New to me ps/2 model 25

[Wolfman9291]

Hello all new member here. Just picked up a very clean ps/2 model 25 with a hard drive installed! Booted right up and the hdd works! Currently has 640kb of ram and the 8086 processor but no coprocessor. I’m not done checking things out I would like to upgrade the floppy drive to 1.44mb and possibly install the 8087 coprocessor. I don’t have any of the ibm system disks. All in all for my first true vintage pc I like it. Wish it was a 286 machine but I can work with it. If you have parts or known upgrades let me know!

 

[rmay635703]

I don’t believe you can just plop a 1.44 in there, you will need a special card to use a more modern floppy or hd

 

[Wolfman9291]

I’m not sure still researching things but didn’t some ps/2 models come with a 1.44? Of course I’m not afraid of trying different things to get data on and off the internal hdd

 

[T-R-A]

I don’t believe you can just plop a 1.44 in there, you will need a special card to use a more modern floppy or hd

Correct. There's plenty of YouTube videos on hacking a standard floppy drive into a ps/2 system, but it's definitely not a drop-in-and-go kinda thing. And after you get one working, definitely track down the reference disks for the system.

 

[bladamson]

It was the Model 25-286 that had a 1.44meg drive. You're stuck with a 700k in the 8086 one. It's not bad though. Put an XTCF in there and then you don't need a high cap floppy drive.

 

[Wolfman9291]

Yup that’s the plan going forward!

 

[rmay635703]

It was the Model 25-286 that had a 1.44meg drive. You're stuck with a 700k in the 8086 one. It's not bad though. Put an XTCF in there and then you don't need a high cap floppy drive.

I think you can break the 720k barrier even on the 8086 version but it’s rather convoluted, likely only one Sony 1.44 that works

https://forum.vcfed.org/index.php?threads/interesting-hardware-facts-about-the-ibm-ps-2-modesl-25-30.28757/