More POWER
==========
All good people [1] are upgrading their PowerPC/POWER computers so I
decided to do the same. Well, not exactly. The Talos II is out of my
budget now so I decided to get an old IBM system. Accidentally, there
was offered the IBM IntelliStation POWER 285 for a fair price and it
was located in Prague (it's only 3 hours of train ride) so I decided to
got it.
It wasn't as simple as it sounds because it's a massive and heavy
machine (~45 kg). But now it sits under my desk and it (relatively)
quietly runs. It can be even quieter as I still have not applied the
back quieting cover which I also got for the machine.
The machine is pretty maxed out: there is the dual-core POWER5+ CPU at
2.1 GHz, 8 GB of RAM and three(!) 73 GB SCSI disks (not counting
CD-ROMs, a tape drive and a sound option). The graphics is an entry one
(for 2D tasks) but it is probably OK.
There are the AIX and the Linux (an older Debian) pre-installed. Now I
running Linux which is easier for me. I must say than performance under
the Linux is not bad and I'm looking forward to test it under the AIX.
Of course I'm writing this post with use of this computer.
I also got a Powerbook G4 (late 2015). It has 15" so-called
high-resolution screen and 1.67 processor so it should be less
vulnerable to the Spectre and Meltdown bugs. It has dead batteries
(both the CMOS one and the main one) but it can probably be fixed. So
now I have computers with G3, G4, G5 and also with POWER 3 and 5 CPUs
(the G5 was derived from POWER4):
* G3: Power Macintosh 6100 + upgrade card (G3 @233MHz)
* G4: Powerbook G4 (@1667 MHz)
* G5: iMac G5 (@1700 MHz) and IntelliStation 185 (1800 MHz, I thing)
* POWER3: Intellistation 265 (@450 MHz)
* POWER5: Intellistation 285 (*2090 MHz)
Well, I still have more SGI/MIPS machines (7 working, 2 incomplete and
1 inflatable) than the POWER/PowerPC ones..
References:
[1]
http://tenfourfox.blogspot.cz/2018/05/a-semi-review-of-raptor-talos-ii.html
[2]
http://forums.nekochan.net/viewtopic.php?f=4&t=16732942
