PC-8001
| Developer | Nippon Electric |
|---|---|
| Manufacturer | New Nippon Electric |
| Type | Home computer |
| Release date | September 1979 |
| Introductory price | 168,000 yen |
| Discontinued | January 1983 |
| Units sold | 250,000 |
| Operating system | DISK-BASIC, CP/M |
| CPU | NEC μPD780C (Z80 compatible) @ 4 MHz |
| Memory | ROM 24 KB, RAM 16 KB |
| Graphics | text 80 x 25, graphics 160 x 100, 8 colors |
| Power | AC 100 V 50/60 Hz 20 W |
| Dimensions | 430(W) × 260(D) × 80(H) mm |
| Weight | 4 kg |
| Predecessor | COMPO BS/80 |
| Successor |
NEC PC-6001 NEC PC-8801 |
The PC-8000 series was a line of personal computers developed for the Japanese market by NEC. The PC-8001 model was also sold in the United States and in the UK as the PC-8001A.
The first member of the PC-8000 series, the PC-8001 was first introduced on May 9, 1979, and went on sale September 1979 for ¥168,000. Its design combined the keyboard and the mainboard into a single unit. At a time when most micro-computers were sold as "semi-kits" requiring end user assembly, the fully assembled PC-8001 was a rarity in the market. Peripherals included a printer, a cassette tape storage unit, and a CRT interface. Although it is often believed to be the first domestically produced personal computer for the Japanese market, in reality it was preceded by the Hitachi Basic Master.
A higher-performance, more graphically capable revision of the PC-8001, the Mark II debuted in March 1983 for a price of 123,000 yen.
While its most obvious improvement was in its graphical capabilities, the Mark II also included an internal 5.25" floppy disk interface as well as two internal expansion slots, doing away with the need for an "expansion box" to permit upgrades. The internal BASIC was changed as well, from the 24KB N-BASIC to a 32KB "N80-BASIC" that added new conditional statements as well as graphics commands.
While the price of the PC-8001mkII was comparable with other 8-bit computer offerings at the time, its graphics were notably worse than its competitors (most likely an attempt on NEC's part to avoid competing with their own, higher-powered PC-8800 series). This led to a relative dearth of software produced for it, particularly games.
A games-oriented revision of the PC-8001mkII with significantly better graphics and sound, making its debut in January 1985 for 108,000 yen.
The mkIISR increased the frame-buffer memory from 16KB to 48KB, allowing for 640×200-pixel graphics or 320×200-pixel double-buffered graphics modes. Additionally, the primitive PC speaker was replaced by an FM synthesis audio system. Its internal BASIC was also updated to allow usage of this new hardware, as well as providing mkII and PC-8001 compatibility modes (although a significant proportion of older software would not run properly under these modes). Other changes included the change of one general-purpose expansion slot to a Kanji character ROM expansion slot, a PC-8800 series keyboard connector, and an Atari-style joystick connector.
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