Line of personal computers by IBM introduced in 1987
IBM Personal System/2 (PS/2)| Company type | Product line |
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| Industry | Computer hardware |
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| Predecessor | IBM PC |
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| Founded | 1987 |
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| Founder | International Business Machines Corporation (IBM) |
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| Headquarters | Armonk , United States |
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| Products | Personal computers, servers, laptops, notebooks |
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| Parent | International Business Machines Corporation (IBM) |
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The Personal System/2 (PS/2), introduced by International Business Machines Corporation (IBM) in 1987, represented IBM's second generation of personal computers, succeeding the original IBM PC lineup which was discontinued following the PS/2 launch. The majority of PS/2 units incorporated IBM’s proprietary Micro Channel architecture (MCA) bus, an initiative aimed at reestablishing IBM's dominance in the PC market. Nonetheless, certain entry-level models continued to use the broadly adopted Industry Standard Architecture (ISA) bus found in earlier systems. The PS/2 family encompassed a variety of configurations including desktops, tower units, all-in-one designs, portable systems, laptops, and notebooks.
Notes
- Legend
- Clarifications
- Models with IBM part numbers designated for markets outside North America have been omitted.
- Unless otherwise specified, built-in or optional displays are cathode-ray tube (CRT) monitors.
- The Space Saving Keyboard is a compact 87-key variant of the Model M keyboard that excludes the numeric keypad.
- The Model 25 Collegiate was designed for college students and came equipped with dual 720 KB floppy drives, up to 640 KB RAM, the official PS/2 Mouse, Windows 2.0, and four blank floppy disks.
- Financial workstation variants featured a specialized 50-key function keypad tailored for banking applications.
- LS ("LAN Station") models were diskless workstations lacking floppy or hard drives, connecting to networks via Ethernet or Token Ring adapters.
- Ultimedia editions included integrated microphones, SCSI CD-ROM drives, M-Audio sound cards, volume controls, and front-panel headphone/microphone ports.
- Array models functioned as PS/2 Servers supporting redundant array of independent disks (RAID) configurations.
Primary Series
PS/2 Server
Premium Server 95
9595-Z0x
Intel DX2 /
Intel Pentium
66
style="background:#CCF" |
Micro Channel architecture (MCA), 32-bit
8
7
one 2.88 MB
1 GB
8 MB
256 MB
Super VGA (SVGA)
optional
Tower
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Comes preloaded with
IBM LAN Server or
NetWare
Server 295
8600-001 / 8600-002
i486 (dual)
33 / 50
style="background:#CCF" | MCA, 32-bit, dual processor capable
12 / 12
10 /10
one 1.44 MB FDD
400 MB /1 GB
32 MB default RAM
128 MB maximum RAM
SVGA
optional monitor support
Tower form factor
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Supports up to 28 GB hot-swappable storage, RAID-5 compatible; exclusively uses IBM SCSI drives.
Server 195
8600-003
2×
i486
50
style="background:#CCF" | MCA, dual CPU, 32-bit
12
10
one 1.44 MB FDD
400 MB /1 GB
32 MB default RAM
128 MB maximum RAM
SVGA
optional monitor support
Tower
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Standard dual processor; RAID-5 compatible; supports hot-swappable disks.
Portables
P70
8573-031
i386 Intel processor
16 MHz
style="background:#CCF" |
Micro Channel architecture (MCA), full 32-bit bus
2 slots (1 ×16-bit,1 ×32-bit)
No bays for drives
one 1.44 MB floppy drive
30 MB hard disk (ESDI)
2 MB installed RAM
Expandable to 8 MB RAM
Video Graphics Array (VGA)
Monochrome gas plasma display
Portable design
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Features an optional slot for an
i387 math coprocessor
IBM PS/2 P70
8573-061
i386 Intel processor
20 MHz
style="background:#CCF" | MCA, full 32-bit bus interface
Two expansion slots (one each of 16-bit and 32-bit)
No drive bays present
one standard 1.44 MB floppy disk drive
60 MB ESDI hard disk capacity
Base memory of 2 MB RAM, upgradable to max of 8 MB RAM
VGA graphics adapter included
Monochrome gas plasma screen technology used for display panel
Portable form factor design for mobility purposes.
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Includes capability for optional installation of an
i387 coprocessor
IBM PS/2 P70
8573-121
Intel
i386 CPU variant,
20 MHz clock speed,
Bus: style="background:#CCF" MCA, full-width, true-32 bit,
Expansion slots: two total (one each of sixteen and thirty-two bit),
No drive bays available,
One floppy drive supporting standard size of one point four four megabytes,
Hard disk capacity rated at one hundred twenty megabytes using ESDI interface,
RAM starting at two megabytes with maximum upgrade to eight megabytes,
Video output via VGA standard,
Display type is monochrome gas plasma technology,
Portable chassis configuration,
Released in May of nineteen eighty-nine,
Optional math coprocessor slot included.
IBM PS/2 P75
8573-161,
Powered by Intel
i486,
Operating frequency at thirty-three megahertz,
Bus system is MCA with fully implemented thirty-two bit data path,
Four expansion slots (two sixteen-bit and two thirty-two-bit),
No internal bays for additional drives,
Includes a single floppy disk drive with a capacity of one point four four megabytes,
Hard disk storage sized at one hundred sixty megabytes utilizing SCSI protocol,
Default memory configuration includes four megabytes RAM with upgrade potential up to sixteen megabytes,
Graphics adapter based on VGA standard,
Monochrome gas plasma display screen,
Designed as a portable unit,
Introduced in November, nineteen ninety.
IBM PS/2 P75
8573-401,
Equipped with Intel
i486,
Clock speed fixed at thirty-three megahertz,
Features Micro Channel Architecture bus with full thirty-two bit width,
Four expansion slots configured as two sixteen-bit and two thirty-two-bit slots,
No additional drive bays present,
One floppy disk drive supporting one point four four megabyte media,
Hard disk capacity increased to four hundred megabytes via SCSI interface,
Installed base memory is four megabytes with maximum capability up to sixteen megabytes RAM,
Video output through VGA adapter,
Monochrome gas plasma display panel included,
Portable form factor design,
Released November nineteen ninety.
IBM PS/2 Model L40 SX
8543-A44,
Powered by Intel
386SX,
Operating frequency twenty megahertz,
Uses style="background:#CFC" | Industry Standard Architecture (ISA), sixteen bit bus width,
No expansion slots except one AT bus expansion port slot available,
No drive bays included in chassis design,
Includes one floppy disk drive supporting standard size media of one point four four megabytes,
Hard disk capacity rated at sixty megabytes using IDE interface technology,
Installed memory starts at two megabytes with upgrade potential to eighteen megabytes RAM total,
Graphics adapter based on VGA standard output signals,
Display is monochrome liquid crystal display type,
Form factor classified as laptop computer design,
Released March nineteen ninety-one.
IBM PS/2 N51SX
8551-033,
CPU: Intel
386SX,
Frequency: sixteen MHz clock speed,
Bus design is proprietary style marked by background color #FFC for emphasis on proprietary nature,
Equipped with two PC Card expansion slots for peripheral connectivity,
Drive bays not specified or absent from chassis description,
Floppy disk drive included supports standard size one point four four megabytes media format,
Hard disk capacity limited to forty megabytes using IDE interface type storage device technology,
Base installed memory is two megabytes expandable up to ten megabytes total system memory capacity,
Graphics adapter conforms to VGA standards for video output signals and compatibility,
Display panel is monochrome LCD technology type screen used in notebook form factor design.
Release date unspecified or unknown.
IBM PS/2 N51SLC
8551-025, featuring the IBM proprietary
386SLC processor running at sixteen MHz clock speed.
Bus structure proprietary as indicated by background #FFC styling.
Includes two PC Card expansion slots.
Drive bay details not provided.
Contains a single floppy disk drive supporting standard size media of one point four four megabytes.
Hard disk capacity rated at eighty megabytes using IDE interface.
Base memory installed is two megabytes with maximum expandable memory reaching ten megabytes.
Graphics adapter supports VGA video standard.
Monochrome LCD display used.
Notebook form factor.
Release date unknown.
IBM PS/2 N33SX
8533-A33, equipped with Intel
386SX,
Operating frequency sixteen MHz.
Bus type proprietary (highlighted by #FFC background).
Offers two PC Card expansion slots.
Drive bay information not disclosed.
Includes a floppy disk drive supporting one point four four megabyte disks.
Hard drive size forty megabytes IDE interface.
Memory specifications unknown for base and maximum capacities.
Video adapter details not available.
Monochrome LCD screen provided.
Notebook classification.
Release date unknown.
IBM PS/2 N33SX
8533-A35, same Intel
386SX CPU at sixteen MHz clock rate.
Proprietary bus architecture indicated by background color #FFC.
Two PC Card expansion slots present.
Drive bay information not documented.
Floppy disk drive supports single density disks of one point four four megabytes.
Hard disk size eighty megabytes using IDE interface technology.
Memory and video adapter specifications unspecified.
Features monochrome LCD display technology.
Notebook form factor design.
Release date unknown.
IBM PS/2 Model CL57 SX
8554-045, powered by IBM's own
386SLC processor running at sixteen MHz clock speed.
Bus interface proprietary (#FFC background).
Two PC Card expansion slots available for peripherals.
Drive bay details not listed.
Includes a single floppy disk drive supporting the standard size of one point four four megabytes disks.
Hard disk capacity eighty megabytes via IDE interface connection.
Installed base memory two megabytes with upgrade potential to sixteen megabytes RAM total system memory capacity.
Video graphics adapter compatible with VGA standards provided.
Color TFT display screen installed for enhanced visual output quality.
Laptop form factor configuration designed for portability purposes.
Release date unknown.
Related systems
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See also
References
