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{{short description|Portable computer (1978)}}
{{Infobox information appliance
| name         = IBM 5110 Computing System
| title        = 
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| logo         = 
| image        = IBM 5110 computer - Ridai Museum of Modern Science, Tokyo - DSC07664.JPG
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| developer    = 
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| family       = 
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| releasedate  = {{Start date and age|1978|01}}
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| discontinued = {{End date|1982|03}}
| unitssold    = 
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| media        = 
| os           = 
| power        = 
| soc          = 
| cpu          = [[IBM PALM processor]]
| memory       = 16–64&nbsp;KB [[random-access memory|RAM]] (with 16&nbsp;KB iterations)
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| memory card  =
| display      = 5-inch CRT
| graphics     = 64x16 characters
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| predecessor  = [[IBM 5100]]
| successor    = [[IBM 5120]]
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| website      = <!--{{URL|example.org}}-->
}}
{{Commonscat}}

The '''IBM 5110 Computing System''' is the successor of the [[IBM 5100]] Portable Computer.

The IBM 5110 was announced in January 1978 (a little over 2 years after the introduction of the IBM 5100). Its main differences were support for more I/O devices (floppy disk drives, [[IEEE-488]], [[RS-232]]) and a [[character set]] ([[EBCDIC]]) which was compatible with other [[IBM]] machines. These improvements made it partially incompatible with the IBM 5100.

==Variations==
Three variations of the IBM 5110 were built:
* IBM 5110 Model 1 (with a built-in [[Quarter-inch cartridge|QIC]] DC300 tape drive of 204 kB)
* IBM 5110 Model 2 (without the QIC tape drive)
* IBM 5110 Model 3 - also designated as the [[IBM 5120]] (with two built-in 8-inch 1.2 [[Megabyte|MB]] [[floppy disk]] drives)

==Description==
The 5110 featured the same housing as the 5100 (although the colors were different), which contained an [[IBM PALM processor]], a [[Computer keyboard|keyboard]] and a 1,024-character [[Computer display|display screen]]. Main memory held 16, 32, 48 or 64 [[Kilobyte|KB]] of [[data]], depending on the unit. Offering either [[magnetic tape]] or [[Floppy disk|diskette]] storage, the Model 1 could store as much as 204,000 bytes of information per [[Quarter-inch cartridge|tape cartridge]] or 1.2 MB on a single 8" diskette; the Model 2 allowed only diskette storage. Up to two IBM 5114 diskette units, each housing a maximum of two 8" diskette drives, could be attached to the 5110 for a total online diskette capacity of 4.8 MB. The IBM 5110 Model 3 allowed only one external IBM 5114 diskette unit.  IBM did not offer a [[local area network|LAN]] or [[hard disk drive]] for these systems. However, in 1981 [[Hal Prewitt]], founder of [[Core International, Inc]] invented and marketing the world's first and only  hard disk subsystems and "CoreNet", a LAN used to share programs and data for the IBM 5110 and 5120 systems.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.coreinternational.info/1981_5110_Disk_Brochure.pdf |title=''Save IBM 5110/20 from junk yards of the world''|publisher=Core|accessdate=Mar 31, 2010 |url-status= unfit |archive-date= Jul 21, 2011 |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20110721193112/http://www.coreinternational.info/1981_5110_Disk_Brochure.pdf}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.coreinternational.info/1982_Sept_CORE_Newsletter.pdf|title=''1982 CORE Newsletter''|publisher=Core|accessdate= Nov 18, 2016 |url-status= unfit |archive-date= Mar 5, 2012 |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20120305181141/http://www.coreinternational.info/1982_Sept_CORE_Newsletter.pdf}}</ref>

An IBM 5103 printer and an external IBM 5106 auxiliary tape unit (Model 1 only) were available as options from IBM.

Citing the easy use of his new system, Jeff Grube, vice president of [[Punxsutawney]] Electric Repair (who received the first IBM 5110 on February 2, 1978), said: "If you can type and use a hand-held calculator, you have all the skills necessary to operate a 5110."

==Programming languages==
The 5110 was available with either [[APL programming language|APL]] or [[BASIC programming language|BASIC]]—or both—programming languages. Machines that supported both languages provided a toggle switch on the front panel to select the language. 

In 1984, [[Core International, Inc]] introduced PC51, software that allowed 5100 Series computer programs written in BASIC to run unmodified on the [[IBM PC]] and [[IBM PC compatible|compatibles]] under [[PC&nbsp;DOS]] and share programs and data on CoreNet, the LAN for all these models.

==5110 Software==
The 5110, designed by the Global Software Development team at [[IBM Rochester]] in [[Rochester, Minnesota]],<ref>Cf. IBM 5110 Computing System, IBM Archives website</ref> was aimed at GSD's traditional commercial market. The machine was brought in only 90 days from conception to production. It achieved this short timescale under the management of Bill Sydnes, who as a member of [[William C. Lowe|Bill Lowe]]'s taskforce later did much the same for the [[IBM PC]].<ref name="PC_team">[http://www.ibm.com/ibm100/us/en/icons/personalcomputer/team/ IBM 100 - Icons of Progress - The PC Team]</ref> As a business system, IBM offered a number of basic accounting software for a small business. However, companies such as [[Core International, Inc]] designed and supported a wide assortment of application programs.

==Model 3==
The IBM 5110 Model 3 (also known as the [[IBM 5120]] Computing System) was the [[Personal computer|desktop]] version of the 5110.

The 5110 was withdrawn from marketing in March 1982 but IBM continued to support the series until the mid 80s.

==Timeline==
{{Timeline of the IBM Personal Computer}}

==References==
{{reflist}}
;Notes
{{refbegin}}
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20050310010336/http://www-03.ibm.com/ibm/history/exhibits/pc/pc_4.html IBM 5110 Computing System] IBM Archives. Retrieved 10-19-2011.
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20161119062348/http://www.coreinternational.info/1984_Core5110_Drives_Broch.pdf  Core 5110/20 Hard Drives]
* Mercer, David (1987, 1988). [https://web.archive.org/web/20111202151158/http://futureobservatory.dyndns.org/0209.htm ''IBM: How the World's Most Successful Corporation is Managed''], [[Kogan Page]] Ltd. {{ISBN|978-1-85091-287-3}}. {{ISBN|978-1-85091-637-6}}.
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20161119055751/http://www.coreinternational.info/1984_PC51_Users_Manual.pdf 1984 Core PC51 Users Manual]
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20161119055935/http://www.coreinternational.info/1984_PC51_MediaRelease.pdf 1984 Core PC51 Media Release]
{{refend}}

{{IBM personal computers}}

[[Category:IBM personal computers|5110]]
[[Category:Computer-related introductions in 1978]]