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Good morning guys and welcome back to the ValorosoIT channel, the channel dedicated to retrocomputers and vintage electronics. What do I want to talk to you about today? Typically, for these topics, I make short videos. We have to do an unboxing of a rather special package. Do you remember? In December, in the video of the IBM PS/2 model 30 with Intel 286 processor, I mentioned it to you: I had ordered another computer of that model for spare parts, on Wallapop, and it had never arrived. Beyond the fact that they had reimbursed me, what I was sorry about was that the computer was who knows where, abandoned in who knows what warehouse!
But, I recently received an email from the BRT courier informing me that a package weighing around 10 kg was being delivered. Honestly, I hadn't ordered any of this and so this delivery particularly surprised me. So, the dimensions of the package are comparable to those of an IBM PS/2 model 30. We want to see if he really is inside.
Unfortunately, the package is in very bad shape: there are places where it is even open and it appears to have been taped up again. Even on this side, not only on that side, but also on this side we find places where it is ruined.
So, I honestly don't know what I might find inside, whether the computer is completely shattered, or is still in decent condition. It is also true that it is a spare parts computer. So, even if it was a little ruined, it doesn't change me much. However, I would be sorry if the damage was caused by transport and not just the original one that the computer was supposed to have.
Are you curious too? Shall we open?
So, let's get closer for a moment, I want to show you exactly how NOT to package a computer.
See how little space there is between the computer and the box? Imagine that the box takes a hit at this point, it is immediately transferred to the computer, which crashes. Here too, look... There isn't the slightest space, there was almost not even any packaging, which only covers a little behind and a little was placed in front. Classic example of how NOT to pack a package. Among other things, I don't know if Wallapop will make me pay for it, because it has happened in the past that I ordered a package, but it never arrived. Then it arrived later with some delay and they also demanded the money. They contacted me via message and told me to pay it.
In reality, there is a small piece here that is coming off, so it has obviously taken a beating. This one seems to have already existed before: it looks more like the sign of a screwdriver to open the computer. Here the case is broken, so this piece is also ruined. Well, in short, I would say that we already have enough damage. Let's try opening it and see what we find inside. So, luckily, the key is already open because otherwise it's a mess. Without a key, in fact, opening this computer is a mess. There are two screws on this side and two screws on the other side.
I unscrew them all. You could also leave them half inside, but I prefer to keep them aside, I put them in a small bag, which will then be inside this computer.
So, as you can see, you didn't even need to pry, it opened by itself. I don't know why they took advantage and ruined it.
Let's take a look at it. Floppy disk drives. 20 MB hard disk, with this specific connector for this type of computer, which is also difficult to find on other models, perhaps on the IBM PS/1.
You can see some rust underneath, you see it down there, who knows where it comes from. But the card is a little oxidized. Inside we find some rust everywhere. The two RAM banks appear to be healthy. There is a battery and unfortunately it seems to have lost a little bit of acid, because the only components to have these stains, there is another one behind here too, are precisely these around the battery. While, elsewhere, we don't see any stains. The battery is up here, it might have lost a little acid.
Well, I would say that the computer is not in good shape at all. Let's try detaching the hard disk and seeing how it looks underneath. And also the floppy disk drive.
It's all excessively dirty. We disconnect the connectors. How come it doesn't come out? There's something holding him back. So, probably the hard disk was struggling to slide out because of this pin here.
But let's see if we can remove it. Ok, let's see if it comes out. Yes, now it comes out easily.
The hard drive itself doesn't look very good. There's just a little bit of oxide up here. It all seems very harsh. Now it's a little unblocked. In my opinion, even just to try it, we could try connecting it to another computer, after giving it a dusting. And instead, the floppy disk drive… looks a little crooked. This too is all dressed up, full of dust. However, the card does not appear to have large oxide spots. The engine runs well, but in my opinion we can also try this drive. And there would also be these two RAMs back here that, in my opinion, we can try on another computer.
Ok, come on, let's start testing these components. So, before inserting them into my computer, this one here is an IBM PS/2 model 30, Intel 8086 processor, like the one I bought that arrived damaged, I definitely dusted all these components a bit. I also gave him some spray to remove the oxide from the contacts. They didn't come out exactly perfectly clean. Furthermore, the button on the drive fell off because, among other things, it is also cracked. I mean, it's broken. Either during transport, or it was already broken before. So, now let's remove the components from this computer: RAM, hard disk and floppy. Let's put the other ones. Let's see if they go.
We obviously keep the good components aside because we're going to put them back later.
What is certain is that if nothing goes wrong with these spare parts that I got... The box is already broken. I mean, in the end I took it for nothing at all. Luckily, at this point, they refunded me, as long as they don't ask for my money back.
Hard disk. I also leave them a little halfway like this, just to do a quick experiment.
RAM.
Now we are ready to give it power and see if the computer turns on or not.
Let's turn on the monitor. Now the computer.
So, RAM is counting. RAM seems fine: 640 KB OK. But it doesn't make any sound, so there must be something annoying. Oh boy, what a shame, hard drive error, look at that! So, the hard drive doesn't work, I mean... what a rip-off. What the hell, I got a spare computer to do. At this point, I put in a diskette. It seems like it's crashing, huh, like it's kind of slowed down like the hard drive.
Ok, let's put the disk inside well. Now you can no longer hear the mess from the hard disk, obviously (I unplugged it). Redo the RAM test, which at this point I expect to work, because it worked before.
Nothing, he doesn't read.
Okay, come on, we understand that I bought a computer for spare parts which is completely broken and therefore I can't even recover the spare parts from it! This doesn't please anyone, but it certainly doesn't please me! Luckily, at this point, they had lost this computer, because if I had really had to pay for a busted hard disk, a busted drive and only two sticks of RAM... in short, it's not like I was really happy with this thing here. Alright, come on guys, now I'll put my computer back to how it was before. And… nothing, come on, see you in the next video. See you soon. Bye bye!