Just scored another XT!

[dongfeng]

I haven't posted much lately as most of my collection has been boxed away following a house move, but I haven't gone away, just been lurking and reading

However, I have just aquired yet another XT system that certainly deserves a mention!

It's a bog standard 5160-499 system... but it is IMMACULATE. It even has the original boxes! I got it from the original owner who used it to program Pascal.

It doesn't even need cleaning (boo hoo, my Cif is getting lonely), but the monitor does need a good dose of Retr0brite to get rid of the yellowing. If I am being picky, the key tops are a little grubby.

The date inside the machine dates it as 1987 and the motherboard also 87. The MB actually has a proper 256-640 sticker on it, rather than a converted "early" board, which my other two late (86) XT's have. Inside it has a floppy controller, HDD controller, Async card and mono graphics.

The hard drive looks like a ST-225 with different stickers on it. Sadly it wouldn't boot up, or even read from the drive after booting from a floppy, but a low-level format fixed it.

I have a spare IBM 5153 CGA monitor and card, but it feels totally wrong to change this system!

 

[dongfeng]

Sadly, the PSU doesn't work, so it is currently hooked up to the PSU from my other XT for now. When you flick the switch, the fan moves about 2mm, then stops.

The hard drive looks like a ST-225, it's half-height bolted to a full-height IBM cradle to make it look like a full-height drive.

The only modification the owner made was to fit a 3.5" floppy drive and disconnect the 5.25". It was beige and looked awful, so I have fitted back the original blanking cradle and plastic surround. So now it is back to as it was when purchased in 1987.

The inside is not even dusty!!!

It's a shame he didn't also buy an IBM monitor!

 

[Darshevo]

Thats a really nice piece of equipment. Its cool having that monitor setting on it so you can see how bright and original the XT. Excellent addition to the collection

-Lance

 

[nige the hippy]

Haven't heard from you in a while, (Have you seen Terry????) looks lovely. At least there's something to fix on it! I must send an email to some people in Milton Keynes that have an entire loft STUFFED full of retro gear, they may have an IBM monitor or PSU spare (Ah...do you mean you want to keep the odd monitor?, (Speaking of which I've finally got an asr-33 of sorts, but it's in a funny case, I was considering seeing if I could get a proper case from a faulty machine, but the funny case has grown on me! ))

 

[tezza]

Luverly computer and great condition! Makes me want to get an XT.

In particular it makes me want to get a green-screen monitor so I can hook up my IBM-PC (I have an MGC card) and see those crisp green letters! CGA just doesn't do it for me.

The monitor looks ok with the yellowing. It looks like it simply came in two tone colours, white and beige.

Tez

 

[dongfeng]

Haven't heard from you in a while, (Have you seen Terry????) looks lovely. At least there's something to fix on it! I must send an email to some people in Milton Keynes that have an entire loft STUFFED full of retro gear, they may have an IBM monitor or PSU spare (Ah...do you mean you want to keep the odd monitor?, (Speaking of which I've finally got an asr-33 of sorts, but it's in a funny case, I was considering seeing if I could get a proper case from a faulty machine, but the funny case has grown on me! ))

Sadly since I moved house last November (!) my machines have been boxed away. Now that I've finally finished the decoration and actually bought some furniture, I can get some of them out again I haven't seen Terry though, where's he disappeared off to?

If they do have anything, please let me know! I'd love to get a perfect condition 5151 for this machine. Likewise with the PSU - I also have an XT/286 with a dead PSU. The XT has been on all evening, and I have to say, in comparison with my CGA XT it is rather boring as you can't do many fun things in Mono!

I did install BBC BASIC x86 on it and been having a dabble in that for the first time in years

Post some pictures, Nige!!! :D

Luverly computer and great condition! Makes me want to get an XT.

In particular it makes me want to get a green-screen monitor so I can hook up my IBM-PC (I have an MGC card) and see those crisp green letters! CGA just doesn't do it for me.

The monitor looks ok with the yellowing. It looks like it simply came in two tone colours, white and beige.

Tez

Yes, you should get one

The 5151 monitors actually aren't that heavy (the 5153's are real weights in comparison). NOTHING beats the mono text, especially typing in the dark

 

[IBMMuseum]

...I haven't seen Terry though, where's he disappeared off to?...

Last postings for here and Facebook are up to mid-May. With him away for so long I'm thinking rather grim thoughts. I can't find any listed phone number for him online to check either.

 

[Erik]

Last postings for here and Facebook are up to mid-May. With him away for so long I'm thinking rather grim thoughts. I can't find any listed phone number for him online to check either.

Same here. No clue where he's off too.

 

[Fallo]

The XT has been on all evening, and I have to say, in comparison with my CGA XT it is rather boring as you can't do many fun things in Mono!

No Ms. Pac-Man, no Alley Cat, no Digger, no Sierra adventures...

You could always play Pac-Girl or Infocom adventures, but I'd get a Hercules card. MDA just doesn't cut it.

The 5151 monitors actually aren't that heavy (the 5153's are real weights in comparison). NOTHING beats the mono text, especially typing in the dark

I have a 5151, and it is fairly lightweight, but monochrome monitors have a lot less stuff in them than color ones. Some emulators like DOSBox and MESS support Hercules, but you can't emulate the look of a monochrome monitor, especially that neat long persistence phosphor. The only way you can come close is by using a monochrome VGA monitor with your PC.

 

[Trixter]

Where are you located? I ask because the keyboard pic you posted has a keyboard layout I haven't seen before (look near the enter key).

 

[Jorg]

Hey Dongfeng, good to see you are alive and 'back up' again.

That machine is *clean* indeed..
I hope the 80's design meets the approval of your domestic management CEO..

 

[dongfeng]

Where are you located? I ask because the keyboard pic you posted has a keyboard layout I haven't seen before (look near the enter key).

It's a standard British layout... you need to install a driver to work it, KEYBUK /E runs UK keyboard at enhanced layout in PC-DOS 3.2!

The standard 5150 keyboard is slightly different too...

 

[dongfeng]

Hey Dongfeng, good to see you are alive and 'back up' again.

That machine is *clean* indeed..
I hope the 80's design meets the approval of your domestic management CEO..

It's a bit too clean... I feel a bit sad I don't have a new machine to rejuvenate :lol:

Well it certainly meets MY approval :D