PC-8800 Series
The PC-8800 series are a brand of Zilog Z80-based home computers released by Nippon Electric Company (NEC) in 1981 in Japan, where it became very popular. The PC-8800 series is informally called the PC-88.
NEC's American subsidiary, NEC Home Electronics (USA), marketed variations of the PC-8800 in the United States.[1][2]
Model list
| Released Year | model name | model | CPU | RAM | VRAM | N mode | V1 mode | V2 mode | V3 mode | sound | ATARI D-sub 9pin I/O port | FDD | CD-ROM | comment |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1981 | PC-8801 | NEC µPD780 4 MHz | 64KB | 48KB | y | y | n | n | Internal Beeper like in the IBM-PC or the original Sinclair Spectrum. | n | none | n | ||
| 1983 | PC-8801mkII | model10 | NEC µPD780 4 MHz | 64KB | 48KB | y | y | n | n | Internal Beeper | n | none | n | |
| model20 | 5.25" 2D x1 | |||||||||||||
| model30 | 5.25" 2D x2 | |||||||||||||
| 1985 | PC-8801mkII SR | model10 | NEC µPD780 4 MHz | 64KB | 48KB | y | y | y | n | FM(YM2203) Mono | y | none | n | The V2 mode that is necessary to play most PC-88 games is introduced. |
| model20 | 5.25" 2D x1 | |||||||||||||
| model30 | 5.25" 2D x2 | |||||||||||||
| PC-8801mkII TR | NEC µPD780 4 MHz | 64KB | 48KB | y | y | y | n | FM(YM2203) Mono | y | 5.25" 2D x2 | n | PC-8801 mkII SR with 300 bit/s modem | ||
| PC-8801mkII FR | model10 | NEC µPD780 4 MHz | 64KB | 48KB | n | y | y | n | FM(YM2203) Mono | y | none | n | Cost reduced version of PC-8801mkIISR | |
| model20 | 5.25" 2D x1 | |||||||||||||
| model30 | 5.25" 2D x2 | |||||||||||||
| PC-8801mkII MR | NEC µPD780 4 MHz | 192KB | 48KB | n | y | y | n | FM(YM2203) Mono | y | 5.25" 2HD x2 | n | FDD 2D->2HD | ||
| 1986 | PC-8801 FH | model10 | NEC µPD70008 8 MHz | 64KB | 48KB | n | y | y | n | FM(YM2203) Mono | y | none | n | 88FR CPU upgrade |
| model20 | 5.25" 2D x1 | |||||||||||||
| model30 | 5.25" 2D x2 | |||||||||||||
| PC-8801 MH | NEC µPD70008 8 MHz | 192KB | 48KB | n | y | y | n | FM(YM2203) Mono | y | 5.25" 2HD x2 | n | 88MR CPU upgrade | ||
| 1987 | PC-88 VA | NEC V50 (µPD9002) 8 MHz | 512KB | 256KB | n | y | y | y | FM(YM2203) Mono | y | 5.25" 2HD x2 | n | CPU upgrade (8bit->16bit) | |
| PC-8801 FA | NEC µPD70008 8 MHz | 64KB | 48KB | n | y | y | n | FM(YM2608) Stereo + ADPCM Mono | y | 5.25" 2D x2 | n | sound card upgrade (88FH + sound board2(Yamaha YM2608)) | ||
| PC-8801 MA | NEC µPD70008 8 MHz | 192KB | 48KB | n | y | y | n | FM(YM2608) Stereo + ADPCM Mono | y | 5.25" 2HD x2 | n | sound card upgrade (88MH + sound board2(Yamaha YM2608)) | ||
| 1988 | PC-88 VA2 | NEC V50 (µPD9002) 8 MHz | 512KB | 256KB | n | y | y | y | FM(YM2608) Stereo + ADPCM Mono | y | 5.25" 2HD x2 | n | ||
| PC-88 VA3 | NEC V50 (µPD9002) 8 MHz | 512KB | 256KB | n | y | y | y | FM(YM2608) Stereo + ADPCM Mono | y | 5.25" 2HD x2 / 3.5" 2TD x1 | n | add 2TD FDD | ||
| PC-8801 FE | NEC µPD70008 8 MHz | 64KB | 48KB | n | y | y | n | FM(YM2203) Mono | y | 5.25" 2D x2 | n | TV(NTSC) output (composit video), del external I/O | ||
| PC-8801 MA2 | NEC µPD70008 8 MHz | 192KB | 48KB | n | y | y | n | FM(YM2608) Stereo + ADPCM Mono | y | 5.25" 2HD x2 | n | 88MA model change | ||
| 1989 | PC-8801 FE2 | NEC µPD70008 8 MHz | 64KB | 48KB | n | y | y | n | FM(YM2203) Mono | y | 5.25" 2D x2 | n | 88FE model change | |
| PC-8801 MC | model1 | NEC µPD70008 8 MHz | 192KB | 48KB | n | y | y | n | FM(YM2608) Stereo + ADPCM Mono | y | 5.25" 2HD x2 | (option) | ||
| model2 | 5.25" 2HD x2 | y | ||||||||||||
Hardware
For its time, the PC-8801SR (V2-mode) had a high display resolution, but could only display 8 out of 512 colors simultaneously. The 640 × 400 mode was monochrome only. Its sound-producing capabilities were also more advanced than other machines of the time.
- 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
- PC-8801/PC8801mkII
- PC-8801mkIISR/TR/FR/MR
- PC-8801FH/MH/FE/FE2
- PC-8801FA/MA/MA2/MC
- PC-88VA/VA2/VA3
A part of software corresponds to YM2608 and ADPCM. (ex: Snatcher)
Software
Companies 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, and Ys.
Nintendo licensed Hudson Soft to port some of Nintendo's Family Computer games for the console, including Excitebike, Balloon Fight, Tennis, Donkey Kong 3, Golf, and Ice Climber, as well as new editions of Mario Bros. called Mario Bros. Special and Punch Ball Mario Bros. and a unique Super Mario Bros. game for the computer, Super Mario Bros. Special.
The computer also had its own BASIC dialect, N88-BASIC.
References
- ↑ Infoworld Media Group, Inc (May 1984). "New Products". Info World: 52. Retrieved June 20, 2013.
- ↑ "NEC PC-8800 personal computer system. (evaluation)". Creative Computing. Vol. 9 no. 11. November 1983. p. 28. Retrieved June 20, 2013.
|first1=missing|last1=in Authors list (help)
External links
- 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
| Preceded by NEC PC-6001 NEC PC-6601 PC-8000 Series |
NEC Personal Computers | Succeeded by NEC PC-9801 |