Jump to content
IGNORED

The IBM PC-XT


Recommended Posts

So, I had a PC-XT a long time ago and ended up hocking it to some guy in Normandy.

 

I've had some weird itch to get one again.

 

Is it worth the time? Are they fun to screw with?

 

What's a solid price for a whole setup including monitor?

 

I remember mostly playing atarisoft games on it, and some other oddities.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I'm not sure what the going rate is, but shipping might kill any non-local deal because they are very heavy. I might be able to get one from a guy who has a few, but I can't remember if they're complete or not. He might have enough to make a basic setup for cheap.

 

I'm not sure if they came stocked with the max of 640kB, but I have a RAM board to upgrade to the max if needed. Also, I think they only support CGA graphics and can't do EGA graphics, but someone else would have to confirm this.

Edited by SEgamer
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Cool thing I remember about the original IBM XT's was that they had an embeded BASIC if you powered UP with no OS, not sure when they

dumpster-ed that.

 

My XT originally had a MDA (monochrome), I seem to remember getting a CGA (colour) later,

I haven't thought about that old machine in a long time.

 

I think I'd like to get my hands on another one...

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 2 weeks later...
  • 8 years later...

I got one for free in 1994. I learned DOS on it, and it taught me how to remove and install the various parts of a PC. Like an idiot, I traded it in along with the monitor, a Wang serial laser printer, a 386 computer, and probably some cash for a BS 486 computer. One thing he didn't get, however was the hard drive, as I removed it before the trade (see attached pic).

 

Today, the going price for the XT 5160, monitor, and keyboard seems to be around $350 to $400+ on eBay. I'm currently looking for one right now. It's tough to find one locally.

 

image.png.2ca6257469e58b852fddc33873b1dc95.pngimage.thumb.jpeg.5999e151d1db9ab38f6b0bd1ccc5192c.jpeg

Link to comment
Share on other sites

The regular XT is kind of an odd duck as a classic computer because it's not the first PC, so not really desirable on that basis, it's not particularly rare, so no points there either, and it's not the best of what it was, meaning the original IBM PC line. For me, even as a guy who looooooves that line, I feel like a regular XT is not really worth seeking out. Now, it may be that all that contributes to the XT actually being a better value than the original 5150 or later 5170 right now, so if you can find one cheap, go for it. For me, if I didn't already own one I'd be more interested in a 5150, but obviously price is important and the 5150 may actually go for a higher price than the XT these days.

 

I wouldn't worry about the XT hard drive; they are not likely to last very long these days, so even if you get one that works, it's a good idea to back everything on it up to some sort of flash-based solution (I use an XT-IDE with a CF card) and then disconnect the hard drive. You can then run it whenever you want to hear the sound of it, but otherwise I'd try to keep it working by only spinning it up once in a while.

 

Now, an XT 286, that would be pretty cool. These are uncommon at least, and basically as fast as a stock AT. I've always wanted one of those.

  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

On 5/22/2020 at 8:46 PM, spacecadet said:

The regular XT is kind of an odd duck as a classic computer because it's not the first PC, so not really desirable on that basis, it's not particularly rare, so no points there either, and it's not the best of what it was, meaning the original IBM PC line. For me, even as a guy who looooooves that line, I feel like a regular XT is not really worth seeking out. Now, it may be that all that contributes to the XT actually being a better value than the original 5150 or later 5170 right now, so if you can find one cheap, go for it. For me, if I didn't already own one I'd be more interested in a 5150, but obviously price is important and the 5150 may actually go for a higher price than the XT these days.

 

I wouldn't worry about the XT hard drive; they are not likely to last very long these days, so even if you get one that works, it's a good idea to back everything on it up to some sort of flash-based solution (I use an XT-IDE with a CF card) and then disconnect the hard drive. You can then run it whenever you want to hear the sound of it, but otherwise I'd try to keep it working by only spinning it up once in a while.

 

Now, an XT 286, that would be pretty cool. These are uncommon at least, and basically as fast as a stock AT. I've always wanted one of those.

I second what he is saying.  If you can find a good machine for a good price, I say go for it if you have lots of plans and things you want to do.  Take care and happy hunting!

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Join the conversation

You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.
Note: Your post will require moderator approval before it will be visible.

Guest
Reply to this topic...

×   Pasted as rich text.   Paste as plain text instead

  Only 75 emoji are allowed.

×   Your link has been automatically embedded.   Display as a link instead

×   Your previous content has been restored.   Clear editor

×   You cannot paste images directly. Upload or insert images from URL.

Loading...
  • Recently Browsing   0 members

    • No registered users viewing this page.
×
×
  • Create New...