IBM PS/2 Model 25 Collegiate
| Company type | Product line |
|---|---|
| Industry | Computer hardware |
| Predecessor | IBM PC/XT, IBM PC/AT (compatibility) |
| Founded | August 4, 1987 |
| Founder | International Business Machines Corporation (IBM) |
| Fate | Discontinued |
| Headquarters | Boca Raton , United States |
Area served | United States |
Key people | José García (developer of Model 25 SX) |
| Products | Personal System/2 Model 25, Model 25 286, Model 25 SX |
| Owner | IBM |
| Parent | IBM |
The Personal System/2 Model 25 along with its variants, the 25 286 and 25 SX, serve as IBM's budget-friendly models within the Personal System/2 (PS/2) lineup. Like the Model 30, the Model 25 incorporates an Industry Standard Architecture bus, allowing compatibility with expansion cards designed for earlier IBM PCs such as the PC/XT and PC/AT. However, it does not support the Micro Channel bus used in IBM’s higher-tier PS/2 machines. Distinctive to this series is its all-in-one configuration, which integrates the CRT display and system components within a single unit. IBM primarily marketed this model toward small business/home office users and students.
Development and release
Introduced on August 4, 1987, the Model 25 was the fifth addition to the PS/2 range. It is equipped with an Intel 8086 processor operating at 8 MHz, roughly double the clock speed of IBM’s original PC. A special "Collegiate" edition aimed at students featured dual 720 KB floppy drives, up to 640 KB of RAM, the official PS/2 Mouse, Windows 1.04, and included four blank floppy disks.
In 1990, IBM enhanced the series by launching the Model 25 286, which came with an Intel 80286 processor running at 10 MHz. By late 1991, development at IBM’s Boca Raton plant under José García led to the release of the Model 25 SX, powered by a 20 MHz Intel 80386SX. This variant was specifically designed for K–12 educational institutions, offering improved graphics capabilities supporting up to 256 colors and standard features for connecting to projectors and networks. Initial pricing ranged between $1,249 and $1,899. The entire Model 25 lineup was exclusively available in the United States.
The original Model 25 did not ship with or officially support hard disk drives; nevertheless, third-party options appeared by late 1987. Subsequent models—the 25 286 and 25 SX—offered hard drives as optional enhancements.
Reception
At the time of release, reviewers often drew parallels between the Model 25 and Apple’s original Macintosh. Stephen Satchell from InfoWorld observed that while its first impression suggested a distorted Macintosh design, a closer look revealed its closer alignment with the PS/2 family. David E. Sanger of The New York Times regarded it as potentially "the most attractive computer" IBM had created for casual users, although he considered it somewhat "overpriced," yet still "relatively affordable for an IBM." Both Sanger and Gus Venditto of PC Magazine pointed out the absence of an integrated hard disk drive as a drawback. Venditto emphasized that aftermarket hard drives were physically too large to fit into the Model 25’s two floppy drive bays and noted that no official hard drive solution was announced at launch. He also mentioned that the riser's upper ISA slot was partially obstructed by the CRT monitor housing, restricting expansion card dimensions. Despite these limitations, he commended its robust chassis construction and described it as a "well-crafted, fast computer suitable for environments where space is limited."
Submodels
| Model | IBM P/N | Processor | Clock speed (MHz) |
Bus type | Number of slots |
Number of drive bays |
FDD | HDD | Base RAM |
Maximum RAM |
Video card | Display | Form factor | Release date | Remarks |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 25 | 8525-001 | Intel 8086 | 8 (0 w) | ISA, 8-bit | 2 | 2 | single 720 KB | none | 512 KB | 640 KB | MCGA | 12-inch monochrome | Integrated unit | Template:Date table sorting | Space-saving keyboard design |
| 25 | 8525-004 | Intel 8086 | 8 (0 w) | ISA, 8-bit | 2 | 2 | single 720 KB | none | 512 KB | 640 KB | MCGA | 12-inch color | Integrated unit | Template:Date table sorting | Space-saving keyboard design |
| 25 Collegiate | 8525-C02 | Intel 8086 | 8 (0 w) | ISA, 8-bit | 2 | 2 | dual 720 KB drives | none | 640 KB | 640 KB | MCGA | 12-inch monochrome | Integrated unit | Template:Date table sorting | Space-saving keyboard design |
| 25 LS | 8525-L01 | Intel 8086 | 8 (0 w) | ISA, 8-bit | 2 | 2 | single 720 KB | none | 512 KB | 640 KB | MCGA | 12-inch monochrome | Integrated unit | Template:Date table sorting | 'Token Ring' network capability |
| Model | IBM P/N | Processor | Clock speed (MHz) | Bus type | Slots | Drive bays | FDD | HDD | Base RAM | Max RAM | Video card | Display | Form factor | Release date | Remarks |
|---|