XT diskette drive with "side lever" door

[billdeg]

I have an IBM 5160 (XT) with a 10MB hard drive (currently being low level formatted using SpinRite II using level 3, I had made post about that topic last week or so...) anyway - The XT's diskette drive is a side-lever mechanism, not the typical front door type that you see so often. Picture your standard Commodore 1571 drive with the little side lever that you turn clockwise from 3 to 6 o'clock. It seems to be the original disk drive. The color is black. Anyone have any background on this type of IBM diskette drive? It's not an AT disk drive. The serial number of the XT is 5160-4359455.

 

[Terry Yager]

Does the diskette drive have the IBM logo? Is it full-height or half? (Sounds like it might be a TEAC drive, lever to the right. Most everybody else placed thier levers on the left side).

--T

 

[billdeg]

I don't recall seeing an IBM logo, but there is a raised asterisk near the top on the left. I have to open the computer to check the drive manuf.

 

[Jorg]

I don't recall seeing an IBM logo, but there is a raised asterisk near the top on the left. I have to open the computer to check the drive manuf.

Didnt the 1.2 mb drives from AT's have asterisks to make clear they were 1.2 mb? Or the other way around?

In both circumstances the drive might be newer then the machine.

 

[barryp]

I don't recall seeing an IBM logo, but there is a raised asterisk near the top on the left. I have to open the computer to check the drive manuf.

Didnt the 1.2 mb drives from AT's have asterisks to make clear they were 1.2 mb? Or the other way around?

In both circumstances the drive might be newer then the machine.

It's the other way around. I have several of those drives, which were made by Alps. They are beige-fronted.

 

[Terry Yager]

Alps, yes, that sounds right. The asterisk indicates a 360Kb drive. Genuine IBM-issue, in black or white-face. For authenticity, you might consider replacing it with a full-height IBM-badged drive. (I have some available, if you can't find one locally).

--T

 

[billdeg]

Terry, Thanks for the offer. I am happy to leave the computer as-is. I have a handful of the standard IBM drives on the shelf, but for now I am done opening this guy up. I wonder if this system was a special order computer, built that way (with Alps drive) originally. There is no dust or evidence of use. It does not appear that the drive was replaced.

 

[Jorg]

Terry, Thanks for the offer. I am happy to leave the computer as-is. I have a handful of the standard IBM drives on the shelf, but for now I am done opening this guy up. I wonder if this system was a special order computer, built that way (with Alps drive) originally. There is no dust or evidence of use. It does not appear that the drive was replaced.

Well I think they still sold XT's when the AT appeared, so it doesn't necessarily have to be replaced then, it could just be a later model XT.