Can you use a cheap FPGA board as a base for a new computer inspired by the original IBM PC? Well, yes, of course, so that’s what Yuri Zaporozhets has set out to do just that. Based on the GateMateA1-EVB, the project’s got some of the basics worked out already – video output, keyboard support, etc. – and work is underway on a DOS-like operating system. A ton of work is still ahead, of course, but it’s definitely an interesting project.
This has nothing to do with the IBM PC 5150. It’s neither the “original” IBM PC nor the “original” MS-DOS. Its developer might as well have compared it to the AGC unit from the Apollo program. “Because you can” isn’t a sufficient justification, in my opinion.