IBM Personal Computer (5150)
The IBM computer of August 1981 whose open design and Microsoft operating system set the pattern for the PC industry.
IBM announced the Personal Computer, model 5150, on August 12, 1981. A small team in Boca Raton, Florida, led by Don Estridge, built it quickly from off-the-shelf parts, including an Intel 8088 processor running at 4.77 megahertz. Microsoft supplied the operating system, sold by IBM as PC DOS.
IBM published the technical details of the machine and its expansion slots. Other makers wrote compatible software and built compatible hardware. Compaq introduced the first portable clone in 1983. The base model cost $1,565.
Why it matters
The PC made personal computing a business tool and created a standard that other makers could copy. Microsoft and Intel profited from that standard for decades.
Key facts
- Announced August 12, 1981.
- Intel 8088 at 4.77 MHz.
- Base price $1,565.
- Ran PC DOS from Microsoft.
- Designed by a team in Boca Raton, Florida.
Sources
- Campbell-Kelly, Martin, and William Aspray, et al. Computer: A History of the Information Machine. 3rd ed. Westview Press, 2013.
- Chposky, James, and Ted Leonsis. Blue Magic: The People, Power and Politics Behind the IBM Personal Computer. Facts on File, 1988.
- Computer History Museum, "Timeline of Computer History" (computerhistory.org/timeline).