IBM

Got this for free at the recycle center today. Haven't gotten a chance to see what's in it yet, other than that it's 233MHz (according to the label,) and there's only one DIMM (which means that RAM's anywhere from 16-128MB) and no video card. I see that it's on the HCL for Windows NT 4.0, so I'm considering giving that a try, but there's a couple things I'm not sure of:

• In sourcing a video card, what restrictions are there on compatibility? Will a PCI card from a PPC Mac work? What about an x86 video card? (I know AlphaBIOS does emulation of x86 BIOSes, but Apple's OpenFirmware doesn't, so I'm guessing IBM's probably doesn't either?) If I use a card that OpenFirmware can't natively initialize, will NT still be able to talk to it as long as it's in the HCL?
• I read that NT will run 286 Win16 software in emulation, and that NT 4.0 will even run 386 Enhanced Win16 software, but it sounds like PowerPC NT won't run x86 Win32 software (unlike Alpha NT.) Is there a good source for PPC Windows software on the Internet?

Interested to see what this is like...

Okay, finally got it plugged in and test-booted. It's an AIX 4.3 system from a local clinic, with 64MB RAM, a 9GB hard drive, and a DDS3 tape drive (in addition to CD-ROM and floppy disk.) Not bad at all for NT's system requirements.

The thing I'm curious about is that it reports having a "PowerPC 760" instead of the 604e the sticker on the bezel claims - though still at 233MHz with 1MB L2 cache. I'm finding a lot of conflicting information about the 760 - some people call it the "G3e," while some people say it's just a 604e...anybody know what the details are on this thing?

An RS/6000 workstation running Unix (probably $20,000 originally), reduced to a PC running Windows NT?

I find it amusing to run Windows on esoteric hardware Besides, I have neither the root password for this system nor AIX install/rescue media with which to set up an install I can use.

commodorejohn wrote: Got this for free at the recycle center today. Haven't gotten a chance to see what's in it yet, other than that it's 233MHz (according to the label,) and there's only one DIMM (which means that RAM's anywhere from 16-128MB) and no video card. I see that it's on the HCL for Windows NT 4.0

The one on the HCL is the 7248 43P. I tried running NT on a 7043, it didn't work: https://groups.google.com/d/msg/comp.sy ... TaewZRwEAJ

commodorejohn wrote: [*]In sourcing a video card, what restrictions are there on compatibility?

If you want to be sure, stick to the HCL. If you're adventurous a Matrox Millenium should work (I used one in my RS/6000 E30 with NT before it died).[/quote]

commodorejohn wrote: [*]I read that NT will run 286 Win16 software in emulation, and that NT 4.0 will even run 386 Enhanced Win16 software, but it sounds like PowerPC NT won't run x86 Win32 software (unlike Alpha NT.) Is there a good source for PPC Windows software on the Internet?

You should be able to run 16-bit apps (both DOS and Windows) using the built-in Insignia emulator. I don't know whether apps using DOS extenders will work. Win32 apps run on AlphaNT by using Digitals FX!32 emulator, I haven't heard about a similar thing for PPC NT.

commodorejohn wrote: The thing I'm curious about is that it reports having a "PowerPC 760" instead of the 604e the sticker on the bezel claims - though still at 233MHz with 1MB L2 cache. I'm finding a lot of conflicting information about the 760 - some people call it the "G3e," while some people say it's just a 604e...anybody know what the details are on this thing?

viewtopic.php?p=7326397#p7326397

GL1zdA wrote: The one on the HCL is the 7248 43P. I tried running NT on a 7043, it didn't work: https://groups.google.com/d/msg/comp.sy ... TaewZRwEAJ

Aw, damn. Huh. Guess I'll have to find another use for it...unless someone would like to trade for a PPC system that does run NT?

They're still a very nice AIX system. I'd be interested, except the ANS is even nicer for that generation, and I have the POWER6, of course.

Yeah...AIX really isn't my area of interest, though (and if I do get the urge to play around with old RISC UNIX workstations, I've got a nice Sun Ultra II already...) I'll probably pass it on...