I was given an IBM ThinkPad Power Series 820 last weekend. I don't know what is on it yet, nbecause it didin't come with a power adapter. It's a PowerPC 603/100 laptop (surprisingly not from Apple) that could run AIX, Windows NT 4.0, OS/2 (if you can find a copy for PowerPC), and supposedly Solaris.
Has anyone made one of these beasties run Linux or BSD?
Oh my good. I have wanted one of those for years. Were did you get it from?
I got it at the local flea market mall in Raleigh, NC. I help out one of the dealers by repairing some of the computers that come in. Once I told them it wasn't a PC Compatible system they were going to scrap it for parts. I asked if I could have it, and they said sure. Good thing too, since all of the drives in it are SCSI.
It seems that the only current operating systems for it are Linux and NetBSD.
Hi
I don't know if the Power Series 820 can run Linux or BSD, but I know there is a company in the UK who have AIX quite cheap. Some thing like 30 £ or 53 US$.
http://www.itsupplies.net/product_info.php?cPath=2&products_id=114
But I think you should chek what info there is on the Power Series 820 at IBM's site.
hehe ... a google for "Power Series 820" comes up with this thread as the 1st result
TOM
I managed to borrow a power adapter for it, and it started up! However, it was password protected. Normally you could remove the CMOS battery to take care of that with PCs. I tried that, left it out for a little while, then put it back in. It doesn't boot at all now.
The CMOS battery is also severely corroded.
Given that the only other links I see for it are for memory, this thread is the most recent discussion of this laptop. :>
Here is a web site about WIndows NT on RS/6000 boxes.
http://home1.gte.net/res008nh/nt/ppc/default.htm
x86 Thinkpads store the BIOS password in an EEPROM, not CMOS. Which means if some dork sets a password on it the "only" way to clear it is to have IBM do it. It's evil. Pure, unadulterated evil. It wouldn't suprise me if the PPC ones are similar.
Unlocking it might be an interesting challenge for this guy:
http://www.ja.axxs.net/unlock/
--Peace
I may try the the ThinkPad password site at a later date. I've got a new toy: a quad-processor Digital server. It's just a 'little' larger than the thinkpad.
Is the password in the OS or is it before the OS starts booting?
Seeing as how you've found a new toy is it possible you might be willing to trade it for something. I need a "new" laptop since the screen in my RS/6000 N40 crapped out.
The password appears before the OS starts loading. It's the first thing that appeared on the screen. Eight large boxes for you to enter a password.
I'll take another look at it again - besides, I need to get it to boot again. At the moment when you try to turn it on you can see something is happening on the LCD but it's all black. It also needs CMOS batteries - they are badly corroded. I cleaned them up as best as I could, but they're still in bad shape.
If I can get it to at least get to the password, I would consider a trade.
The new toy is still being worked on. Currently it has 5 4.3 GB SCSI drives, 512MB RAM in 72-pin SIMMs, 4 Pentium Pro 200mhz processors with 512k L2 cache, 2 network cards, and a pokey 4x SCSI CD-ROM. As soon as I can find another 68-pin SCSI-3 cable, I'll attempt to set up RAID on it.
Ever have any luck with the password?
Well, in taking it apart to check the batteries and assembling it, it no longer powered up.
I gave it to the electronics-oriented people that frequent the computer shop that I help out at in my spare time. I haven't heard anything regarding its progress. He knows some IBMers, so we will see.
Nice nab! Are there ever any Macs at the flea market mall? Is there a Mac dealer/repair shop in the area with a decent collection of software, expansion cards and peripherals? (that obviously leaves out the CrApple Store) I'm new in the area, but I've only checked out three thrift stores so far.
jt :?