IBM-PC (English IBM PC) stands for the company IBM, its advancements and the more or less similar reproductions and continuations of this equipment family as generic term for the first personnel computer (PC) by other companies. The first IBM-PC carried the name IBM 5150 personnel computer and of 1981 to nearly six years was invariably built. In the technical language instead of "“IBM-PC"” the term "“IBM-compatible PC"” is preferred briefly or "“IBM-compatible"”. Since the appearance of Microsoft Windows 95 is the IBM-PC a historical term.

History

IBM 5150 came on 12 August 1981 on the market and was planned as fast development, in order not to leave the straight increasing market for microcomputers to the competition - above all not Apple II. up to this time had manufactured IBM only those exclusively for commercial customers determined systems IBM 5100 and System/23. These were not however comparable with the clearly more inexpensive and more flexible systems as Apple the II.

Although the development of the computer took place in shortest time and using the cheapest available components, it became a full success. One of the largest advantages of the IBM-PC consisted of the fact that it was expandable just like the model Apple II by plug-in cards, which could later be built into the computer. Beyond that easily available standard chips resulted already starting from 1983 in the Far East various reproductions (also IBM PC clones or briefly IBM clone called) from the simple structure of the PC out for everyone, which provided for a far spreading of this architecture. The IBM-PC developed to an unofficial industry standard, because it could be copied without Lizenzierung of IBM. Even over the operating system of the IBM-PC, DOS 1,0, IBM did not have a complete control, because it was developed and driven out by Microsoft.

The term IBM-PC coined/shaped the view, which a PC is. Starting from center of the 80's PCs, which were not IBM-compatible, were simply unsalable except in the home computer sector. For the assured characteristic "„IBM-compatible "“the manufacturer of reproductions of a IBM-PC gave it however never official tests or Zertifzierungen.

In the later years IBM lucky did not have with the advancement of the IBM PC. The manufacturers Compaq, Intel and Microsoft developed often future-abler concepts and standards and could with their market power this faster to industry standards intersperse than IBM. Only the PS/2-Reihe of the computers - actually determined as successors of the PCs - could keep itself in the business range some years relatively successful, then however probably failed because of hardware incompatibility despite technical superiority opposite the PC.

Nontheless also the current PC reproductions on the basis of the processors of Intel or AMD are still as far as possible compatible to its Urahn, the IBM-PC, even if with the attribute "“IBM-compatible"” is not no more recruited.

Architecture/technical structure

As processor one used the 16-Bit-Prozessor 8088 of Intel, a version 8086 with an external 8-bit data bus. The CCU was clocked with 4.77 MHz, just like the 8-bits broad system bus, which was standardized only later in its 16-Bit-Variante under the designation ISA bus. The equipment was delivered alternatively after its conception first with 16 or 64 KB main memories, with a further developed Main board later then also with up to 256. Also a Koprozessor for fast floating point computation was intended in the system Design. This component with the designation 8087 could later be inserted into an empty socket. Main storage could be extended on the Main board - depending upon version of the selbigen - on up to 64 or 256 KB, by putting in maps of foreign manufacturers later on up to 640 KB. The processor was in a the position to address 1024 KB in the system Design was however generous 384 KB of the address range for other purposes intended, for example for the BIOS and the diagram memory. Optionally the PC could first with maximally two 5,25 - floppy disk drives to be equipped, which could be used for on one side recordable disks with a capacity by 160 KB or double-sided disks by 320 KB, later even with 360 KB. Later could be equipped the 5150 also with a non removable disk with the capacity by 10 MT. It concerned thereby 5.25 - drive assembly with MFM recording and full overall height, thus the double height of a today usual DVD drive assembly.

Add-on unit

The PC could be increased with the expansion unit Model 001 (add-on unit) around an identical housing with place for additional drive assemblies and extension cards. In addition into the PC a map with driver components was put, which the bus PC connected with that to the add-on unit by a cable.

Further models of the row

• IBM PC XT
• IBM PC RK
• IBM PC Convertible
• IBM PC portable one
• IBM 3270 PC
• IBM 3270 RKS
• IBM PCjr
• IBM PC JX

Literature

• Andreas's quiet: Merry Oldies - the PC celebrates its 20ten birthday, c't 16/01, page 172

Related links

• Information, pictures, experiments approximately around IBM the 5150

Articles in category "IBM-PC"

We found here 6 articles.

Related Websites

We found here 3 related websites.

• IBM PC - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
  The original PC failed miserably in the home market, but was widely used in business. The "IBM Personal Computer XT" was an enhanced machine designed for ...


• IBM PC compatible - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
  Despite advances in computer technology, all current IBM PC compatibles remain very much compatible with the original IBM PC computers, although most of the ...


• The IBM PC - History
  IBM representatives meet for the first time with Microsofts Bill Gates to talk about writing an operating system for IBMs new hush-hush personal computer.