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1984

IBM PC AT (model 5170)

IBM

IBM PC AT (model 5170)
Photo by Boffy b, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 3.0 · source

Specifications

CPU
Intel 80286 @ 6 MHz (later 8 MHz)
Memory
256 KB standard, up to 16 MB
Storage
20 MB or 30 MB HDD; 1.2 MB 5.25" high-density floppy
Display
MDA, CGA, EGA
OS
PC DOS 3.0; Xenix; OS/2 (later)
Intro price
$5,795

The machine

Advanced Technology — IBM's second-generation PC. 16-bit ISA bus, real-time clock, battery-backed CMOS for BIOS settings, high-density floppies, larger drives. Most of the conventions still recognizable in a modern PC chassis trace back to the AT.

Why it matters

Defined the form factor (the 'AT' in 'ATX' is this machine) and the bus architecture that ruled until PCI. The 286's protected mode hinted at the OS-level multitasking that came later.