The first IBM PC (8 photos) Bashny.Net

31 years ago the event occurred, largely determined the subsequent history of the development of information technologies - their implementation in everyday life. Or Anniversary issue dedicated to IBM-PC.



Until the 80s IBM is actively working on large orders. Its mainframe it is delivered, as a rule, educational and scientific institutions, as well as large corporations.



The title of the first mass personal computer belongs to a model 5100, released back in 1975. He was much more compact than the mainframes had a separate monitor, keyboard and drive, but was intended to solve scientific and engineering problems. For businessmen and fans of art he came ill and not least because of the price, which was about $ 20 000.



In that distant day - August 12, 1981 -korporatsiya IBM released IBM PC - the first mass personal kompyuter.Segodnya many already difficult to imagine our daily life without computers grew generations of computer fans, brought up in the spirit of information technology, there was a whole culture-computer. "General information and computerization" -ponyatiya which is inextricably linked era fall of the "iron curtain" and the Soviet Union, when we brought a flood of imported equipment and technology. Every year computers are developed and improved our lives in bringing something new and different.



The history of the first IBM PC (the IBM 5150), which started the family of the most common modern personal computers, is as follows: the first IBM PC was developed about a year (work began in July 1980 and was completed on August 12, 1981) 12th employees under by Don Estridge (Don Estrige) under the Project Chess («Project Chess") in the city of Boca Raton, pcs. Florida division of IBM. In comparison, Microsoft's staff at the time consisted of 32 people.



At that time, IBM does not attach great importance to personal computers, so by IBM PC was used a lot of "foreign" components - one of the key decisions was to use third-party development. This saves both time and mnozhestvosredstv own scientific staff. While the personal computer market was divided between the Commodore PET, family Atari 8-bit systems, Apple II, and Radio Shack TRS-80 production of Tandy Corporation, why IBM tried not to miss a moment.



Initially Don Estridge as selected IBM processor 801 and the specially designed operating system. But shortly before IBM released to general availability microcomputer Datamaster (full name of the System / 23 Datamaster or IBM 5322), which was based on the processor Intel 8085. This is exactly the reason for the selection for the first IBM PC processor Intel 8088. At IBM PC even slots expansion coincided with those of the Datamaster.



Well, the Intel 8088 demanded a new operating system DOS, just in time offered little company from Redmond called Microsoft.



We did not make a new design for the monitor and the printer. The first has been selected previously created by IBM monitor Japanese, well, the printing apparatus has become the printer manufacturing Epson. Moreover, contrary to a rigid policy of IBM's intellectual property or these components or developed immediately the basic input output system not were licensed, allowing third-party companies using the published specifications, create multiple clones of the IBM PC and soon away from IBM lion's share this rapidly expanding market.

IBM PC sold in various configurations. The most expensive cost $ 3005. It was equipped with an Intel 8088 running at a frequency of 4.77 MHz, which if desired can be added Intel 8087 coprocessor, speeding up floating point calculations. The volume of RAM is 64 KB. As a device for permanent storage to be used 5.25-inch floppy disk drives.

They could have found one or two pieces. Later, IBM began to supply the model allows the connection of cluster storage media.

Hard disk with IBM 5150 could not be set due to insufficient power supply unit. However, the company issued a so-called "extension" or Expansion Unit (also known as the IBM 5161 Expansion Chassis) with 10 MB hard drive. He demanded a separate power supply. Furthermore, it could set the second HDD. He also had five expansion slots, while the computer itself had even 8. But to connect Expansion Unit needed to use the cards Extender Card and Receiver Card, which were installed in the module and the housing, respectively.

Other expansion slots your computer normally occupied by the video card, cards with I / O ports and so on. D.

It was possible to increase the amount of RAM and up to 256 KB. The cheapest configuration is managed in the amount of $ 1565. Along with her successful bidder received the same processor, but the memory was only 16 Kbytes. I do not come with the computer and the floppy disk drive, and there was no standard CGA-Monitor. But there was a cassette adapter for drives and video card, focused on the connection to the TV. Thus expensive modification of IBM PC business was established (which, incidentally, was fairly widespread), and cheaper - for the home.