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IBM System/23 Datamaster
IBM microcomputer released in 1981

The System/23 Datamaster (Model 5322 desktop model and Model 5324 floor model) is an 8-bit microcomputer developed by IBM. Released in July 1981, the Datamaster was the least expensive IBM computer until the far less expensive and far more popular IBM PC was announced in the following month.

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Description

The Datamaster is an all-in-one computer with text-mode CRT display, keyboard, processor, memory, and two 8-inch floppy disk drives in one cabinet.5 The processor is an 8-bit Intel 80856 running at 6.14 MHz,7 with bank switching to manage 128 KB of memory.8 Available RAM was 32 KB (expandable to 128 KB9), and the machine had four internal expansion slots.10 It could display 80 × 24 characters of text (each character with 8 × 14 pixels) with 128 possible characters, on a built-in 12" green phosphor CRT.1112

The intention of the Datamaster was to provide a computer that could be installed and operated without specialists. A BASIC interpreter was built-in to the system. IBM decided to merge the Datamaster's BASIC implementation with System/34 BASIC, which reportedly delayed the Datamaster by almost a year.13 When introduced, a single-screen Datamaster sold for around US$9,000 (equivalent to $31,128 in 2024). A second keyboard and screen could be attached in an extended configuration.

Influence on later IBM systems

The familiarity the design group gained on the Datamaster project encouraged selection of an Intel CPU for the IBM PC. The delay caused by the decision to reuse System/34 BASIC in the Datamaster was one of the factors in IBM's selection of Microsoft BASIC for the PC (the other being the popularity of Microsoft BASIC on home computers at the time).14

A number of hardware components from the Datamaster were reused in the later IBM PC.15 The PC's expansion bus, later known as the ISA bus, was based on the Datamaster's I/O bus.16 The Datamaster's Model F keyboard with its 5251-style key arrangement was also reused in the PC, albeit with a serial interface (instead of the parallel one used on the Datamaster) and a new external housing.17

Timeline

Timeline of the IBM Personal Computer
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Asterisk (*) denotes a model released in Japan only

References

  1. System/23 Setup Instructions with 5322 Computer (PDF). IBM. June 1982. http://bitsavers.org/pdf/ibm/system23/user_manuals/binder_04/SA34-0107-3_System_23_Setup_Instructions_with_5322_Computer_Jun1982.pdf ↩

  2. Data Communication Concepts (PDF) (GC21-5169-4 ed.). International Business Machines. September 1983. p. 6-7. Retrieved 7 January 2018. http://bitsavers.trailing-edge.com/pdf/ibm/datacomm/GC21-5169-4_Data_Communications_Concepts_Sep83.pdf ↩

  3. Pollack, Andrew (1981-08-13). "Big I.B.M.'s Little Computer". The New York Times. p. D1. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2020-03-16. https://www.nytimes.com/1981/08/13/business/big-ibm-s-little-computer.html ↩

  4. Pollack, Andrew (1983-03-27). "Big I.B.M. Has Done It Again". The New York Times. p. Section 3, Page 1. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2020-03-16. https://www.nytimes.com/1983/03/27/business/big-ibm-has-done-it-again.html ↩

  5. System/23 Setup Instructions with 5322 Computer (PDF). IBM. June 1982. http://bitsavers.org/pdf/ibm/system23/user_manuals/binder_04/SA34-0107-3_System_23_Setup_Instructions_with_5322_Computer_Jun1982.pdf ↩

  6. "IBM 5322 System/23 Datamaster computer". www.oldcomputers.net. http://www.oldcomputers.net/ibm5322.html ↩

  7. "Bits Passats - System/23 Datamaster". bitspassats.com. 2024-09-13. Retrieved 2024-09-13. https://bitspassats.com/index.php/IBM_System/23_Datamaster ↩

  8. Bradley, David J. (September 1990). "The Creation of the IBM PC". BYTE. pp. 414–420. Retrieved 2 April 2016. https://archive.org/stream/byte-magazine-1990-09/1990_09_BYTE_15-09_15th_Anniversary_Summit#page/n451/mode/2up ↩

  9. "IBM System/23 Datamaster". https://www.oldcomputers.es/ibm-systems23-5322/ ↩

  10. "IBM 5322 System/23 Datamaster computer". www.oldcomputers.net. http://www.oldcomputers.net/ibm5322.html ↩

  11. "IBM 5322 System/23 Datamaster computer". www.oldcomputers.net. http://www.oldcomputers.net/ibm5322.html ↩

  12. IBM System/23 Service Library - Volume 1 : IBM 5322 Computer Service Manual (PDF). IBM. 1980. pp. 4–21. https://www.nf6x.net/wp/wp-content/uploads/2014/10/IBM-5322-Service-Library-Volume-1.pdf ↩

  13. Bradley, David J. (September 1990). "The Creation of the IBM PC". BYTE. pp. 414–420. Retrieved 2 April 2016. https://archive.org/stream/byte-magazine-1990-09/1990_09_BYTE_15-09_15th_Anniversary_Summit#page/n451/mode/2up ↩

  14. Bradley, David J. (September 1990). "The Creation of the IBM PC". BYTE. pp. 414–420. Retrieved 2 April 2016. https://archive.org/stream/byte-magazine-1990-09/1990_09_BYTE_15-09_15th_Anniversary_Summit#page/n451/mode/2up ↩

  15. Bradley, David J. (September 1990). "The Creation of the IBM PC". BYTE. pp. 414–420. Retrieved 2 April 2016. https://archive.org/stream/byte-magazine-1990-09/1990_09_BYTE_15-09_15th_Anniversary_Summit#page/n451/mode/2up ↩

  16. John Titus (2001-09-15). "Whence Came the IBM PC". edn.com. Retrieved 2020-10-13. https://www.edn.com/whence-came-the-ibm-pc/ ↩

  17. Bradley, David J. (September 1990). "The Creation of the IBM PC". BYTE. pp. 414–420. Retrieved 2 April 2016. https://archive.org/stream/byte-magazine-1990-09/1990_09_BYTE_15-09_15th_Anniversary_Summit#page/n451/mode/2up ↩