Introduced in 1986, two models were released: the desktop IBM 6151, as displayed in the museum, and the tower version (6150). It was IBM’s answer to compete with the then-popular Unix workstations such as the DEC MicroVAX II and Sun Microsystems Sun-3. However, the IBM system was neither cheaper (a system cost around $40,000) nor faster.

These workstations were mainly used for CAD/CAM (for which an additional IBM 5080 or 5085 graphics card had to be installed) or for computational tasks in networked environments. There were three operating system options: AIX, the Academic Operating System (AOS), and Pick. The latter was a multi-user operating system focused on data processing and databases.

The computer was supplied with a minimum of 1 MB of memory, expandable up to 16 MB. In addition to the standard 5.88 MHz processor, it was possible to add a coprocessor or replace it with two faster processor cards: the Advanced Processor Card with a 10 MHz CPU and a 20 MHz FPU (Motorola 68881), or the Enhanced Advanced Processor Card with 12.5 MHz and 16 MB of memory.

Due to its high price, low performance, and lack of software support for IBM’s Unix (AIX), only about 23,000 units were sold, of which 4,000 remained within IBM for development purposes.

Its successor, the IBM RS/6000, was much better received.

Between 1987 and 1992, IBM RT PCs were used in NSFNET as important network nodes. NSFNET was one of the networks that eventually evolved into the Internet.