IBM 5150 on 32" LCD TV

[EverythingIBM]

Recently my school was throwing out a bunch of rare IBM equipment, and one item happened to be an IBM 5150; yes, the original IBM personal computer.

However, I never used a 5150 before, and after scanning it a bit, I noticed it had an RCA port (obviously I don't have any 9-pin CGA monitors around here; and even if I bought a converter, VGA monitors use an analog signal, these old things used digital; which I still find ironic). So, looking at my TV, I grabbed a "SPDIF" cable (which is RCA) and hooked it up.

AND IT WORKED!

These old computers really are versatile. Now... if only I had some 5" floppies lying around. It's been a long time since I last played "alley cat".

PS: you'll see two XTs (5160s) in my closet, along with the back of a C170 IBM CRT, my wii stuff, my clothes basket, and whatever else. The XTs work, it's just that they don't have the colour graphics card which has the RCA port. I could always buy a colour card if I need to... but I think the 5150 is way cooler. Oh yeah, and these vintage computers have NO DUST (the power supplies look brand new). I couldn't believe it.

[trievalot]

that is totally awesome! Where on the globe do you live?

[EverythingIBM]

that is totally awesome! Where on the globe do you live?

A place where everyone is a lumberjack and lives in a igloo. And all we eat are pancakes with maple syrup.

I also got my 1986 model M from there too
I COULD sell it for $200, but I'm enjoying it way too much.

[trievalot]

pity......i have a 5153 CGA monitor here......(Australia)

[EverythingIBM]

pity......i have a 5153 CGA monitor here......(Australia)

They'll probably have a permanent residence in my closet, lol. I'm sure I could get a hefty amount *if* I wanted to sell them (definitely not the 5150, unless I got a million dollars).

They WERE throwing away some REALLY old Apple computers though (along with some HPs and bad CRTs). A few of them looked like oversized powermac G3s (I mean really oversized). The rest were either Classics or SEs. However, I was disgusted that all of the apple keyboards were rubber membrane (especially for their age). There were some PC ALPs ones, but I don't like standard bread-and-butter.

[EverythingIBM]

1986. I just washed dishes for a summer and bought an Amiga 500. It could do things machines over 10 times as expensive couldn't do, GUI, multitasking, great graphics, sound, etc. My dad had a boring 5150. Ehm yeah, DOS and VGA. I wouldn't go near it except to play Leisure Suit Larry and the HHGTTG. Man that stuff was so far behind.

Oh I already know about the Amgia 500; defender of the crown was really neat! Although, you don't usually find vintage multi-media computers at schools. Too bad, I'd like a C64 (I would go through the effort to make my own "sid station").

The 5150 is just funny because A) it's really old, B) the keyboard is the most solid thing I've ever seen...
You also got to remember, Commodore actually copied IBM's layout (particularly the function key concept). So, the 5150 was still important, even if it lacked visual enhancements. Rob Hubbard actually had a little talk about how IBM chose texas instruments' cheap speaker and sound capabilities. Makes me frown.

But after Jack Tramiel left Commodore, everything fell apart.

I like DOS games ranging from 1994 to 1998 (a few of them ran in 800x600 and beyond; something an Amiga 500 couldn't support)

[quadibloc]

It's not too surprising that the CGA video card works with a television monitor. It was originally designed to be compatible with TV standards so that home users of the IBM PC could choose CGA and use the IBM PC with a TV set.

The other original choice for video card had some commonalities with European television standards, but it was meant to require a monitor - as did EGA and then VGA after it, even though VGA's 256-color mode was TV-compatible in resolution.

While microprocessors have improved enormously, following Moore's Law, sometimes we forget that while nowadays people are tossing out Super VGA CRT monitors and even thrift shops won't take them - and a few years back, you could get them for $15 or so at a thrift shop easily - in the early days of the IBM PC, a computer monitor was really expensive, and so people used TV sets with computers, despite their limited resolution, because that was all they could afford.

Just as keyboards used to cost on the order of $300 in the early days of the IBM PC. Now, used ones combine with mass-produced cheap rubber domes to make the price of a keyboard on the order of $15. Which is bad news for the availability of quality keyboards, of course.

China has already made some imitation buckling-spring keyboards, but those didn't work out well. I wonder if, when the patents run out, we'll be seeing capacitative spring under rubber dome keyboards from China... you know, imitation Topres? What I wish they would do is make beam-spring keyboards and get them right, but that's unlikely.

[EverythingIBM]

These came with the keyboard?  That was a good find.
Does KBDbabel's PC XT converter works with these?

Except my XT keyboard actually has the logo, lol (and surprisingly, the cork pads too). It's like no one used it...

If you're referring to making an XT converter to AT, I don't have the experience to do it (it is more retractive than my model M -- but I'll wait for the opportunity to get an AT keyboard). And, all of the computers I currently have are good ones; I'd need some crappy HP or dell to test it on. I guess I should pick one up next time they're going to trash them.
Besides, I already have 4 other IBM keyboards (rubber dome), my 1997 IBM rubber dome keyboard still hasn't given up, and I typed tomes on that thing; the arrow keys are getting wobby from all of my games though. And I had to replace the spacebar. They are actually better than most rubber dome keyboards, don't believe? Try buying one:
ebay link here, to brand new ones
(I should mention that NONE of the labels worn off of the keys; the arrow keys are getting faded on the edges, but I've played every single game I own on them).
It's retired to my other computer, I like the model m better for typing. But rubber dome arrow keys are better for games in my opinion (well, GOOD rubber domes), the mushiness helps.