strange z-80 / CP/M box

From: Grant Zozman <gzozman_at_escape.ca>
Date: Tue May 12 19:24:54 1998

Is the case white?
Is there a red power switch surrounded by black plastic at the lower
right corner on the front?
Do the drives close using levers which twist 90 degrees?
Is the keyboard also built into the case?
Does the screen blink off and on when the drives are being accessed?
Weighs as much as a pallette of bricks?

If so, I believe you have a 5120 (or possibly a 5110). These were
produced around 1979-1980 just prior to the introduction of the PC.
They would run either BASIC or APL, and could be equipped with an
external disk drive module which was the size of a small filing cabinet,
rolled on casters, and housed two additional 8" drives. A wide carriage
dot matrix printer was also available. If I remember correctly there
are three connectors on the back of the case of the computer in a
triangular shape, with a threaded hole for a bolt in the middle. This
is where the printer & drive unit connected.

You might want to look for a silver tag on the back of the machine; I
always thought IBM was pretty adament about putting a model number on
anything they produced, but I don't remember there being any tags on the
front of the machine I worked on years ago.

Hope this helps! If you find out what you have, I would be interested
in knowing the final outcome; I have heard others refer to a machine
which fits this description as a "Datamaster", but have no idea what
would make it different from a 5110/5120.

K.S. (Tall Texan) Haley wrote:



> I think we also acquired an IBM 5100.

> This animal was without docs, but it boots to basic and has

> a small mono screen and twin 8 inch drives. All the logic is
> in one housing with the screen. I know someone was asking
> around about such a computer recently.
Received on Tue May 12 1998 - 19:24:54 BST