PS/2 Model 80 with Core International 700MB ESDI HDDs

A rare disk setup in a PS/2 Model 80. Together, there is ~1.4GB worth of storage here, in two 5.25" full height hard drives. They still work great, and probably cost a small fortune when new.

Core International was swallowed up by (of all companies) Aiwa. Yes, the same people that make boomboxes and audio stuff. They had a "computer systems division" for a while, but with Sony having a majority share in the company--and competing products--this didn't last. I don't know where the remains would be today.

Category:

Science & Technology

Tags:

• computer
• IBM
• Personal
• System/2
• PS/2
• Model
• 80
• with
• CORE
• International
• ESDI
• Hard
• Drives
• 700MB
• Core MCK

[vwestlife]

Is that the Reference Disk you have taped to the inside of the case? :-)

[uxwbill]

Yes it is. :-)

[vwestlife]

Those PS/2 towers are TANKS!  I once built a table by laying a door across the top of two Model 60s. They also have the largest power supply and largest fan I've ever seen in a personal computer.

I liked the sound of the stock IBM hard drives in these PS/2 towers... when they spun up and the head parking mechanism released, you got a very distinctive "pin dropping" sound -- "PING Ping ping pingpingping..." :-)

[uxwbill]

Computers you can sit on! (I even did that once or twice while they were running--try that with a modern one!)

I had one of those drives in an 8580-311. The noise struck me as odd, but that drive lasted for a good long time.

[lee4hmz]

@lee4hmz I forgot to mention where CORE entered into this. Seems that MPI/CDC wasn't crazy about selling their products directly to end users (most of their customers were OEMs; I know Epson and Compaq used them) and so CORE got the rights to market their drives. The arrangement lasted a while; I've seen ads for some of CDC's really old drives (the original Wren models from c. 1984) in old magazines.

[Fuzy2K]

That computer has a little more capacity than my original iPod nano! :P

[lee4hmz]

@dodgechryslersucks Nope, I think what happened is that after Control Data sold MPI to Seagate, Seagate took over sales and marketing. Seagate was classified with the low-end along with MiniScribe at the time, and was trying to go upscale.

As for MPI itself, Seagate kept it around as the enterprise division, first in OKC, then in Shakopee, MN. The original Barracuda from 1992 was an MPI, and the old MPI parts numbering system is still used on the Savvios and Cheetahs.

[NOWAdwaltz]

wow sounded like a jet engine when it was spinning down lol

[Watcher3223]

Speed could be a problem with such a large drive, though.

You can only spin a platter of such size at such a fast speed before it tears itself apart.

[Markworth]

I love that sound. Means it's working.

They should bring back 5.25" hard drives. With modern technology, a single platter 5.25" would be very impressive and easy to cool.

[ngtflyer]

Man, that's just cool. I used to have a self-built 486 box with two ESDI drives in it. Listening to those come up brings back memories!

[brianchris4]

that computer is downright sexy inside :D