The History of the IBM PC 5150

Welcome to Floppy Days episode 106 for August, 2021.  I am Randy Kindig, your host.  As regular listeners will remember, we are currently talking about computers released in 1981.  It just so happens that the next computer up is the IBM PC 5150, the grand-daddy of most modern personal computers.  It just so happens that this very month, August, is the 40th anniversary of the venerable IBM PC.  This wasn’t planned.  It just fortuitously worked out this way.  I’m planning to have a couple-episode arc on this topic, starting this month with the long and interesting history of the 5150.  How it came about and why are we living today with the choices made clear back in 1981?

Although I’ll be running solo this month, as Bill Gates just couldn’t free himself up to co-host with me, I will have a co-host for the follow-up episode where we cover tech specs, books, magazines, Web sites, and all the usual topics.

Before we get into the 5150 history, I will be talking a bit about new acquisitions in the vintage computer hobby and what I’ve been up to.  

Finally, while I usually eschew talking about monetary support for this podcast, I do want to mention that I have a way for you help if you have the  inclination.  I have a page set up at https://www.patreon.com/FloppyDays where you can donate.  Any funds will be used to defray the cost of managing the podcast as well as acquiring new hardware to talk about.

New Acquisitions

• iWoz book - https://amzn.to/2Wurftw 
• Jobs movie - https://amzn.to/3kC9IYQ 
• PCJrSD + case - https://www.raphnet.net/electronique/sdcartJR/index_en.php 
• MS-DOS 5 disks from Jim Leonard - https://www.pcjribm.com/phpBB3/viewtopic.php?t=26 
• MCX32 SD - https://thezippsterzone.com/mc-10-items-for-sale/ 
• Retrocomputer Coloring Book by Quick Web Books - https://amzn.to/3zwK1iG 
• AmtixCPC Magazine - https://www.patreon.com/amtixcpcmagazine/posts 

Upcoming Shows

• VCF Midwest Sep 11-12 http://vcfmw.org/announce , Elmhurst, IL (Chicago) 
• Second Annual Kennett Classic September 25, https://www.kennettclassic.com/ , Kennett Square, PA 
• Tandy Assembly October 1-3 in Springfield Ohio, http://www.tandyassembly.com/ (play ad for Tandy Assembly) 
• VCF East October 8, 9, 10, 2021: Vintage Computer Festival East , Wall NJ 
• Commodore Los Angeles Super Show (CLASS) November 6-7, Burbank, CA, http://www.portcommodore.com/class 

References

• https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/IBM_Personal_Computer 
• https://www.ibm.com/ibm/history/exhibits/pc25/pc25_birth.html 
• https://www.ibm.com/ibm/history/exhibits/pc25/pc25_reference.html
• http://oldcomputers.net/ibm5150.html