No matter how much we love retro hardware, there are tasks that simply cannot be run on old computers, regardless of any overclocking or direct upgrade. At the same time, there are certain setups that are not entirely recommended for the beginner in retrocomputing. Retro enthusiast VWestlife not only explains in one of his videos why a 286 would not be the best option, but also shares some performance tests decoding JPG images on a 286 from 1990...
It's a fairly common question on forums and other specialized sites: you want to take your first steps in retrocomputing, but you don't know which computer to look for. The good news is twofold. There are many options out there, and if you stay away from traditional points of sale that treat everything as if it were pure gold, you'll find quite reasonable prices.
The bad news is that there is always the possibility of finding a bigger problem, turning the 'project' into a challenge with a prohibitive cost, or into a glorified paperweight. On the other hand, there are things that certain retro computers cannot do, or rather, cannot do with acceptable performance. That's how we get to the YouTube channel of VWestlife, well known in the retro circuit, and in a video he presents his 286 from NCR:
The 286 and the Challenges of the "Graphic Era"
The computer in question is an NCR 286 running at 12 MHz with 1.6 MB of RAM (640K of base and 1 MB of extended), and an 80287 coprocessor installed. Purchased at a discount store in 2017, the computer showed its first difficulty through a dead lithium battery, which during its replacement ended up punctured and spilling liquid. VWestlife explains that if the user limits themselves to productivity tasks like word processing, the 286 is an adequate processor, but it falls apart once we move to multimedia environments.
Windows 3.0 runs correctly in standard mode (since it's not a 386, the extended mode is not available), however, the computer's limitations become even more evident when moving to Windows 3.1. VWestlife also adds historical data to his presentation: sales of 286 and 386 machines started at similar levels, but the 286 collapsed in late 1991, and the 386 became the dominant processor... although not for long.
Decoding JPG Photos on a 286
The video also contains benchmarks, tests with some games, and details about the video chip, the best part of the equipment according to VWestlife. It's a Western Digital Paradise PVGA1A with its memory expanded to 512 kilobytes, which allows it to decode JPG images on a 286. Does it do a good job? Actually... no. An image at 640 x 480 and reduced to 256 colors took about a minute and a half to be processed. The second image is just a joke by VWestlife, and apparently he's right, bare-chest selfies were indeed invented in the '90s. (?)
In summary, the 286 was a processor trapped between generations, quickly replaced by superior technology. Obviously, every retrocomputing enthusiast will love having one, and there's much to learn from these computers, but if the goal is to do a bit of retrogaming or play music, it wouldn't be a bad idea to aim for something more powerful as a first computer.
