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IBM 5150 SEALED IN THE ORIGINAL BOXES. Complete IBM 5150 Computer System, Boca Raton, FL, c.1981/1982, incl.: image 1
IBM 5150 SEALED IN THE ORIGINAL BOXES. Complete IBM 5150 Computer System, Boca Raton, FL, c.1981/1982, incl.: image 2
IBM 5150 SEALED IN THE ORIGINAL BOXES. Complete IBM 5150 Computer System, Boca Raton, FL, c.1981/1982, incl.: image 3
Lot 41

IBM 5150
SEALED IN THE ORIGINAL BOXES.
Complete IBM 5150 Computer System, Boca Raton, FL, c.1981/1982, incl.:

Amended
3 – 4 November 2021, 13:00 PDT
Los Angeles

Sold for US$5,100 inc. premium

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IBM 5150

SEALED IN THE ORIGINAL BOXES.
Complete IBM 5150 Computer System, Boca Raton, FL, c.1981/1982, incl.:
1. Computer: Personal Computer System Unit, Item number 5150064, serial number 0257443
2. Monitor: Personal Computer Display, Item number 5151001, serial number 0417555
3. Keyboard: Personal Computer Keyboard, item number 1501100.
4. & 5. Disk Drives: Personal Computer 5 1/4"-320KB Diskette Drive, item number 1503810.
6. Memory: Personal Computer 64/256KB Memory Expansion Option. Sealed inner box with sealed manual.
*with "Employee Personal Computer Kit," "The Guide," Fall 1982, and a printed letter addressed to "All Sales and Service Managers" that accompanied "The Guide."
Provenance: Acquired by the consignor from the family of an IBM Purchasing manager in Boca Raton, FL.

IBM saw their market share in the minicomputer market failing to reach expectations at the close of the 1970s while they watched the personal computer market grow to a $15 billion dollar market. There were rumors as early as 1980 that IBM was looking to step into that market, but many wouldn't believe that a company as large and bureaucratic as IBM would shift their focus from the production of large and expensive business systems. The microcomputer the company had produced in 1975, the 5100, had a base price of almost $9,000. It was clearly not for the consumer market.
IBM first looked toward other companies to produce a personal computer for them - including Atari and Matsushita, but eventually settled on forming an independent group within the company that would abandon the traditional IBM working methods. Don Estridge was placed in charge of the design team in Boca Raton, Florida. He developed a plan to design a computer with an open architecture, that would use off-the-shelf parts and non-proprietary software and be sold through retail stores. The system was based around an Intel 8088 microprocessor in order to keep costs down.
The 5150 debuted on August 12, 1981 at $1,565 for a basic configuration with 16K RAM, Color Graphics Adapter and no disk drives. Sales quickly exceeded IBM's expectations by as much as 800% and by 1984 their share of the personal computing market was more than twice that of Apple. It was less than a year before the first IBM PC-compatible clone was released in June 1982.

Saleroom notices

Lot also includes: 1. Personal Computer Printer, serial number 762181 2. Personal Computer Printer Stand, item number 1525614 3. Personal Computer IBM Monochrome Display and Printer Adapter. 4. Personal Computer Printer Cable. All in original boxes.

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