Reviving the Rare IBM 7496 Executive Workstation
A rare IBM computer from the late 1980s has been revived by a team of restorers. The IBM 7496 Executive Workstation, a compact all-in-one unit, was part of a limited healthcare trial in the 1990s and had been stored for decades. Only a few dozen units were made and they were never publicly announced by IBM.
The computer features an 8086 processor at 8 MHz, 640 KB of memory, and MCGA graphics system. However, it also has some major issues, including faulty capacitors, a burnt-in inductor, and broken mechanical switches on the floppy drive. Roman of Epictronics spent years restoring the machine, replacing parts, and cleaning contacts.
After numerous attempts, the team was finally able to get the computer booting up and running smoothly. They also added an XT-IDE card for real storage and a period-correct AdLib clone sound card. The power supply is 100 watts, which can handle the extra equipment.