Bought a vintage computer - ICl CL486S/25. Anyone know anything about these?

TheBoyConor

Hi there.

As some on here will know, I have an interest in retro themed computers, having built a contemporary Windows 10 PC inside an ancient beige case.

So the latest is that I have a deal done to buy a vintage computer from a fella in Mayo. It is an ICL CL486S/25. This is it........https://www.donedeal.ie/otherelectronics-for-sale/computer/24011645

Besides the fact that it is clearly an Intel 486 based PC, neither myself nor the fella I'm buying it from knows feck all about it. I have no idea what operating system it might have. I did find some basic info on it here....https://www.arvutimuuseum.ee/th99/m/I-L/32526.htm

I am told it was working at the time that it was put away in an attic, many years ago - that was the reason it was kept rather than being dumped. I am also told it is from the 1980s.

Does anybody know anything about these computers? I'd be interested in any info or experience.

I am hoping to go pick it up there in the next couple of weeks. It will be quite a road trip from Cork to Belturbet Co. Mayo.

My goal will be to see will it power up or can it be got working. If there are any hardware issues I am assuming that replacement parts will be pretty much impossible to find. If no joy, I'll just clean it up as a display piece.

ednwireland

windows 3.1 at that vintage. probably have an install somewhere.if the electronics are ok should just boot

niallb

That's a bit slow even for a 486, and for a lot of things the SX is slower than the DX versions.

Depending on how much memory you can find you could run some Vintage games on it. I had a 33MHz one with (eventually) 8MB of RAM.

I'll follow this thread for when you get it!

TheBoyConor wrote: »

Hi there.

So I have a deal done to buy a vintage computer from a fella in Mayo. It is an ICL CL486S/25.

Cordell

Very likely from the early 90s rather than 80s, running MS DOS and maybe Windows 3.x, also probably capable of running Windows 95/98.
Also, Doom, the original one

TheBoyConor

Very good. Thanks.
I'm really looking forward to getting it. Hopefully it will be alive. I'm paying €50 for it. Petrol and tolls on the road trip will probably cost me another €50.

I notice that there are only two adjusters on the monitor - might this be a monochrome display?

ednwireland

i threw so many of that level of computer (although they were AST ) into skips

i may still have some software lying around ! if you need it just ask (im probably not the only hoarder round here)

Inquitus

https://winworldpc.com/product/windows-3/31

TheBoyConor

earra yeah, sure like any obsolete piece of kit it gets to an age when it is considered worthless junk and then after another decade or 2 passes it is considered a desirable collectors item.

Yeah, that would be great. Thank you. I'll let you know what the craic is when I collect it. probably in 2 or 3 weeks.

Cordell

I notice that there are only two adjusters on the monitor - might this be a monochrome display?

No, it can very well be a color monitor, that was all you were getting with both types back ten.

Johnboy1951

As well as posting about getting it going, do post a wish list of parts for those/us hoarders to check if any useful stuff has survived.
Maybe memory upgrade would be possible ...

Have fun!

TheBoyConor

I will keep everyone posted once I have it back here in Cork. Can't wait. Will definitely the most interesting piece of tech I will have owned to date.

beauf

Probably this https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Intel_80486SX.

Some games like Flight Sims didn't run.

niallb

beauf wrote: »

Probably this https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Intel_80486SX.

Some games like Flight Sims didn't run.

The motherboard supports DX and DX2 processors, so there's scope for an upgrade :-)

TheBoyConor

Does anyone have any sort of manuals or user & service information for this type of PC? I cannot seem to find anything much on google. Details of it are very scarce indeed.

I'd be hoping to keep it original as possible and upgrade parts only if there are hardware failures.

Is it even possible to obtain RAM, CPU and BIOS ROMs for something this old? Obviously, old new stock or second hand would likely be the only sources as I assume that all this sort of stuff is long gone from production.

Edit: Surprisingly, the 80486 processor was in production until 2007.

Johnboy1951

Maybe some suitable ram in the back of a drawer here ..... should be able to determine to check by physical comparison after you get the PC.

TuringBot47

TheBoyConor wrote: »

I'm paying €50 for it. Petrol and tolls on the road trip will probably cost me another €50.

Why ?

Do you think it will increase in value?
A lot of technology just falls towards zero value especially IBM clones.
Maybe early Apples have some value.

SX = didn't include a floating point co-processor
DX = did

My first PC was a Schneider Euro PC, 4.77Mhz, NO hard drive. When I needed to compile a C program I had to constantly swap two floppy disks between the
A: and B: (virtual) drives, one with the TurboC executable, the other with the libraries and include files.

beauf

Nostalgia I guess or some just find it fun. Like the guys rebuilding Amiga 500s from bare boards.

System 7 Macs I Would love to have. They were my first Macs, and I spent a lot of time with them. But has neither the space or the time. My first PC was a 486 33DX. I used older machines before that in college etc. but ever actually bought one. I don't really have the desire to get a old PC though. Maybe some old PC games when I retire lol.

Loopylineking

I’d say released in 92/93, definitely not the eighties.

TheBoyConor

No, I have no financial motivations in this nor any desire to increase value or sell.

I just do it out of interest, the satisfaction of (hopefully) being able to get it going and play around with it, and for the sake of saving a piece of old tech that is probably now fairly scarce, even if it isn't worth anything money wise.

How did your old computer run its OS if it had no internal storage? Was there flash memory or ROM carrying the OS?

ZENER

DOS came on a floppy disk back then.

TheBoyConor

So it was a sort of live disk type set up then? cool

beauf

No they had hard disks. My first Mac and PCs had 40-80mb 3.5" hard drives. IDE, EIDE and all types of SCSI.

Inquitus

TheBoyConor wrote: »

Edit: Surprisingly, the 80486 processor was in production until 2007.

The 737 Max flight computer is an 80286, well a pair of them.

https://www.palisadeshudson.com/2019/07/is-ancient-silicon-the-root-of-boeings-problems/

https://www.i-programmer.info/news/91-hardware/12919-boeing-737-max-software-fix-is-too-slow.html

tuxy

If it works ok it may be a good idea to get a USB floppy drive for your modern PC. I'm sure you can find loads of software online that will run on the old PC.

TheBoyConor

Yeah that would be cool if I could find old apps to run on it.

And yep, my modern PC already has had the floppy disk drive ready to go. Got a floppy to USB adapter and stuck it onto the USB header on the motherboard. It'll serve a purpose now at least.

Johnboy1951

So what is the result?
Is the machine working fully or has problems?

TheBoyConor

I have not gone to collect it yet. he is keeping it for me.
It is in Belmullet which is a 6 hour drive, so I am going to combine the journey with a trip aI am making to see a friend in Sligo to climb Benbulbin. It probably will be another 3 weeks before I collect it.