IBM 5100 Portable Computer

UvA Computer Museum catalogue nr 00.60

ibm5100
The IBM 5100 computer, introduced in 1975, is a complete, self-contained desktop computer system. Though its name suggests that it is portable, today we would call this machine a desktop computer, its weight being 24 kilograms.

The machine in our collection (S/N 10-13977, manufactured around May, 1977*) is the version with built-in APL ('the highest level computer language') and BASIC, and 64kB of RAM. The choice between BASIC and APL is made by toggling a switch on the front panel. The display shows 16 lines of 64 characters, including APL special symbols, but no graphics. The mass storage medium is a DC300 cartridge tape with a capacity of 204kB. The 8-bits microcoded processor is built from small-scale bipolar gate-arrays.
Our machine is complete and operational. However the original power supply has been replaced, probably after 10 years, by non-IBM parts. We have a complete set of documentation, together with the 'The IBM 5100 Portable Computer' by Katzan and Iverson's 'A Programming Language', a number of tapes with function libraries and diagnostic programs, reference cards and a carrying case. The tapes are still readable.
Click here for a close-up of the keyboard.
For detailed information on the 5100 we refer to Eric Smith's Retrocomputing page.
This computer was donated by the Technology Museum of Delft, The Netherlands.
*Thanks to Wayne Smith for this information.

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