Looking for a 486 system...

From: Bruce Lane <kyrrin_at_bluefeathertech.com>
Date: Fri Feb 28 21:26:34 2003

        I'm surprised it didn't occur to me earlier to ask what I'm about to on the list. ;-)

        Fellow classic'ers, I have a very specific set of old radio service software packages that require running. Since they were written back when the 386 was still in the "Ooooh, Ahhhh!" phase, and discontinued soon after, they won't run reliably (if at all) on anything newer than a 486.

        Here's what I'd like to find. A small tower-style 486, mini or mid, with PS/2 type ports for keyboard and mouse built in. Speed-wise, it should be in the DX33 or DX2/66 class. It should have switchable "Turbo/Non-Turbo" mode, either from a front-panel switch or from a keypress combination. Finally, it needs to have at least two PCI slots in addition to the usual ISA or EISA.

        I also have a need to dual-boot such a box into Windows 95 to do some instrument control applications. As you might imagine, finding a system that straddles this odd middle ground is not easy. It is my understanding that both Compaq and Dell made systems that were very close to, if not exactly, what I'm describing.

        Pentium systems, even the earliest ones, will NOT work in this application. It's gotta be a 486.

        ALTERNATIVE: If someone can find me a late-issue National Instruments MicroChannel GPIB card, I can put the PS/2 tower I have here into the application, and it should do just fine.

        Please let me know if you have something that's at least close, and some idea on price or trade. Thanks much.


-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-
Bruce Lane, Owner & Head Hardware Heavy,
Blue Feather Technologies -- http://www.bluefeathertech.com
ARS KC7GR (Formerly WD6EOS) since 12-77 -- kyrrin_at_bluefeathertech.com
"I'll get a life when someone demonstrates that it would be superior
to what I have now..." (Taki Kogoma, aka Gym Z. Quirk)
Received on Fri Feb 28 2003 - 21:26:34 GMT

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