IBM Academic System

IBM Personal System/2 Model 60

Company type	Product model
Industry	Computer hardware
Predecessor	IBM Personal System/2 Model 50
Founded	April 2, 1987 (1987-04-02)
Successor	IBM Personal System/2 Model 65 SX
Headquarters	Boca Raton (initial), later Raleigh, North Carolina , United States
Products	Desktop computer

The Personal System/2 Model 60 represents a premium desktop computer within IBM's Personal System/2 (PS/2) lineup, introduced in April 1987. It is equipped with a 10 MHz Intel 80286 CPU, identical in processing speed to the mid-tier Model 50. Distinct from the Model 50, the Model 60 utilized a tower chassis, which accommodated four additional 16-bit MCA expansion slots along with an extra drive bay. This model was IBM’s inaugural Intel-based PC designed in a tower format, setting a precedent that influenced subsequent tower designs industry-wide.

IBM followed up the Model 60 with the more advanced 32-bit Model 80 later in 1987, featuring an i386 processor and eight 32-bit MCA slots. In early 1990, the Personal System/2 Model 65 SX succeeded it, incorporating an i386SX processor and eight 16-bit MCA expansion slots similar to those found in the Model 60. Both successors retained the same tower enclosure as their predecessor. Production of the Model 60 ceased in October 1990.

Model 60

Unveiled on April 2, 1987, alongside the entry-level Model 30 and the midrange Model 50, the PS/2 Model 60 introduced both Video Graphics Array (VGA) and Micro Channel architecture (MCA) to the public. The system was powered by a 10 MHz Intel 80286 processor. MCA represented IBM’s proprietary bus technology intended to succeed the older Industry Standard Architecture (ISA), while VGA delivered improved graphical capabilities. The tower configuration offered four extra 16-bit MCA expansion slots plus an additional drive bay beyond what was available on the Model 50, enhancing its suitability for environments requiring multiple users.

The Model 60 was available in two versions: a base unit equipped with a 44-MB ST-506 hard disk priced at US$5,295; and a premium model featuring a larger 70-MB hard drive utilizing an Enhanced Small Disk Interface (ESDI), priced at $6,295—considerably higher than the $3,595 cost of the midrange Model 50. Despite these advantages, the system’s relatively slow DRAM with a 125-nanosecond access time imposed wait states during memory operations, resulting in performance drawbacks compared to other systems using faster RAM on similar processors. While IBM corrected this memory speed limitation in a later revision of the Model 50 Z, this issue persisted throughout the entire production run of the Model 60.

Model 65 SX

On March 20, 1990, IBM released the PS/2 Model 65 SX featuring Intel’s more affordable i386SX CPU running at 16 MHz. Although internally capable of handling 32-bit operations, the i386SX’s external data bus was limited to 16 bits, restricting memory access bandwidth; accordingly, the Model 65 SX was fitted exclusively with sixteen-bit MCA slots like its predecessor. Enhancements included upgrading the onboard disk controller from ESDI to SCSI, faster memory modules, and support for an extra megabyte of RAM. This model replaced the Model 60 after its production ended in October of that year at IBM’s Boca Raton manufacturing plant.

Sales and reception

Initially manufactured at IBM’s Boca Raton facility, the Model 60 experienced slower sales compared to other PS/2 systems; by July 1987, daily production reached only about 800 units versus roughly 1,000 units for the Model 50. Throughout its three-year market presence, sales remained subdued, making it by January 1990 the least popular PS/2 model—outpaced even by the more costly Model 80. In early 1989, IBM transferred manufacturing operations for this model to Raleigh, North Carolina following closure of Boca Raton’s computer assembly lines.

In an extensive review by PC Magazine, Winn L. Rosch observed that while the Model 60 offered more expansion capacity than the Model 50, its pricing was excessive for single-user scenarios. However, he recommended it for multiuser settings and demanding file server roles. InfoWorld's Steve Satchell commended the video capabilities of the Model 60 as outstanding—the first PC they tested that rendered windowing elements immediately rather than sluggishly. Despite reservations regarding cost and ease of service, Satchell concluded that its robust performance justified its value proposition.

Legacy

Although it did not achieve strong sales figures, both the PS/2 Model 60 and its counterpart Model 80 were pioneering in encouraging computer manufacturers to offer optional tower-style PC compatibles. By May of 1988, over a dozen companies had introduced tower desktop models at Comdex, according to The New York Times. By the mid-1990s, tower configurations had overtaken traditional horizontal desktop designs in market share.

Model 80

IBM introduced the IBM PS/2 Model 80 in July 1987, marking their first personal computer equipped with a 32-bit i386 processor. It shared the same tower chassis as the Model 60 but differed by incorporating multiple 32-bit MCA slots, allowing compatibility with advanced Micro Channel cards. The Model 80 was sold concurrently with the Model 60 for several years.

Academic System

In February 1988, IBM's Academic Information Systems (ACIS) division launched the 6152 Academic System, aimed specifically at higher education institutions. This system was based on the PS/2 Model 60 and included a RISC Adapter Card on the Micro Channel bus—a co-processor designed to run ROMP software compiled for IBM's Academic Operating System (AOS), a BSD UNIX variant available only to select universities.

The RISC Adapter Card contained the ROMP-C microprocessor, an improved version derived from IBM RT PC designs, along with a memory management unit supporting virtual memory, a floating-point coprocessor, and up to 8MB of dedicated memory. The 6152 was the initial platform to utilize the ROMP-C chip, which was later integrated into updated RT PC models.

Submodels

IBM PS/2 Model 60 submodels

Model	IBM P/N	Processor	Clock speed (MHz)	Bus	No. of slots	No. of drive bays	FDD	HDD	Stock RAM	Maximum RAM	Video adapter	Monitor	Form factor	Date introduced	Notes
60	8560-041	Intel 80286	10 (1 w)	MCA, 16-bit	8	4	one 1.44 MB	44 MB (ST-506)	1 MB	7 MB	VGA	optional	Tower	Template:Date table sorting
60	8560-071	Intel 80286	10 (1 w)	MCA, 16-bit	8	4	one 1.44 MB	70 MB (ESDI)	1 MB	7 MB	VGA	optional	Tower	Template:Date table sorting
65 SX	8565-061	Intel 386SX	16	MCA, 16-bit	8	4	one 1.44 MB	60 MB (SCSI)	2 MB	8 MB	VGA	optional	Tower	Template:Date table sorting
65 SX	8565-121	Intel 386SX	16	MCA, 16-bit	8	4	one 1.44 MB	120 MB (SCSI)	2 MB	8 MB	VGA	optional	Tower	Template:Date table sorting
65 SX	8565-321	Intel 386SX	16	MCA, 16-bit	8	4	one 1.44 MB	320 MB (SCSI)	2 MB	8 MB	VGA	optional	Tower	Template:Date table sorting