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Definition: 5100


The first IBM desktop computer. Introduced in 1975, the 5100 came with up to 64K of RAM and a built-in tape drive. It was programmed using either APL or BASIC. Eight inch floppy disks became available in 1976. Called a "Portable Computer," the 5100 is considered by many to be the first, true personal computer that was commercialized.

Three years later, the 5110 was introduced with support for floppy disks and the EBCDIC character set used in larger IBM computers. See SCAMP.