Vintage Computing - Pentium 75

In mid 2019, I became interested in vintage PCs again, or perhaps still.  I was feeling nostalgic about the era around 1993 when I got my first PC, a Gateway 2000 486DX 25.  If memory serves, that PC came with 4 MB of RAM, a 170 MB hard drive, and an. upgrade to the 15” CrystalScan monitor.

I started to look around a bit on Craigslist, but I didn’t know yet that because of the popularity of YouTubers like the 8-Bit Guy and LGR, I’m not the only one feeling nostalgic.  The cost of retro computers has started to go up significantly in the last few years.  The fact that most of these computers have already been recycled by now makes even systems that used to be very common more rare.

So, after finding only computers that were too new, I reached out to a Craigslist seller who mentioned that they had other computers for sale that were not yet listed.  This seller did not have a 486 on offer at the time, but recommended a Pentium 75 system that was nicely equipped.  I remember being amazed by the Pentium systems when they were new, and for me one of the most enjoyable aspects of retro computing is being able to purchase systems that I could not afford back in the day.  The computer had been carefully gone over by the seller and parts had been changed out to get it in good working order.  I was immediately able to use and enjoy the machine for retro gaming.

One of my longtime interests has been alternate operating systems, so one of the first upgrades I performed on this machine was to get it booting from a compact flash card slot on the back of the machine.  This allows me to load multiple operating systems on different CF cards.  The included hard drive still works, and it’s in the case if I ever want to go back to it, but the compact flash cards have so many benefits.  They provide an easy way to move files onto the retro computer, make backups easy, and run faster.  The compact flash card upgrade is kind of a no brainer, especially for DOS retro PCs where the costs are only $10-15 dollars for the circuit board that adapts the IDE cable to a CF card, and the OS doesn’t use the drive for virtual memory.

Shortly after purchasing the machine, I bought and installed Planet X3, the excellent top down strategy game by David Murray, the 8-bit guy.  I realized that I was interested in the idea of traveling further back in time to before I was interested in computing, before I even owned a computer, but the Pentium 75 really started me back on the path for retro computing in the PC world.

As I started getting interested in XT class machines, this computer has morphed into a bridge computer through adding a 360K floppy disk drive, which I was able to find at the local Free Geek here.  I took the drive apart enough to clean the heads, tested, and install it in this PC, which now serves as a disk imaging workstation with Dave Dunfeild’s IMD program.

So, the mid 90s being pretty well represented by this hardware, I have moved onto other projects, but this system still remains setup and will retain pride of place in my collection, receiving new software, making new 360K floppy disks, and perhaps even the occasional hardware upgrade.

My current wish list for this computer includes:
Epson branded VGA Monitor from the period
Epson PS/2 Keyboard from the period (or an older, clicky beige AT keyboard)
Adaptec PCI SCSI card
360K Floppy Drive w/ Beige Faceplate