lyonadmiral
Veteran Member
If you can only keep one of your vintage PC collection out of the following which one would you choose and why?
- VCF South West - June 14 - 16, Davidson-Gundy Alumni Center at University of Texas at Dallas
- VCF West - Aug 2 - 3, Computer History Museum, Mountain View, CA
- VCF Midwest - Sept 7 - 8 2024, Schaumburg, IL
- VCF SoCal - Mid February 2025, Location TBD, Southern CA
- VCF East - April 2025, Infoage Museum, Wall NJ
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When times are tight and so is space, you have to choose?
- Thread starter lyonadmiral
- Start date
I like the AT 5170 quite a bit, and with the upgrades and EGA monitor you have I would keep that.
These polls suck because I would probably keep the 5150 and 5170 around even if I had to ditch furniture to do so.
The 8525 would get tossed even if I had room for it.
These polls suck because I would probably keep the 5150 and 5170 around even if I had to ditch furniture to do so.
The 8525 would get tossed even if I had room for it.
DOS lives on!!
Veteran Member
I would have to go with the 5170 because it is a powerful computer, has a floppy and hard drive, and (for me) I like the looks of it.
GottaLottaStuff
Veteran Member
I'd keep the 5150 because I like them. 
And the 5170 if I could maybe keep it and let the wife go instead. :D
I would ditch the hard card, though.
And the 5170 if I could maybe keep it and let the wife go instead. :DI would ditch the hard card, though.
Ole Juul
Veteran Member
Keep the 5170. I think the upgrades you have there are appropriate for a decked out machine. The 5150 is nice, but to me your "upgrades" are inappropriate, besides that machine is probably more commonly collected.
strollin
Experienced Member
As fond as I am for the 5150 (it was my first computer) I would keep the 5170 because it's a more versatile machine.
I mean if you truly had to choose but had the intent of getting it again then pick whichever is worth the least and easier to find. Do you use them? Which of them do you use the most and/or does the most that you would like?
The 5150 would be a good choice to keep historical value, first IBM personal desktop computer and the founding father of PCs. 5170 as far as your set choices (for whatever reason) has the 5154 monitor which also "for whatever reason" has a higher value than the computer probably does. If you really could separate things I would keep the 5150 and 5154 if they both have EGA cards. However for slightly higher end dos things the 5170 would probably do more if you were just using it as a dos desktop machine and trying to interface with newer technology. Hard choice.
The 5150 would be a good choice to keep historical value, first IBM personal desktop computer and the founding father of PCs. 5170 as far as your set choices (for whatever reason) has the 5154 monitor which also "for whatever reason" has a higher value than the computer probably does. If you really could separate things I would keep the 5150 and 5154 if they both have EGA cards. However for slightly higher end dos things the 5170 would probably do more if you were just using it as a dos desktop machine and trying to interface with newer technology. Hard choice.
krebizfan
Veteran Member
I chose based on the ease of repair and the likelihood of future failure.
New hard cards failed a lot at a former employer of mine and I doubt that hard cards with 20+ years of use will be much more reliable.
The Model 25 has all the problems of an all-in-one design and I lack the competence to reliably fix it. And I never liked the MCGA because so little software took advantage of it.
Which leaves the 5170 as the unit that I would expect to able to keep running for some time. If I had specific software I wanted to run, I might have chosen differently. Okay, the only 5160 specific software I can think of is Visi-On and that needs a CGA card but the principle applies.
New hard cards failed a lot at a former employer of mine and I doubt that hard cards with 20+ years of use will be much more reliable.
The Model 25 has all the problems of an all-in-one design and I lack the competence to reliably fix it. And I never liked the MCGA because so little software took advantage of it.
Which leaves the 5170 as the unit that I would expect to able to keep running for some time. If I had specific software I wanted to run, I might have chosen differently. Okay, the only 5160 specific software I can think of is Visi-On and that needs a CGA card but the principle applies.
dorkbert
Veteran Member
if you're planning on actually using the box, keep the 5170; it'll be easier to keep it running as parts are easier to come by. If you're just keeping it for giggles, keep the 5150 just because it is older...
angel_grig
Experienced Member
I agree with you!
Maverick1978
Veteran Member
Keep the 5170. 5150's are fun, but they're a dime a dozen... 5170's are more cool, more robust, and will do everything that the 5150 will do except for cassette (and do you really want to mess with that!??)
Tetrium2
Experienced Member
Due to space concerns at the time, I decided to concentrate on standard AT (and later ATX) as those are easiest to switch parts around
Edit:Woops, just read the poll -_-
But I'll leave my comment for reference
Edit:Woops, just read the poll -_-
But I'll leave my comment for reference
billdeg
Technician
I have to agree with the consensus of keeping the 5170. It's got the ability to do whatever the 5150 could and more. It seems "less vintage" to soup up the 5150 if you needed it to do more than it was originally designed for.
If the poll was what to get rid of, I'd say the 8525, try to keep both the 5150 and 5170. Find a nook someplace. Have you tried storing computers on top of the cabinets in the kitchen? Or is that crazy? That's a good "secret spot" if you need room. The way most cabinets are, there's a little well inside behind the doors, you'd barely even see it!
No I don't store vintage computers in the kitchen, but...
If the poll was what to get rid of, I'd say the 8525, try to keep both the 5150 and 5170. Find a nook someplace. Have you tried storing computers on top of the cabinets in the kitchen? Or is that crazy? That's a good "secret spot" if you need room. The way most cabinets are, there's a little well inside behind the doors, you'd barely even see it!
No I don't store vintage computers in the kitchen, but...
tipc
Banned
as stated, the 5150 is a bit less kewl then the blustery and burgeoning 5170.
Everybody loves the AT (or should). It was the first "real" upgrade to the venerable PC. It was marvellous. It was intimidating. It was expensive. It was power personified.
...and, if you're lucky enough to have a Professional Graphics Controller and 5175 (mine doesn't work right now ), o man, you have more computing power then most eastern block countries circa 1978.
Of course this poll is skewed. It leaves out all the non-standard upgrades to the PC, like the Tandy 2000 and an innumerable host of other IBM pseudo compatibles. I maintain that the AT is still valuable and holds it's own in terms of grandeur compared to some of those wacked out contraptions.
And in closing I hold the model 25 in very very high regard (that's what an 8525 is, no?). I'm not a PS/2 person, but I looooooove the model 25. If you can't find space for it, you're doing something wrong. Don't you dare throw that baby out (but if it's color and in pristine condition, I might be interested.
Ah my 2 cents isn't quite finished. Let's here it for the good old 5150 with the 5151 monitor with long persistence P39 phosphors. A unit anyone should be proud of. Alright I cheated in this thread like crazy, but I'm sure some will find it as much fun as I did!
Why do I like IBMers and pseudo compatibles so much? Well there are a lot of non-Intel units I hold in high regard. But a lot of us cut our teeth on Intel assembly language and whatnot. A lot of us learned to _compute_ on an Intel box (all my computers these days have AMD though). I love many other 8 and 16 bitters. Atari STs rate very high with me. MSX, Commie 64, Macs, Apple IIgs. The list goes on and on.
Everybody loves the AT (or should). It was the first "real" upgrade to the venerable PC. It was marvellous. It was intimidating. It was expensive. It was power personified.
...and, if you're lucky enough to have a Professional Graphics Controller and 5175 (mine doesn't work right now
), o man, you have more computing power then most eastern block countries circa 1978.Of course this poll is skewed. It leaves out all the non-standard upgrades to the PC, like the Tandy 2000 and an innumerable host of other IBM pseudo compatibles. I maintain that the AT is still valuable and holds it's own in terms of grandeur compared to some of those wacked out contraptions.
And in closing I hold the model 25 in very very high regard (that's what an 8525 is, no?). I'm not a PS/2 person, but I looooooove the model 25. If you can't find space for it, you're doing something wrong. Don't you dare throw that baby out (but if it's color and in pristine condition, I might be interested
.Ah my 2 cents isn't quite finished. Let's here it for the good old 5150 with the 5151 monitor with long persistence P39 phosphors. A unit anyone should be proud of. Alright I cheated in this thread like crazy, but I'm sure some will find it as much fun as I did!
Why do I like IBMers and pseudo compatibles so much? Well there are a lot of non-Intel units I hold in high regard. But a lot of us cut our teeth on Intel assembly language and whatnot. A lot of us learned to _compute_ on an Intel box (all my computers these days have AMD though). I love many other 8 and 16 bitters. Atari STs rate very high with me. MSX, Commie 64, Macs, Apple IIgs. The list goes on and on.