Manufacturer: IBM
Machine Type: PS/2 Model Ultimedia 77
Model Number: 9577-1NA
Serial Number: 55-3X1D0
Current Status: Excellent. Complete and working
Acquired: 2001
Remarks:
The Ultimedia 77 is basically a regular 486-66Mhz Model 77 with onboard SCSI (bermuda type planar) but with additional components to give it multimedia capabilities. In the early 1990s, IBM decided to call it Ultimedia. This type PC came with a SCSI 2x caddy-type cdrom drive, an IBM Multimedia Audio Capture and Playback Adapter (M-ACPA) and a special front panel with headphone jacks. A speaker was also located behind it. Also installed, but not part of the Ultimedia package is a SCSI 127meg M/O disk drive. It functions similar to a zip drive and uses hard shell disks that can contain up to 127meg. When this machine was first acquired, it was running Win95, and the MO disk was working, but sound was not. The system was reloaded with OS/2 (which is what it's *really* designed for) Warp connect and everything functions flawlessly. All .wav files and CD audio plays through the front speaker, adjusted with a volume wheel on the front panel. This computer also has the maximum amount of 32meg installed as well XGA-2 video, a Token Ring NIC and an ethernet NIC which has failed and will need to be replaced. When this machine was new, this current configuration would have costed in excess of $20k.
Recently, a Videolabs composite colour camera was hooked into the Actionmedia's input cable. The camera uses composite connectors whereas the Actionmedia cable has BNC connectors. Thankfully, there were the appropriate adaptors in the Actionmedia box. Once the drivers were installed, the Actionmedia player/recorder program can be run to capture video. The computer can now capture realtime video with no system lag at all. Not bad for 10 year old technology! The only limitation at this point is the video card. Usable resolutions are either 640x480x65k or 1024x768x256 colours.
Additional Resources:
IBM Canada Vintage PC website
Peter Wendt's MCA page
IBM memory configurator (useful for identifying IBM memory)
Tavi PS/2 pages
The PS/2 page
[Classic Computer Intro Page] [Computer Collection Index Page (A-Z)] [D.B.Young's Page]
Questions about the PS/2 Ultimedia 77? Email the curator