Ah, I wrote all about the IBM PC 5150 tape deck capability here: 5150: Setting up Tape Deck Connection (because the 5150 can) — voidstar <https://voidstar.blog/5150-setting-up-tape-deck-connection-because-the-5150-can/>
Indeed it is exactly the same as the Tandy cable. I always assumed since Microsoft had already ported BASIC to the earlier NEC PC-8001 and Tandy Color Computer 1, the same developers ended up being involved in the IBM PC project (and thus seeing the speed and urgency of that project, they just suggest using that same connector and cable-- which in turn made it easier for Microsoft to test and integrate their tape support on that systems BASIC), so a schedule-win for both sides.. As a nit, it was always irritating that IBM (and similar) put that keyboard jack all the way in the back side of the system. The Tandy 1000 finally put that in the front - I never really looked into what board-layout compromise they had to do to make that happen. -Steve On Mon, Feb 3, 2025 at 12:56 AM Fred Cisin via cctalk <[email protected]> wrote: > On Sun, 2 Feb 2025, Steve Lewis via cctalk wrote: > > Didn't the original TRS-80 have a kind of screw up, where the tape and > > display connector were the same? > > Actually, years later the Atari Lynx had a similar mishap - the power > > charger and headphone jack port look identical? (something like that, > and > > would cause damage if used incorrectly) > > Steve > > On the back (starboard side), there are THREE 5 pin DIN connectors. Power > (external cord-wart), video (composite), and cassette. > > yes there were incidents regarding those. > > The original IBM 5150 (PC) had two 5 pin DIN connectors on the back. For > keybpoard, and cassette IBM didn't sell a cable, but the Radio Shack > cassette cable for TRS80 worked fine.. > > >
