My Computer Collection
IBM PS/2 Model 60-041

Photo of IBM PS/2 Model 60-041
Click here or click onto the photo for a full size version of this picture.

The Model 60 belongs to the first series of PS/2 machines IBM announced in 1987. Technically, there are no differences to the desktop Model 50, there is just more space for expansion. The planar has 8 instead of 3 expansion slots, and there are drive bays for 2 3,5-inch drives (typically floppies) and two full-height 5,25-inch drives. A fully loaded Model 60 can therefore become quite heavy; the massive metal handle has reasons!

It seems that the 60 was not very successful; IBM didn't offer a performance upgrade similar to the 50Z, the only modification was to replace the 44M MFM drive in the 8560-041 with a faster ESDI drive in the 8560-071. Probably those people buying a large tower also wanted a bit more horsepower and instead bought the Model 80...

Photo of IBM PS/2 Model 60-041's innards
Click here or click onto the photo for a full size version of this picture.

Since there are much longer distances to bridge in a tower than a desktop case, IBM wasn't able to build the 60 as cableless as the 50. But they made the best of the situation: Though the floppies are connected via a (short) cable, the edge connectors are held in a special plastic frame behind the drive bays so you simply push the drives into the 'slots'.

Mounting large hard drives is also done without screws - pardon, given there are already special rails applied on both sides. You have to admit the blue knobs are unique....

Closeup of IBM PS/2 Model 60-041's Planar
Click here or click onto the photo for a full size version of this picture.

A closeup of the mainboard shows that IBM continued to use a CPU in the relatively expensive PGA case. Most other vendors at that time had already switched to the cheaper PLCC case (IBM did so with the 50Z).

Processor:
i286 @ 10 MHz
Coprocessor:
i287 @ ?? MHz
Cache:
none
Memory:
9 (onboard 1 Mbyte fixed)
Bus:
8 MCA slots (16 bit)
Interfaces (onboard):
  • Mouse, Keyboard
  • 1x Serial
  • 1 x Parallel
  • Floppy (1.44M), allows attachment of up to 2 drives
  • VGA
Add-on cards:
  • SKNet Junior MC2 Ethernet Card
  • Ochid 2MB Memory Expansion (2x)
  • IBM 2-8MB 80286 Memory Expansion
  • MFM Hard Disk Controller
Operating System(s):
  • Caldera OpenDOS 7.01
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©1999 Alfred Arnold, alfred@ccac.rwth-aachen.de