower | Template:Date table sorting | ||
| Server 85 | 9585-0XA | Intel 486SX | 33 | MCA, 32-bit | 8 | 7 | one 2.88 MB | approximately 210 MB (SCSI) | 8 MB | 64 MB | SVGA | optional | Tower | Template:Date table sorting | ||
| Premium Server 95 | 9595-Z0x | Intel DX2 / Intel Pentium | 66 | Micro Channel architecture, 32-bit | 8 | 7 | one 2.88 MB | up to 1 GB Template:Small (SCSI) | 8 MB | 256 MB | Super VGA | optional | Tower | Template:Date table sorting | Supplied with pre-installed IBM LAN Server or NetWare | |
| Server 295 | 8600-001 / 8600-002 | i486 (33 MHz /50 MHz) | Dual processor, MCA, 32-bit | Up to twelve slots, maximum ten drive bays | One FDD (1.44 MB) | Hot-swappable SCSI HDD storage up to one GB | Base RAM: up to 32 MB, maximum:128 MB | SVGA graphics, monitor optional | Tower chassis | Released mid-1992 | Supports RAID-5; compatible only with IBM proprietary disks | |||||
| Server 195 | 8600-003 | Dual i486 processors at 50 MHz | MCA bus, dual processor, 32-bit | Up to twelve expansion slots, up to ten drive bays | One FDD (1.44 MB) | SCSI HDD capacity up to one GB | Stock RAM:32 MB, maximum RAM:128 MB | SVGA video adapter, monitor optional | Tower design | Launched early1993 | RAID-5 capable; dual processors standard; supports only IBM disks |
Portables
| Model | IBM P/N | Processor | Clock speed (MHz) |
Bus | Number of slots |
Number of drive bays |
FDD | HDD | Base RAM |
Maximum RAM |
Video adapter | Display type | Form factor | Release date | Remarks | Ref(s). |
- |
IBM PS/2 P70 | 8573-031 | i386 Intel 386 | 16 | Micro Channel architecture, 32-bit | 3 total: two 16-bit and one 32-bit slot | 0 | one floppy drive,1.44 MB | 30 MB (ESDI) | 2 MB | 8 MB | Video Graphics Array (VGA) | Monochrome gas plasma display | Portable unit | Template:Date table sorting | Features slot for optional i387 math co-processor |
- |
IBM PS/2 P70 | 8573-061 | i386 Intel 386 | 20 | Micro Channel architecture,32-bit | 2 slots (one16-bit, one32-bit) | 0 | one floppy drive,1.44MB | 60MB (ESDI) | 2MB | 8MB | Video Graphics Array (VGA) | Monochrome gas plasma | Portable | Template:Date table sorting | Includes optional slot for i387 co-processor |
- |
IBM PS/2 P70 | 8573-121 | i386 Intel386 | 20 | style="background:#CCF" Micro Channel architecture,32-bit | 2 slots (one16-bit, one32-bit) | 0 | one floppy drive,1.44MB | 120MB (ESDI) | 2MB | 8MB | Video Graphics Array (VGA) | Monochrome gas plasma | Portable | Template:Date table sorting | Includes optional slot for i387 co-processor |
- |
IBM PS/2 P75 | 8573-161 | i486 Intel486 | 33 | style="background:#CCF" Micro Channel architecture,32-bit | 4 slots (two16-bit, two32-bit) | 0 | one floppy drive,1.44MB | 160MB (SCSI) | 4MB | 16MB | Video Graphics Array (VGA) | Monochrome gas plasma | Portable | Template:Date table sorting 1990 11 |
- || IBM PS/2 P75 ||8573-401 ||i486 Intel486 ||33 ||style="background:#CCF" Micro Channel architecture,32-bit ||4 slots (two16-bit,two32-bit) ||0 ||one floppy drive,1.44MB ||400MB (SCSI) ||4MB ||16MB ||Video Graphics Array (VGA) ||Monochrome gas plasma ||Portable ||Template:Date table sorting 1990 11 || || - || IBM PS/2 Model L40 SX ||8543-A44 ||i386SX Intel386SX ||20 ||style="background:#CFC" Industry Standard Architecture (ISA),16-bit ||0 (one with AT bus expansion port) ||0 ||one floppy drive,1.44MB ||60MB (IDE) ||2MB ||18MB ||Video Graphics Array (VGA) ||Monochrome LCD ||Laptop ||Template:Date table sorting 1991 03 || |
- || IBM PS/2 N51SX ||8551-033 ||i386SX Intel386SX ||16 ||style="background:#FFC" Proprietary bus system ||2 PC Card slots || — ||one floppy drive,1.44MB ||40MB (IDE) ||2MB ||10MB ||Video Graphics Array (VGA) ||Monochrome LCD ||Notebook ||Unknown release date || |
- || IBM PS/2 N51SLC ||8551-025 ||IBM386SLC ||16 ||style="background:#FFC" Proprietary bus ||2 PC Card slots || — ||one floppy drive,1.44MB ||80MB (IDE) ||2MB ||10MB ||Video Graphics Array (VGA) ||Color TFT display ||Laptop ||Unknown release date || |
- || IBM PS/2 N33SX ||8533-A33 ||i386SX ||16 ||style="background:#FFC" Proprietary bus ||2 PC Card slots ||unknown ||one floppy drive,1.44MB ||40MB (IDE) unknown unknown unknown Monochrome LCD Notebook Unknown release date || |
- || IBM PS/2 N33SX ||8533-A35 ||i386SX ||16 ||style="background:#FFC" Proprietary bus ||2 PC Card slots ||unknown ||one floppy drive,1.44MB ||80MB (IDE) unknown unknown unknown Monochrome LCD Notebook Unknown release date || |
- || IBM PS/2 Model CL57 SX ||8554-045  |
IBM386SLC |
16 |
style="background:#FFC" Proprietary bus system |
2 PC Card slots |
unknown |
one floppy drive,1.44 MB |
80 MB (IDE) |
2 MB |
16 MB |
Color TFT display |
Laptop form factor |
unknown release date |
|---|
Associated Systems
... (additional entries for other Academic Systems varying in HDD and RAM configurations) ...| Model | IBM P/N | CPU | Frequency (MHz) |
Bus Type | Expansion Slots |
Drive Bays |
FDD | HDD | Installed RAM |
Maximum RAM |
Graphics Adapter | Display | Chassis Type | Release Date | Remarks |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Academic System | 6152-022 | Intel 80286 ROMP 032 |
10 (286) | MCA, 16-bit | 8 | 4 | one 1.44 MB | 20 MB (ST-506) | 2 MB | 8 MB | VGA | optional | Tower | Template:Date table sorting | Features ROMP CPU on daughterboard; incapable of simultaneous operation with 286 |
| Academic System | 6152-024 | Intel 80286 ROMP 032 |
10 (286) | MCA, 16-bit | 8 | 4 | one 1.44 MB | 20 MB (ST-506) | 4 MB | 8 MB | VGA | optional | Tower | Template:Date table sorting | Equipped with ROMP processor on daughterboard; cannot operate concurrently with 286 CPU |
| Academic System | 6152-044 | Intel 80286 ROMP 032 |
10 (286) | MCA, 16-bit | 8 | 4 | one 1.44 MB | 44 MB (ST-506) | 4 MB | 8 MB | VGA | optional | Tower | Template:Date table sorting | Includes ROMP processor on daughterboard; parallel operation with 286 not supported |
| Academic System | 6152-048 | Intel 80286 ROMP 032 |
10 (286) | MCA, 16-bit | 8 | 4 | one 1.44 MB | 44 MB (ST-506) | 8 MB | 8 MB | VGA | optional | Tower | Template:Date table sorting | ROMP processor mounted on daughterboard; cannot function simultaneously with the main CPU (286) |
| Model | IBM P/N | CPU | Frequency (MHz) | Bus Type | Slots | Drive Bays | FDD | HDD | Base RAM | Max RAM | Video Adapter | Display Type | Chassis Form Factor | Launch Date | Comments |
|---|
7690 Intel 8086 8 (0 wait states) style="background:#FCC"|ISA, 8-bit 4 0 one 1.44 MB none 640 KB 8 MB MCGA Monochrome LCD Mobile workstation Template:Date table sorting Custom-designed mobile workstation for medical applications; pairs with IBM Executive Workstation (7496) 9603 IBM 386SLC 25 style="background:#CFC"|ISA,16-bit 4 2 one 1.44 MB 30 MB IDE 1–4 MB 20 MB SVGA 14-in. color display All-in-one unit Template:Date table sorting Education-targeted model featuring optional sound card; later versions lack IBM branding. 9604 Intel i486SX 25 style="background:#CFC"|ISA,16-bit 4 2 one1.44MB 30MB IDE 4MB 20MB SVGA 14-in. color screen All-in-one design 1993-03 Model tailored for educational use with optional sound capabilities. ... (specifications similar to Forty) ... ... Powered by Cyrix Cx486SLC2 up to50 MHz, ISA bus, all-in-one form factor, education market emphasis ... ... Equipped with Intel486DX2 at33 MHz, ISA bus, all-in-one configuration ... ... Cyrix Cx486SLC2 processors at25/50 MHz, IDE HDD options reaching342 MB ... ... Intel486 CPUs ranging from33 to100 MHz, IDE HDD capacity up to540 MB, maximum RAM of64 MB ... ... Intel486DX2 at50 or66 MHz, designed for education sector ... ... Intel8086 at8 MHz, ISA bus, all-in-one desktop tailored for healthcare environment; complements Clinical Workstation ... ... Intel386 running at16 MHz, rugged portable industrial PS/2 featuring MCA bus ... ... Multiple configurations utilizing Intel80286 through i486 CPUs, rugged modular designs incorporating MCA and ISA buses with extensive expansion and drive bay support; notable as early adopters of Micro Channel technology predating PS/2 release; available in benchtop and rack-mount formats; engineered for industrial settings requiring robust hardware ... ... Featuring Intel8086 or80286 processors clocked between8–10 MHz; ISA bus architecture; specialized adaptations of Model30 systems focused on word processing and network functionality; options include Wheelwriter and Quietwriter printers; monochrome or color displays available; desktop chassis design; released between1987 and1989 ...