IBM PC 5150 Model Numbers
Recently I came across a minor mystery—the model numbers of the original IBM PC. For such a pivotal product, there is remarkably little detailed original information from the early days.
When IBM started selling the PC, it used two methods to identify various items. The vast majority of peripherals and accessories used a seven-digit part number; for example the original CGA was part number 1504910.
The system unit itself was Type 5150 (the PC; 5160 was the XT), and the type designation was extended with a three-digit model number, such as 5150-013. The same scheme was used for “big ticket” peripherals that were not necessarily tied to the PC. For example the original monochrome monitor was designated as 5151-001 and the printer as 5152-001 (the color monitor was Type 5153 and so on).
For monitors and printers, the three-digit model number wasn’t all that meaningful as there often was only one model. But for the 5150 system unit, there were lots of different models.
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