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geekhack Community => Other Geeky Stuff => Topic started by: bettablue on Tue, 12 April 2011, 10:00:05

Title: Old computer
Post by: bettablue on Tue, 12 April 2011, 10:00:05

Does anyone have a line on or know where I can find an IBM Industrial system #7531? I need one for a friend.

Title: Old computer
Post by: audioave10 on Tue, 12 April 2011, 23:07:00

"The 7531 initially shipped with a 6MHz 80286 processor (later models had an 8MHz 286). The system board shipped with 512KB of memory onboard, with a number of options to extend it with expansion cards."

Wow...that is old.

http://www.9999hp.net/7531/

Someone here wants one too...  
http://wantitnow.ebay.com/IBM-7531_W0QQadidZ280624296124

Title: Old computer
Post by: stupefaction on Wed, 13 April 2011, 00:50:00

Dare I ask why your friend needs this machine? A humdrum answer would be that he collects old computers. A spectacular answer would be that he's running a piece of legacy software, perhaps something in COBOL that the government relies upon, and the hardware is on its last legs.

Title: Old computer
Post by: bhtooefr on Wed, 13 April 2011, 07:48:32

An ordinary PC AT would work just as well, I believe that was the industrial version of the PC AT.

Title: Old computer
Post by: bettablue on Wed, 13 April 2011, 09:32:41

Quote from: stupefaction;329832

Dare I ask why your friend needs this machine? A humdrum answer would be that he collects old computers. A spectacular answer would be that he's running a piece of legacy software, perhaps something in COBOL that the government relies upon, and the hardware is on its last legs.

Actually, it a matter of both.  He does collect old computers, but he also runs a lot of old software too.  As for why this partictular machine when others would do the same job; it is the same reason I finally bought an IBM 5150 when other vintage computers are so much better.  

In my case, the 5150 pc was the very first computer I used in college after they migrated away from terminals connected to a mainframe almost 500 miles away.  The 5150 is also where I learned to write in BASIC, CPL, and yes, even COBOL and FORTRAN to "print punch cards we used on the larger computer we had in the computer lab.  I don't know how they made the pc accept the other languages we used, but it was pretty cool.  

So to answer your question, it is really all of the above, collecting, using and finally history with the machine.

Title: Old computer
Post by: ch_123 on Wed, 13 April 2011, 09:47:36

Unless I'm horribly mistaken, the only difference between a 7531 and a PC AT is that the 7531 is in a rugged case. The computing hardware should be exactly the same.