The PowerStack was one of the Motorola Computer Group’s entries into the personal computer (PC) market around the time the Microsoft Windows/Intel x86 juggernaut was stumbling with their mass market Windows 3.11 replacement. It’s a compact, modular, efficient platform featuring IBM/Motorola’s PowerPC CPUs as well as best-in-class contemporary interfaces like PCI and SCSI. A compute element could be stacked with other modular I/O and storage cases to expand its capabilities without having to rehome the computer in a larger chassis.
I had never heard of this machine before, illustrating just how much random non-x86 machines were produced in the ’90s. This one definitely looks more out there than most, and most likely utterly impossible to find anywhere.
I have one, I believe a slightly faster model with a 604 cpu.
They are one of the few machines capable of running the short lived PowerPC port of Solaris, as well as Windows NT and AIX.
I turned it on a few days ago to make sure it’s still working, but i do seem to have lost the hard drive on which Solaris was installed. Last time i tried it there was no compiler for Solaris/PPC but now one seems to have been found so i might have another play with it when i get some free time.
That is so cool. Is it the 180mhz model or one of the lower specced ones? Got any pictures of the internals that you would like to share?
I believe it has a 133mhz 604, but i would need to double check when i get some free time..
Yeah, thats an odd piece of equipment, but I’m sure its six sigma certified.