The PC-8800 series (Japanese: PC-8800シリーズ, Hepburn: Pī Shī Hassen Happyaku Shirīzu), commonly shortened to PC-88, are a brand of Zilog Z80-based 8-bit home computers released by Nippon Electric Company (NEC) in 1981 and primarily sold in Japan.
Developer | Nippon Electric (NEC) |
---|---|
Manufacturer | New Nippon Electric (NEC Home Electronics) |
Type | Personal computer |
Release date | November 1981 |
Operating system | N-88 BASIC |
CPU | NEC |
Memory | 64 kilobytes and higher |
Display | Text 80 × 25, graphics 160 × 100, 8 colors (and higher) |
Graphics | SGP |
Sound | Internal beeper (and higher) |
Power | 100 VAC |
Predecessor | PC-8000 series |
Successor | PC-9800 series |
The PC-8800 series sold extremely well and became one of the four major Japanese home computers of the 1980s, along with the Fujitsu FM-7, Sharp X1 and the MSX computers. It was later eclipsed by NEC's 16-bit PC-9800 series, although it still maintained strong sales up until the early 90s.
NEC's American subsidiary, NEC Home Electronics (USA), marketed variations of the PC-8800 in the United States[1][2] and Canada.
History
editNippon Electric's Microcomputer Sales Section of the Electronic Device Sales Division launched the PC-8001 in September 1979, and by 1981 it consisted of 40% of the Japanese personal computer market.[3] In April 1981, Nippon Electric decided to expand personal computer lines into three groups: New Nippon Electric, Information Processing Group and Electronic Devices Group, with each specializing in a particular series. The Microcomputer Sales Section was reformed to the Microcomputer and Application Division in June 1980, and was renamed to the Personal Computer Division in April 1981. At that time, Japanese personal computers were mostly used by hobbyists. The division introduced the PC-8801 in November 1981 and intended to expand the personal computer market into the business world.[4]
The PC-8801 was capable of displaying Kanji characters via an optional Kanji ROM board. Various companies released Japanese word processor software for the machine, such as My Letter (マイレター), Writing (
By December 1983, NEC had multiple personal computer lines coming out from different divisions. NEC's Information Processing group had the PC-9800 series, and NEC Home Electronics had the PC-6000 series. To avoid competing with itself, NEC decided to consolidate their personal computer business into two divisions; the NEC Home Electronics division dealt with the 8-bit home computer line, and the Information Processing group dealt with the 16-bit personal computer line. The Electronic Device Sales division spun off personal computer business into NEC Home Electronics.[4]
In March 1985, NEC Home Electronics introduced the PC-8801mkIISR, which had improved graphics and sound capabilities.[6] A cost-reduced version, the PC-8801mkIIFR, shipped 60,000 units for half a year.[9] Although the PC-9801VM shipments surpassed it,[8] the PC-8800 series was still popular as a Japanese PC game platform until the early 1990s.[10]
Hardware
editGraphics
editThroughout the lifetime of the PC-8800, there were four different graphics modes. They are as follows:
- N mode: PC-8000 series compatible graphic mode
- V1 mode: 640 × 200 8 colors, 640 × 400 2 colors
- V2 mode: 640 × 200 8 out of 512 colors, 640 × 400 2 out of 512 colors
- V3 mode: 640 × 200: 65536 colors, 640 × 400: 256 out of 65536 colors, 320 × 200: 65536 colors, 320 × 400: 64 out of 65536 colors
No entry in the PC-8800 series was capable of displaying all four modes.
Sound
editThe early computers in the PC-8800 series use a simple internal speaker, like the Apple II and IBM PC, capable of generating beeps and clicks. Later models added FM-synthesis chips for much more elaborate audio.
Software
editCompanies that produced exclusive software for the NEC PC-8801 included Enix, Square, Sega, Nihon Falcom, Bandai, HAL Laboratory, ASCII, Pony Canyon, Technology and Entertainment Software, Wolf Team, Dempa, Champion Soft, Starcraft, Micro Cabin, PSK, and Bothtec. Certain games produced for the PC-8801 had a shared release with the MSX, such as those produced by Game Arts, ELF Corporation, and Konami. Many popular series first appeared on the NEC PC-8801, including Snatcher, Thexder, Dragon Slayer, RPG Maker, Sokoban, and Ys.
Nintendo licensed Hudson Soft to port some of Nintendo's Family Computer games for the platform, including Excitebike, Balloon Fight, Tennis, Golf, and Ice Climber, as well as new editions of Mario Bros. called Mario Bros. Special and Punch Ball Mario Bros., a semi-sequel to Donkey Kong 3 titled Donkey Kong 3: Dai Gyakushū.
The computer also had its own BASIC dialect, N88-BASIC.
Model list
editReleased year | Model name | Model | CPU | RAM | VRAM | N mode | V1 mode | V2 mode | V3 mode | Sound | Atari D-sub 9-pin I/O port | FDD | CD-ROM | Operating system | Comment |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1981 | PC-8801 | NEC |
64 KB | 48 KB | Yes | Yes | No | No | Internal beeper like in the IBM PC | No | No | No | NEC N-88 BASIC | 4 expansion board slot. | |
1983 | PC-8801mkII | model 10 | NEC |
64 KB | 48 KB | Yes | Yes | No | No | Beeper and YM2149F (optional, through beeper) [verification needed] | No | No | No | ||
model 20 | 1× 5.25" 2D | ||||||||||||||
model 30 | 2× 5.25" 2D | ||||||||||||||
1985 | PC-8801mkII SR | model 10 | NEC |
64 KB | 48 KB | Yes | Yes | Yes | No | FM (YM2203) Mono | Yes | No | No | The V2 mode that is necessary to play most PC-88 games is introduced.
With D-sub 9pin Atari joystick port. | |
model 20 | 1× 5.25" 2D | ||||||||||||||
model 30 | 2× 5.25" 2D | ||||||||||||||
PC-8801mkII TR | NEC |
64 KB | 48 KB | Yes | Yes | Yes | No | FM (YM2203) Mono | Yes | 2× 5.25" 2D | No | PC-8801 mkII SR with 300 bit/s modem | |||
PC-8801mkII FR | model 10 | NEC |
64 KB | 48 KB | No | Yes | Yes | No | FM (YM2203) Mono | Yes | No | No | Cost-reduced version of PC-8801mkIISR | ||
model 20 | 1× 5.25" 2D | ||||||||||||||
model 30 | 2× 5.25" 2D | ||||||||||||||
PC-8801mkII MR | NEC |
192 KB | 48 KB | No | Yes | Yes | No | FM (YM2203) Mono | Yes | 2× 5.25" 2HD | No | FDD 2D->2HD | |||
1986 | PC-8801 FH | model 10 | NEC |
64 KB | 48 KB | No | Yes | Yes | No | FM (YM2203) Mono | Yes | No | No | 88FR CPU upgrade.
model30(B)is black color model. | |
model 20 | 1× 5.25" 2D | ||||||||||||||
model 30 | 2× 5.25" 2D | ||||||||||||||
PC-8801 MH | NEC |
192 KB | 48 KB | No | Yes | Yes | No | FM (YM2203) Mono | Yes | 2× 5.25" 2HD | No | 88MR CPU upgrade | |||
1987 | PC-88 VA | NEC |
512 KB | 256 KB | No | Yes | Yes | Yes | FM (YM2203) Mono | Yes | 2× 5.25" 2HD | No | CPU upgrade (8-bit to 16-bit) | ||
PC-8801 FA | NEC |
64 KB | 48 KB | No | Yes | Yes | No | FM (YM2608) Stereo + ADPCM Mono | Yes | 2× 5.25" 2D | No | sound card upgrade (88FH + sound board2(Yamaha YM2608)) | |||
PC-8801 MA | NEC |
192 KB | 48 KB | No | Yes | Yes | No | FM (YM2608) Stereo + ADPCM Mono | Yes | 2× 5.25" 2HD | No | sound card upgrade (88MH + sound board2(Yamaha YM2608)) | |||
1988 | PC-88 VA2 | NEC |
512 KB | 256 KB | No | Yes | Yes | Yes | FM (YM2608) Stereo + ADPCM Mono | Yes | 2× 5.25" 2HD | No | |||
PC-88 VA3 | NEC |
512 KB | 256 KB | No | Yes | Yes | Yes | FM (YM2608) Stereo + ADPCM Mono | Yes | 2× 5.25" 2HD / 1× 3.5" 2TD | No | add 2TD FDD | |||
PC-8801 FE | NEC |
64 KB | 48 KB | No | Yes | Yes | No | FM (YM2203) Mono | Yes | 2× 5.25" 2D | No | TV(NTSC) output (composite video), del external I/O | |||
PC-8801 MA2 | NEC |
192 KB | 48 KB | No | Yes | Yes | No | FM (YM2608) Stereo + ADPCM Mono | Yes | 2× 5.25" 2HD | No | 88MA model change | |||
1989 | PC-8801 FE2 | NEC |
64 KB | 48 KB | No | Yes | Yes | No | FM (YM2203) Mono | Yes | 2× 5.25" 2D | No | 88FE model change | ||
PC-8801 MC | model 1 | NEC |
192 KB | 48 KB | No | Yes | Yes | No | FM (YM2608) Stereo + ADPCM Mono | Yes | 2× 5.25" 2HD | Optional | |||
model 2 | 2× 5.25" 2HD | Yes |
References
edit- ^ "New Products". InfoWorld. May 1984. p. 52. Retrieved June 20, 2013.
- ^ Ahl, David H. (November 1983). "NEC PC-8800 personal computer system (evaluation)". Creative Computing. Vol. 9, no. 11. p. 28. Retrieved June 20, 2013.
- ^ パソコン
大 図鑑 最新 ・人気 パソコン目的 別 全 カタログ (in Japanese). Kodansha. 1981. pp. 30–31. ISBN 4-06-141673-1. - ^ a b
日本電気 社 史 編纂 室 (2001-12-25).日本電気 株式会社 百 年 史 . NEC. pp. 652–660. - ^
片貝 ,孝夫 ;平川 ,敬子 (1988). "日本語 ワードプロセッサの歴史 ". パソコン驚異 の10年 史 —その誕生 から近 未来 まで (in Japanese). Kodansha. pp. 55–85. ISBN 4-06-132721-6. - ^ a b
西村 ,正人 (1988). "ゲームの進化 とヒット商品 の源 を探 る". In コンピュータ・ニュース社 (ed.). 100万 人 の謎 を解 く ザ・PCの系譜 (in Japanese). コンピュータ・ニュース社 . pp. 150–153. ISBN 4-8061-0316-0. - ^ "ASCII EXPRESS : NEC、パーソナルコンピュータ2
機種 を発売 ". ASCII (in Japanese). 8 (1). ASCII. 1984. ISSN 0287-9506. - ^ a b コンピュータ・ニュース
社 , ed. (1988). "パソコン機種 別 シェア変遷 ". 100万 人 の謎 を解 く ザ・PCの系譜 (in Japanese). コンピュータ・ニュース社 . pp. 128–129. ISBN 4-8061-0316-0. - ^ "
日 電 、8バットパソコン好調 —新 モデル投入 成功 。". Nikkei Sangyo Shimbun (in Japanese). Nihon Keizai Shimbun. 1986-03-10. p. 5. - ^
阿部 ,広樹 (2004). "PC-9801魂 の名作 ゲームの旅 ".蘇 るPC-9801伝説 永久 保存 版 第 1弾 (in Japanese). ASCII. pp. 121–125. ISBN 4-7561-4419-5.
Further reading
edit- NEC
μ PD72070 - Floppy Disk Controller Specification Version 2.0 (PDF). 2.0 preliminary. NEC Corporation. October 1991. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2017-03-20. Retrieved 2017-03-20. (A floppy-disk controller supporting 2TD (triple density) diskettes)
External links
edit- [1] (Translated)
- System Information emulation site for retro Japanese computers
- OLD-COMPUTERS.COM: The Museum: NEC PC-8801
- NEC PC-8801 info page popular games, tags and developers at uvlist.net
- NEC PC-8801 MK II commercial on YouTube
- NEC PC-8801MA FA commercial on YouTube
- A list of downloadable PC88 emulators