IBM PS/2 Tower
IBM PS/2 Tower: an Intel desktop built around IBM’s published bus and expansion architecture.
Technical record
- Category
- Computer
- Collection status
- Held by ATX Computer Museum
- Reference
- ATX-CAT-IBM-PS-2-TOWER
Background
IBM’s PS/2 line brought a new keyboard connector, a bus with automatic configuration, and a family of compact desktop and tower cases. The tower format left room for disks and expansion cards while keeping the machine in the office rather than a machine room.
The collection record places this example in the practical history of the PC: a proprietary attempt to move the standard forward, followed by the industry’s decision to continue along the older ISA path. Its value is in making that fork visible in hardware.
The PS/2 tower carried IBM’s MCA bus, a 32-bit expansion system designed for higher throughput and cleaner configuration than the original PC bus. It belongs to the moment IBM tried to define the next standard for the compatible desktop.