IBM AS/400 B-Series in 23 (1998)
When their other computers prove to be inadequate the guys buy a second-hand "PDP-11", in fact an AS/400, to help them crack passwords, but are unable to use it because of a lack of three-phase power and air conditioning.
Well it's not a PDP-11, but even given that the AS/400 would have been more or less new when this film was set and buying one second hand would not have been feasible.
Landon Rodgers
Actually, this could be any AS/400 from the B/C/D/E/F series, which was made between 1988 until the architecture was overhauled with the RISC-based models in 1995. It's extremely likely that this machine was a second-hand AS/400, because around 1998, IBM was cutting off support for the B/C/D/E/F line in favor of the black-colored RISC models, which led to many companies upgrading to newer AS/400 equipment, leading to a large supply of second hand AS/400 equipment at the time. Hope this helps.
2011-03-07 10:10
art
I find this to be humorous, as MY AS/400 requires 220 single pase and a windo fan when the room gets too hot...
2014-08-21 20:27
M.S.
In the German original the computer is unusable in the first place because it's damaged and Karl's domicile lacks a air-condition. The problem with the current supply is based on a 32 A, single-voltage-supply of the computer; older buildings as seen in the film normally have 12 A or 10 A fuses. I think the three-phase issue is a misunderstanding of the term »Starkstrom« (meaning “high-current”) This term was a normative term for all voltages below 1000V except extra-low-voltage until the year 2000 and is used for three-phase-supplies in colloquial until today.
2016-03-26 08:52
nowayI sawthisfilm
@Landon Rodgers, The movie was made in 1998 but the story takes place around 1986-1989. Hence the anachronism. By the way, they actually want to buy a micro pdp 11 (something like this I guess: http://www.computinghistory.org.uk/det/39684/Digital-Micro-PDP-11-53/) but the computer was sold and the seller suggests the old model instead ("the same, just a little bigger") Not only the computer couldn't work because of the voltage and air-conditioning but also they realize a part is broken when they arrive at home. It's a funny scene.
2021-07-13 21:05