IBM System/23 Datamaster: Difference between revisions
Content deleted Content added
Added description for the video subsystem |
Added table of submodels |
||
Line 38:
=== Creation of the IBM PC ===
It is often said that the IBM had a rushed development of the PC with a single year in development. Whereas the statement is partially true, it is also forgotten how close both systems are and how the same engineers that worked in the Datamaster later worked in the PC, bringing the required expertise. Also, the chosen CPU was the [[Intel 8088]] due of its similarity hardware-wise with the [[Intel 8085]] and this way most of the peripherals were maintained in the transition from the Datamaster. The character set and its format were also brought from the System/23 to the [[5150]]. Also, the expansion bus is nearly untouched in that evolution. Finally, from pictures of early prototypes it can be seen that the power connectors were the same as the one in the Datamaster. As a conclusion, it might be stated that the early life of the IBM PC started as modifications on the Datamaster.
== Models and submodels ==
The IBM System/23 was offered in two models, the all-in-one 5322 and the tower-based 5324. Internally both computers share the same motherboard and therefore operation and peripherals are compatible. The Datamaster computers has a series of submodels according to the presence of the word-processing card, the amount of memory and the number and type of floppy drives.
{| class="wikitable"
|+ Submodels of the System/23 Datamaster
|-
! Submodel !! Word-processing Card !! Memory amount !! Floppy Drive Amount !! Floppy Drive Type
|-
| 110 || No || 32KB || 0 || N/A
|-
| 111 || No || 32KB || 1 || 31SD
|-
| 112 || No || 32KB || 2 || 31SD
|-
| 113 || No || 32KB || 1 || 51TD
|-
| 114 || No || 32KB || 2 || 51TD
|-
| 120 || No || 64KB || 0 || N/A
|-
| 121 || No || 64KB || 1 || 31SD
|-
| 122 || No || 64KB || 2 || 31SD
|-
| 123 || No || 64KB || 1 || 51TD
|-
| 124 || No || 64KB || 2 || 51TD
|-
| 130 || No || 96KB || 0 || N/A
|-
| 131 || No || 96KB || 1 || 31SD
|-
| 132 || No || 96KB || 2 || 31SD
|-
| 133 || No || 96KB || 1 || 51TD
|-
| 134 || No || 96KB || 2 || 51TD
|-
| 140 || No || 128KB || 0 || N/A
|-
| 141 || No || 128KB || 1 || 31SD
|-
| 142 || No || 128KB || 2 || 31SD
|-
| 143 || No || 128KB || 1 || 51TD
|-
| 144 || No || 128KB || 2 || 51TD
|-
| 420 || Yes || 64KB || 0 || N/A
|-
| 421 || Yes || 64KB || 1 || 31SD
|-
| 422 || Yes || 64KB || 2 || 31SD
|-
| 423 || Yes || 64KB || 1 || 51TD
|-
| 424 || Yes || 64KB || 2 || 51TD
|-
| 430 || Yes || 96KB || 0 || N/A
|-
| 431 || Yes || 96KB || 1 || 31SD
|-
| 432 || Yes || 96KB || 2 || 31SD
|-
| 433 || Yes || 96KB || 1 || 51TD
|-
| 434 || Yes || 96KB || 2 || 51TD
|-
| 440 || Yes || 128KB || 0 || N/A
|-
| 441 || Yes || 128KB || 1 || 31SD
|-
| 442 || Yes || 128KB || 2 || 31SD
|-
| 443 || Yes || 128KB || 1 || 51TD
|-
| 444 || Yes || 128KB || 2 || 51TD
|}
The absence of a submodel comprising a word-processing card and an amount of RAM of 32KB is due that IBM set the specifications for the word processing units with a minimum of 64KB.
The submodel must be determined not by the number written at the rear plate but by observing the features of the machine, as some plates don't have the submodel written or have dummy values.
== Hardware Description ==
| |||