IBM Personal Computer (5150)

IBM PC - Hardware - System Units - 5150

Also known as: IBM PC

Type: 5150
Models: 813 (Configuration 1) (48KB RAM, one 5 1/4 Inch-160KB Diskette Drive, Asynchronous Communications Adapter)
824 (Configuration 2) (64KB RAM, two 5 1/4 Inch-160KB Diskette Drives, Asynchronous Communications Adapter)

Announcement date: 1981-08-12
Availability date: 1981-08-12
Announcement letter: 281-65 THE IBM PERSONAL COMPUTER

IBM Personal Computer (5150), Model 813 (Configuration 1)
IBM Personal Computer (5150), Model 824 (Configuration 2)

Models 813 (Configuration 1) and 824 (Configuration 2) were the first two models of the IBM Personal Computer announced.

Announcement date: 1981-08-12
Availability date: 1981-08-12
Announcement letter: 281-65 THE IBM PERSONAL COMPUTER

Maximum RAM: 256KB
Maximum FDDs: two 5/4 Inch-160KB

Depth: 410 mm (16")
Length: 500 mm (20")
Height: 142 mm (6")

Weight: 9.5 kg (21 lbs) (without diskette drives)

From the announcement:

Today IBM is announcing the IBM Personal Computer. This low
cost system provides computing capability in a small package: system
unit with keyboard, diskette drives, monochrome display, and an 80
cps printer. Application software is available for stand-alone
operation and, with the BASIC programming language, users may write
their own programs. The asynchronous communications capability will
provide access to host systems and other information sources.)
It is IBM's intent to provide a subset of full 3270 emulation
capability on the IBM Personal Computer.
The system is composed of separate units:
* System Unit: A high-performance microprocessor with 40K bytes of
read-only memory (ROM) and up to 256K bytes of random access
memory for user programs. All memory is parity checked. The
following are standard on each System Unit:
- An enhanced version of the Microsoft BASIC 80 Interpreter
(contained in ROM).
- A speaker which can be programmed to produce tones.
- Attachment for a customer-supplied cassette recorder for
loading and saving programs and data.
- An 83-key keyboard.
The following options are available:
- Installation of up to two IBM 5 1/4 Inch-160KB Diskette Drives
inside the System Unit.
- Asynchronous (start-stop) ASCII communications.
- Attachment of the IBM Monochrome Display, and/or a
customer-supplied color or black and white monitor or TV,
using optional adapters. Attachment of a TV requires a
customer-supplied RF modulator.
- Attachment of the IBM 80 CPS Matrix Printer using an optional
adapter.
* Monochrome display with 25 lines of 80 characters
* 80 cps bidirectional matrix printer
The optional IBM Personal Computer Diskette Software (DOS
Diskette) provides:
* Support for the 5 1/4 Inch-160KB Diskette Drives
* Extension to the BASIC Interpreter for diskette operations and
enhancements to the display graphics, speaker, light pen, and
joystick support
* Diskette utilities including copying, naming, and displaying files
* Support for the Pascal compiler
Optional application software:
* Asynchronous Communications Support - support for operation as a
TTY* ASR 33/35 terminal and for the exchange of program and data
files with the host system
* VisiCalc** - powerful calculator/spread sheet functions for the
business professional
* EasyWriter*** - an easy-to-use, functionally rich word processor
* The Accounting System by Peachtree Software, Inc. - business
software including packages for general ledger, accounts
receivable and accounts payable
* Microsoft Adventure - an educational game
* Trademark of Teletype Corp.
** Trademark of Personal Software Inc.
*** Trademark of Information Unlimited Software Inc.)
Standard System Unit/Keyboard configurations
Two standard configurations are offered to meet the
requirements of a majority of customers. The customer must select a
video output adapter option for the System Unit and provide the
appropriate video output device. Other customer-installable options
are also available. The System Unit configurations and the
customer-installable options are shown in Figure 1 attached and
described below.
Configuration 1: Includes the System Unit/Keyboard, 40KB of
ROM, 48KB of user memory, programmable speaker, cassette attachment
jack, 5 1/4 Inch Diskette Drive Adapter, one 5 1/4 Inch-160KB
Diskette Drive and an Asynchronous Communications Adapter.
Configuration 2: Same as Configuration 1 but with 64KB of user
memory and two 5 1/4 Inch-160KB Diskette Drives.
Note: For System Unit Configurations 1 and 2 shipped prior to
January 1982, the Asynchronous Communications Adapter must be
installed in one of the System Unit's five system expansion slots.
For System Unit Configuration 2, the customer must install a 16KB
Memory Expansion Kit on the System Unit's system board to bring the
memory to 64KB and also install the second diskette drive in the
System Unit. After January 1982, these installations will be
completed prior to shipment.
Each configuration uses two of the five system expansion slots
in the System Unit, one for the 5 1/4 Inch Diskette Drive Adapter and
one for the Asynchronous Communications Adapter.
One of the three remaining system expansion slots must be used
for an adapter to support a video output device. The customer must
order and install an adapter and either a display, monitor, or TV as
follows:
* The IBM Monochrome Display requires an IBM Monochrome Display and
Printer Adapter.
* A customer-supplied color or black and white monitor or TV
requires the IBM Color/Graphics Monitor Adapter. If a TV is used,
the customer must also provide an RF modulator.
The two remaining system expansion slots may be used to
support customer-installable options:
* The IBM 80 CPS Matrix Printer requires either the IBM Monochrome
Display and Printer Adapter (which may already be installed to
support the IBM Monochrome Display) or the IBM Printer Adapter.
* 32KB or 64KB memory expansions (if installed on a Configuration 1,
a 16KB memory expansion, which does not require a system expansion
slot, is required to fully populate the system expansion board to
64KB).
Note: The maximum memory which may be installed on a standard
configuration after a video adapter option is installed is 192KB
(64KB on the system expansion board and two 64KB Memory Expansion
Options in the system expansion slots).
* The Game Control Adapter supports customer-supplied paddles or
joysticks for video game interaction.
A second 5 1/4 Inch-160KB Diskette Drive may be installed on
Configuration 1 and will utilize the already installed 5 1/4 Inch
Diskette Drive Adapter.
The minimum configuration consists of Configuration 1 with a
video output device and appropriate adapter. To write to or to read
from the diskette drive, the IBM Personal Computer Diskette Software
(DOS Diskette), which includes the Disk and Advanced levels of the
BASIC interpreter, is required. Each unit is shipped with an
unpack/inventory checklist and installation instructions. A DOS
reference manual and binder are shipped with the DOS Diskette. The
BASIC reference manual, included with the System Unit, describes the
Disk and Advanced levels.

...

IBM PERSONAL COMPUTER - DETAILED DESCRIPTION
System Unit/Keyboard
The System Unit is the heart of the IBM Personal Computer. The
System Unit with its companion keyboard is rugged, easy-to-use, and
controls a variety of input/output devices. Each System Unit comes
with at least 16KB (16,384 bytes) of memory for user programs. Based
on the high performance Intel 8088 Microprocessor, each System Unit
includes in the 40KB ROM an enhanced version of the popular Microsoft
BASIC-80 Interpreter and a jack for attachment of a user-supplied
cassette recorder for loading or saving programs and data. A
programmable speaker which can produce tones is also standard. The
System Unit can be further expanded through options that are
customer-installed in five system expansion slots (one of which is
used for a display or monitor adapter).
Memory may be incremented from 16KB to 64KB on the system
board of the System Unit and then up to a System Unit total of 256KB.
While each System Unit has a jack for the attachment of a cassette
recorder, one or two diskette drives may be easily added for rapid
access to programs and data.
Highlights of the System Unit include:
* Intel 8088 Microprocessor
* 4.77 MHz clock speed
* Up to 256KB random access memory
* 250ns memory access time
* 410ns cycle time
* Parity checking
* 63.5 watt power supply; cooling fan
* Approximate dimensions: 410mm (16") depth, 500mm (20") length,
142mm (6") height
* Approximate weight: 9.5kg. (21 lbs) (without diskette drives)
An enhanced version of the Microsoft BASIC-80 Interpreter
(cassette level) is standard in the ROM of each System Unit.
Highlights of the BASIC-80 Interpreter include:
* Select 40 or 80 character display lines
* Full screen editor for easy program creation and modification
* Up to 16 foreground and 8 background colors (with appropriate
monitor adapter)
* Automatic line numbering
* 40-character variable names (all characters significant)
* Multiple statements per program line
* 250 characters per program line
* Comments on program lines
* Up to 17-digit numeric precision
* Supports sequential cassette files
* Error trapping
* Addressable workspace up to 60KB
* Integer/real/string variables
* Single and double precision floating point numbers

Page created: 2021-08-11 Page last updated: 2023-10-02