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Anyone who has built up a microchannel system with sound, compact flash, ethernet, etc., was it worth it?

thisisamigaspeaking

thisisamigaspeaking

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Feb 13, 2024
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I'm considering investing in some MCA parts. Sound, compact flash, ethernet, or maybe video instead of ethernet. Does anyone who has such a system find it worthwhile? I guess the nostalgia I feel for them is my own question, and I do tend to like alternative bus architecture systems a lot. I already have an NuXT with V20, SVGA, sound, EMS, as well as a MiSTer. It'd be kinda neat to have a fully kitted out PS/2 though.

Worth it or nah?
 
Unless you already have an MCA sound card, you're likely in for a big surprise. While I had a very stable Model 80, there wasn't anything earth-shattering about it. Nice to tinker with, but I actually had more fun with a Compaq 386sx20...

And ,adf files can be a real pain...
 
Years ago when PS/2 hardware was not yet climbing up in value (it must of been 7 or 8 years ago) I built an MCA system out of an 8595 that was XGA + IrisVision, 32mb ram, 2gb hard disk, CD-rom, networking but no sound because cheap(er) sound solutions did not yet exist. The system ran for a week before the PSU gave out and it's been in storage ever since.

It makes a nice looking 486 machine but the cost to get there was absolutely not worth it, especially if parts need to be replaced entirely. Nothing game-related took advantage of how the PS/2 or MCA was retooled over a clone.
 
I have that "resound OPL" adlib card for MCA systems from TexElec in an PS/2 77i... and it does what any adlib soundcard does to a system that would otherwise have no sound at all. If you like playing games with anything more then a beeper, it's good and I'm quite happy with it.
 
I'm more of a Unix and Amiga guy but something about PS/2s seems cool. I remember very well when they came out and how impressive VGA and 8514/A were. My biggest question is would I ever use it at all, especially when I have two other machines to play retro PC games, not to mention DOSBox. Also I am not liking the cost of a model M keyboard to make a complete system. The cost of the parts is high, less than I have spent on some other retro stuff I guess, but also not as cool as things like early 3d cards for workstations and such. Still... anything other than PCI, ISA and PCIe seems very interesting to me to have.
 
I had one of those Ultimedia systems IBM offered in the 90s. Model 77 IIRC. It was adequate to the task.

Much of the PS/2 lineup wasn't quite to the standard one expected from IBM. The tower cases were a joy to work with. What went into those cases was underdeveloped with SIMM sockets that didn't work and even incompatibilities when installing IBM manufactured MCA expansion cards. The PS/2 line also had a lot of those horrid Dallas clock/batteries making just one more repair item.
 
Your post is honestly overdue and one of the most important questions yet to be asked so thanks for asking it.

Its not an easy answer as likes are subjective. I personally hate mca ibm machines and decided after years of torment to get rid of all of them except my luggable P70. Im glad I got involved with the ps2 line as I met another vcfed member and we have been friends since but it still hasnt changed my opinion of these machines. I dont like them.

But regardless I still own one. My p70 portable. My thread is here: https://forum.vcfed.org/index.php?threads/ibm-ps2-p70-portable-repair-thread.1247102/post-1379201
And for the longest time it sat dormant on my shelf. But now there are CF cards and sound cards for them.. maybe in time ram cards.

So is it worth it? Well if you intend to own one and have it be any level of useful. Yes. I think it is. Im grateful folks decided to make these devices. I own an apple lisa and there has been no new devices ( I mean a couple sure but nothing widespread) and absolutely no software made for them. That thing is just a corpse in my opinion.

The PS/2 is fortunate enough to have at least a few modern recent devices to make it fun and useful. So if you have about $140.00 you can get the machine to a useful state.. I say do it.
 
VERAULT said:
I own an apple lisa and there has been no new devices ( I mean a couple sure but nothing widespread) and absolutely no software made for them. That thing is just a corpse in my opinion.
Click to expand...

Tell me about it.
You didn't spend years getting Apple to release the Lisa source code, and AFAIK nothing has been done with it.

I'm messing with a model 77 right now to host a Crossbow RT/PC card. Still need to find the Ungermann-Bass MC-EN card it requires.
 
Al Kossow said:
Tell me about it.
You didn't spend years getting Apple to release the Lisa source code, and AFAIK nothing has been done with it.
Click to expand...
Apple Lisa Source Code said:
You may not and you agree not to:

  • redistribute, publish, sublicense, sell, rent or transfer the Apple Software;
https://info.computerhistory.org/apple-lisa-code
Click to expand...
We're allowed to make changes, alterations or use portions of it for our own ideas but legally, we are not allowed to distribute them. Apple straight-up made sure this was a "look, but don't touch" event. I still respect you though for doing this.
 
Yeah but .. heres what I say to anyone buying a new apple product and to apple themselves....

" Uncomfortably long expletative here "
 
Even when they were NEW, the PS/2s were quite unremarkable. Yeah they were initially better then the PC-AT, but so were the clones (and cheaper too!). It didn't help that most of the lineup consisted of lame souped up 386SX design boards with 16-bit buses..... thereby negating the biggest driver of MCA, the availability of a 32-bit wide expansion bus! It was quite painful reading machine roundups in the early 90s comparing the Model 57 to clone boxes with VL Bus....... ouch.

The only remotely interesting PS/2 to me is likely the Model 76/77s "Lacuna". That one was actually somewhat competitive to contemporary 486 clones, featuring a full 32-bit 486DX design and S3 928 local bus video. Onboard IDE is a nice touch too.
 
NeXT said:
We're allowed to make changes, alterations or use portions of it for our own ideas but legally, we are not allowed to distribute them. Apple straight-up made sure this was a "look, but don't touch" event. I still respect you though for doing this.
Click to expand...
I'd imagine that's just there to cover their bases and that they wouldn't go after anyone for it, but it certainly will discourage any new development regardless. I don't think anyone wants to be the guy to test that.
 
3lectr1c said:
I'd imagine that's just there to cover their bases and that they wouldn't go after anyone for it, but it certainly will discourage any new development regardless. I don't think anyone wants to be the guy to test that.
Click to expand...
If I had the chops I would.. There are ways of getting your stuff out there and still staying anonymous if desired.

I think of some gamer fans who made free software and were still taken down by Nintendo. The 3d remake of the original Legend of Zelda comes to mind: https://www.nintendolife.com/news/2016/04/nintendo_shuts_down_browser-based_3d_legend_of_zelda_demo
 
I like MCA cards and have a bunch of them along with machines full of cards.

While I have 2 MCA sound cards, they are not gamer cards. Ethernet is a must, along with a more modern XGA-2 card, RAM cards, and of course SCSI. My more exotic stuff would be CPU card, CPU upgrades that fit in sockets, Video capture cards, external 5.25" floppy drive card, multiple serial cards, WORM drive card and drive internal and external models, 3rd party SCSI cards and video cards, even have a Japanese character video card that is probably rare.
 
VERAULT said:
There are ways of getting your stuff out there and still staying anonymous if desired.
Click to expand...

The problem with "Nintendo gamer fans" you have nicely formulated, they're completely oblivious to the legal and technical world.
On the other side of the coin we have release groups sites ... www dot name dot com , search, click, download. Easier, more clear and more straight forward than even legal download sites.

So how come first guys can't even have a ROM hack online for a month on some backyard site but second guys keep their pirate treasure up on a normal indexed domain?
Answer is knowledge, and effort.

You wish to infringe on Nintendo property, and organize yourself through Discord, so everyone can reach you instantly, publish your progress on Youtube, so everyone can subscribe to the updates, and keep your files on Google drives so everyone can reach them, 0 knowledge about how these entities operate, and 0 effort to work around that.

Same with this Apple case, if you want to do it, do the work in anonymity, publish the torrent and that's it.
 
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