Yongpeng Sun-Tastaufen
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Spec Showdown: The Original IBM 5150 vs. Today's PCs
Just for kicks, let's compare the specs of the 1981-vintage computer that inspired the birth of PC Magazine to some modern-day desktops.
In the last 40 years, we've gone from a world where only the most arcane techno-wizards could communicate electronically to one where we can learn about anything (from quantum computing to what our neighbor had for dinner) from the tiny computer in our pockets.
To see just how far we've come, we looked at the very first PC, the IBM Model 5150 from 1981 and compared it with several of its spiritual successors—the Lenovo ThinkCentre Edge 91z from 2011 and the Lenovo ThinkCentre M90a All-in-One, which is out now.
We chose all-in-one PCs with integrated monitors because the original IBM PC came with its own single-color screen, although it would be hard to call it "built-in." And Lenovo comparisons are fitting, since Lenovo bought IBM's PC business in 2005.
The IBM PC was made for a time when paper dominated record-keeping. The latest Lenovo is designed for a time when research and meetings are conducted online from a home-office chair.
We went from a 4.77MHz processor, 64kB of memory, a wired keyboard, two floppy drives, and an 11.5-inch CRT screen that displayed text in one color (green), to a couple of technological marvels. Consider, for instance, the original monitor, which had a resolution that was measured in characters, not pixels—compared to today's Lenovo with its 23.8-inch 1,920-by-1,080-pixel display. That's a science-fiction-sized leap, yet it's hardly the best monitor you can get today.
Likewise, we went from storing data on a 160K 5.25-inch floppy disk to today's pretty standard 500GB hard drive—3.125 million times as much storage. Then consider the speed of that old floppy compared to the optional solid-state drive of the M90a with almost instant memory access.
The newest PC is also a heck of a lot lighter, easier to set up, and (without the stand) is only 1.94 inches thick. Yet, that ThinkCentre M90a isn't even the top of the line. There are plenty of other PCs with faster processors, better graphics, and larger screens.
