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Ibm pc 5150a..... Possibly a pre-release build???

k2x4b524[ said:
unless it was before they started having their logo molded into the plasti. That brings up a good question, when did they start molding their name into the plastic?
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That question has been asked before, and was not answered. An authoritative source is IBM internal documents, if they can be located.

billdeg said:
The oldest pc 5150s had no IBM logo. Tandon 100-1a.
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That must have extended to the early TM100-2As supplied to IBM, because I have one (no IBM logo, but an IBM sticker on the inside).
 
My 0542048 does not have the front logo while my 1071100 does. So that's narrowed it down to about half a million units ...
 
You don't want to assume a person did not add or swap drives at some point after purchase. People would have dumped 180k drives eventually. People used to use their 5150s for many years. Upgrades were common.

For that reason the chassis holds more weight to date orig purchase.
 
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Did IBM even make a cassette storage device to match? I'm familiar with the cassette port having seen it, but have never seen a cassette device, or anyone use a tape with it at all.

framer said:
It may have only had a graphic card. Some used a cassette for storage. The original cards had wider black plates in the end of the card and they don't fit XT and later models.

framer
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k2x4b524[ said:
Did IBM even make a cassette storage device to match? I'm familiar with the cassette port having seen it, but have never seen a cassette device, or anyone use a tape with it at all.
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No IBM did not. If IBM ever sold such a configuration (not if it was possible to order one but actually if someone ordered a unit with two blank plates instead of drives) it is EXTREMELY unlikely you will find it in that configuration. As Bill says it would have been upgraded long ago!
 
hello
another low serial on the bay at the moment. (not me selling). Metal speaker holder (model A!) , and the box says #0103169 , rather old ;)
/cimonvg
 
That's a shame, Hardly any original left, Looks like a bitsa, not worth a lot.
 
I'm kinda wondering if I have everyone beat on serial numbers. Still wish we actually had a serial number registry... Mine is 0100485.
IMG_20190712_210542.jpg
 
I’ve got three revision B 5150s, but I want an A so bad! Definitely need to find me one. It wouldn’t have to be a super early one; any revision A would do.
 
pkhoury said:
I'm kinda wondering if I have everyone beat on serial numbers. Still wish we actually had a serial number registry...
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A few people have tried to get one started before, Trouble is i've never seen anything official from IBM, Even when there was loads of documentation on IBM's server wayback, Given that IBM sold complete and bare bones systems and IBM factories in other countries, Any unofficial list made would be an unreliable source of info.
 
Malc said:
A few people have tried to get one started before, Trouble is i've never seen anything official from IBM, Even when there was loads of documentation on IBM's server wayback, Given that IBM sold complete and bare bones systems and IBM factories in other countries, Any unofficial list made would be an unreliable source of info.
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That makes sense, and it is IBM. Good luck getting a lot out of them as it is.
 
pkhoury said:
I'm kinda wondering if I have everyone beat on serial numbers. Still wish we actually had a serial number registry... Mine is 0100485.
View attachment 54553
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Could be. :D The question is how well the rest of your system stands up. For example my 5150A is a bit later then yours in the serial number list but it is all original, super clean, in the original serial number matched box, with the original HARD green Styrofoam packing (not the grey/black spongy one). Do you have more pictures? The insides, drives, the MB?
 
I only got it with the bottom part of the case, PSU and the motherboard. Nothing else. One of the caps on the bottom left under the first memory bank is cracked at the bottom. Of course, I didn't power this on, and don't have a TTL monitor anyways. Call me a hypocrite, but my other 5150's and 5160's all use VGA cards. Ha, until 2 weeks ago, I didn't even own a CRT (had my last one in 2001 or 2002).
 
It would be fantastic to see more pictures, especially of the motherboard, floppy drive, and expansion cards. Yours is definitely quite early. It has the extra DB-25 cutout above the keyboard and cassette ports. That got removed around serial 0150000.
 
pkhoury said:
I only got it with the bottom part of the case, PSU and the motherboard. Nothing else. One of the caps on the bottom left under the first memory bank is cracked at the bottom. Of course, I didn't power this on, and don't have a TTL monitor anyways. Call me a hypocrite, but my other 5150's and 5160's all use VGA cards. Ha, until 2 weeks ago, I didn't even own a CRT (had my last one in 2001 or 2002).
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WE definitely need other pictures of this gem, please take a time to make pictures. Where you get this piece? Some story about it? I am certainly sure that this is the lowest SN on this forum.
AND YES, WE FINALLY NEED SOMEONE TO TAKE REGISTER OF 5150A SERIAL NUMBERS. Also with pictures and names of owners...
 
k2x4b524[ said:
unless it was before they started having their logo molded into the plastic. That brings up a good question, when did they start molding their name into the plastic?
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I have one theory. IBM started printing this logo to FDD's with introducing IBM PC XT. Why? Because started printing IBM logo to hard drives. Before XT hard drives not contained any IBM logo (logically) so with introducing IBM XT IBM started printing logo also to floppy drives. According to my observation floppy drives before 1983 didn't have IBM logo. Newer models with factory date 1983+ has IBM logo on the front.
 
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