IBM PC 300GL - An introduction and exploration
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- Опубліковано 11 лют 2022
- Lets take a look around, and inside, this IBM PC 300GL. One of the more interesting 'beige box' business machines of the late 90s. We'll have a quick look at the history of the IBM PC line, a more detailed look at this model and then see what makes it tick.
- Наука та технологія
the first computer I bought in 2004, I was then a student in France, and I knew nothing about computers. I made my first steps in building computers with it. I installed Windows XP , and a PCI graphic card later (Riva tnt2 ). I played video games and emulated 90s consoles in it. 18 years later I still own it , but CPU and RAM are missing , I'll order them on Ebay
Sounds like you had many good memories with the 300GL and good to hear you still own it too!
I think I had this computer (or a similar model) but mine came with AGP. I had a ATI 3D AGP card because I could not install any other; there was no fit because of some mechanical issue. I had it with Windows 98SE. Installed a SCSI IDE card with a CD-RW and a SCSI HDD for boot, the IDE HDDs were for data storage. Upgraded the machine to P3 and the RAM to the max of 3x128M. I played many hours of Age of Empires 2, Diablo 2, Gothic and Anno 1602. Also I made many VCDs on that machine for my family and friends with music clips and family photos slideshows. Change it with Athlon XP and I was happy to use a better GPU (Radeon 2500) and more memory. Then I switched to XP.
It seems like these made solid gaming PCs as well as business machines, good to head you got so much use out of yours!
debateing to get this or a packard bel from 1994, as what we atarted out with,, either or model could supposrt windows 7 max,, not windows 10.. very interesting video by far,,nice very informative,,nice points..
Damn, that was my first computer that i received for my 18 birthday
Thats a nice 18th Birthday present!
Around 2004 I bought a 300GL for my then girlfriend. It was super cheap as those computers were already obsolete at the time. I remember being surprised of how quiet that machine was compared to my assembled PC with its terrible noisy fans and low quality power supply. Otherwise the 300GL was a bulky and heavy machine, and hard to fit on a desk. The plastic lid broke and was not attachable anymore; it was dangling. The custom motherboard and power supply prevented any extensions. So yes, I would not get one again, even for cheap. Being a retro enthusiast myself, I prefer machines made from off the shelf components, with standard cases etc. Anyways, thanks for the nostalgic video.
I find its a lighter machine in general than some of the AT style PCs it came after, due in part I think to the fact it uses a lot more plastic than them. But yeah, it's certainly heavier than some of the later machines. It would be nice if they had gone without the riser and custom motherboard, but I guess that is the direction a lot of the major manufacturers were going in. *cough* dell *cough*.
Still there is just something about this design that I really like, even though it is more limited in some way due to it's custom parts.
@@RetroSuperhighway The external design mixing white and blue is beautiful, I 100% agree. I know the old coloring was for different reasons, but for me white or beige computers were reminiscent of the space race era and space ships. Too bad we have given up on it and now everything is in obligatory black.
Yeah I can agree with that, it would be nice to have some other colours on modern gear, for the peripherals too, not just the PC cases.
Mind giving up the brand and model number that monitor that looks really nice
No worries, it is an NEC Multisync LCD 1760VM (L172EP)
Primer super cachanga
A nice looking late-stage IBM Personal Computer. Looks huge, I wonder if a full length ISA card (33cm) will fit in one of those two ISA slots?
You can put a full size card in, there are the guides for the end of the card in the front of the case. However you would have to check the hight of the card as it would get very close to the CPU if it were a tall card.
@@RetroSuperhighway Height would be standard ISA card pcb spec, about 4.2". So from the bottom of the card connector, which should be the bottom of the ISA slot it fits into, and to the top edge of the board, you need, let us say, 4.3" of clearance to the back of the cpu case, or around 110 mm. Blimey. It is going to be a tight fit if it fits at all.
@@RetroSuperhighway I check this picture ancientelectronics.files.wordpress.com/2020/11/ibmpl6.jpg and it does seem like a tigh squeeze if the ISA card is full height. It will protude a wee bit above the mounting bracket. Getting dangerously close to the CPU slot.
I put an AWE64 in one of the ISA slots a while back and while it's not a full length card, it is a tall card. Not sure of the height off the top of my head, but it just touches the CPU support post when it is installed. (To the point where I had to ease the motherboard out a bit, install the card into the ISA slot on the riser and then push the motherboard back in!)
@@RetroSuperhighway Sounds like the full length ISA card will fit just as well if you remove the cpu first, because the bracket is in place.
Thank you mister Retro Superhighway. I think I am going to pounce on that 300PL.
I don't remember which 300 model it was but mine lacked AGP but the onboard audio & video worked great for DOS Games & SNES, Sega Genesis emulation & older games. The Dvd playback was good. I eventually installed a pci video card for dual monitors, Soundblaster Live sound card for better sound and 2nd pci 10/100 nic.
It came with Win98. I installed 98SE, Win2000SP4 & eventually XP SP3.
The machine worked well until the power supply went bad drives & cards still worked the mobo not so much..
Seems like someone put an older CD-ROM+Soundcard into a new computer.... I'd guess a 32-36X would've been standard around this time
I had a similar model for years. Pentium 2 400 64mb ram, Almost 4gb WD hd, onboard video ,crystal audio & 10/100 ethernet originally. I maxed out thr ram put in dual hds & replaced the generic lg oem cdrom with a dvd cd burner. .
Thats really close specs to this machine apart from the on board audio. Though there are missing ICs and components on the motherboard for audio, so I guess thats what would have originally gone there.
Yes but can it do calculations like a IBM 5100 from Steins Gate Anime. I want to time travel!🤣😂🤣
I think IBM promised it in a future driver update! 🤣
I just was given an IBM 300PL and it has windows 98. Mine says battery issue but yet loads. It trying to fix windows 98 loading issue do to bad shutdown.
Hopefully just a flat battery and not a leaky one!
@@RetroSuperhighway no turns out it just needed to reset. It now runs great with no issues
Always found it quite funny that IBM made their own hard drives, but didn't trust them enough to use them in their own systems.....
Haha, very true! I suppose there is a chance this isn't the original HD, but then again.....