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From: brown@nicmad.UUCP
Newsgroups: comp.sys.ibm.pc
Subject: Re: IBM's new System 2 Personal Computers
Message-ID: <1614@nicmad.UUCP>
Date: Fri, 10-Apr-87 22:43:07 EST
Article-I.D.: nicmad.1614
Posted: Fri Apr 10 22:43:07 1987
Date-Received: Sat, 11-Apr-87 20:37:22 EST
References: <775@oliveb.UUCP> <1579@bnrmtv.UUCP> <1339@uwmacc.UUCP> <5972@dartvax.UUCP> <1607@bnrmtv.UUCP>
Reply-To: brown@nicmad.UUCP (Mr. Video)
Distribution: na
Organization: Mr. Video's Hangout
Lines: 40

In article <1607@bnrmtv.UUCP> connery@bnrmtv.UUCP (Glenn Connery) writes:
<> Also, I'm surprised that we haven't had any comments from people
<> that have used the new machines.  I used a 50 last week, and I
<> want one for my desk...
<
<I had the same reaction actually, though I was thinking more for home use.
<Three slots would be a little limiting for some of the things we do here.
<The only real problem (and I think its a major one for me, though perhaps
<only temporary) is that the model 50 hard disk is terribly slow.  The
<average access time is 80ms, essentially an XT class drive.  If you're
<used to AT class performance this just won't make it.  Now I realize that
<disk cache's are part of the new package, but then I'm already using a
<huge one on my machine at work and it won't perform miracles.

You can't just look at the access time for the drive.  Even though it is
only 80ms, the interleave factor is now 1:3, instead of the usual 1:6.
A real performance increase.

<At first I thought that there was a Model 50 without the hard disk.  Made
<sense to me as a fast network station, but obviously IBM is trying to close
<out a lot of the dealer practices that cost it money.  The reason for the
<slow hard disk is obvious--its got to fit in the half-height 3.5" form
<factor.  I suspect that the disks IBM bought in this size (presumably up
<to a year ago) had to be this slow.  Anyway, I am still hopeful that within
<a year or so, this will change.

If you were to look inside of the PS/2 Model 50, you would see that a larger
drive could fit in there.  The 3.5" form factor has nothing to do with it.
I'm not sure that a 5-1/4" would though, but it would be close.

I saw and took apart the Model 50.  Comes apart in a snap.  Even goes
together in a snap.  The hard drive is a SCSI type drive.

BTW, when the unit is taken apart, you WILL get errors 161 and 163.
They are: battery disconnected and clock reset.
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