IBM Portable PC
Model:5110
Available:February 1978
Price:US$10,225.00 (as shown)
Weight:43 pounds (no internal tape)
CPU:IBM proprietary, 1.9MHz
RAM:16K, 64K max
Display:5" monochrome monitor
64 X 16 text
Storage:optional internal 200K tape
external 1.2Meg floppy drive(s)
Ports:single peripheral I/O port
OS:APL and/or BASIC
Serial #:
BASIC:  27-31117
APL: 27-31134







The IBM 5110 is a general-purpose desktop computer designed to meet the data processing requirements of a small business.

Yet, it has the capability, through media exchange and communications features, to distribute processing in large enterprises, too.

This system is well suited to business and problem-solving applications such as:
  • General ledger
  • Account payable
  • Payroll
  • Accounts receivable
  • Financial planning
  • Inventory control
  • Order writing/billing
  • Sales analysis
  • Cost estimating
  • Job cost analysis
  • Linear programming
  • Word processing

    • Optional features:
  • APL and BASIC languages
  • Additional main storage (RAM to 64K)
  • Additional diskette drives (1.2MB per diskette drive)
  • Diskette sort in ROS (ROM)
  • Expansion feature (prerequisite for serial/asynch features)
  • Asynchronous communications
  • Binary synchronous communications
  • Serial I/O adapter
  • Parallel adapter
  • Audible alarm
  • Channel terminator


    • The IBM 5110 computer is the 'business version' of the original IBM 5100 from 3 years prior, which was designed mainly for mathematicians and engineers.

    While the 5100 had only a tape drive for data and application storage, the new 5110 now supports the new IBM 5114 external dual 8-inch floppy drive, which is not only much faster, but holds much more data.

    New features and business related software made the 5110 more useful and appealing to the business elite.

    There are three models of the 5110:
  • model 1 - includes support for an internal and external tape drive.
  • model 2 - no built-in tape-drive - supports external floppy storage only.
  • model 3 - desktop version with two built-in 8-inch floppy drives.
    • All three models support one or two external IBM 5114 dual-floppy drives, as well as the IBM 5103 dot-matrix printer.

    Base system prices, options, and typical system pricing:
    MemoryProgramming language
    BASICAPLBoth
    16K$8,475 $9,475$10,475
    32K10,225 11,22512,225
    48K11,975 12,97513,975
    64K13,725 14,72515,725
    Additional optionsPrice
    Internal tape drive$1,400
    IBM 5106 External tape drive1,850
    IBM 5103 Printer @ 80 cps3,200
    IBM 5103 Printer @ 120 cps3,700
    IBM 5114 Disk drive (1 drive)4,150
    IBM 5114 Disk drive (2 drives)6,050
    Bisync option2,000
    Async option900
    Typical systemPrice
    16K, 1 tape, 80 cps$13,075
    16K, 2 disks, 80 cps17,725
    32K, 2 disks, 120 cps19,975
    48K, 4 disks, 120 cps27,775



    Related Links

  • Computermuseum der Fakultat Informatik --5110 manuals
  • DigiBarn Computer Museum
  • IBM 5110 from IBM.com
  • Chronology of IBM Personal Computers
  • IBM keyboards
  • Vintage IBM Computer 5110 Manuals
  • Salesman's perspective



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