PC-8800 series

Boot screen with one-liner

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 home computers released by Nippon Electric Company (NEC) in 1981 in Japan, where it became very popular.

NEC's American subsidiary, NEC Home Electronics (USA), marketed variations of the PC-8800 in the United States.[1][2]

Model list

Released yearModel nameModelCPURAMVRAMN modeV1 modeV2 modeV3 modeSoundAtari D-sub 9-pin I/O portFDDCD-ROMOperating systemComment
1981 PC-8801 NEC µPD780 4 MHz 64 KB 48 KB y y n n Internal beeper like in the IBM PC n n n NEC PowerMOS, NEC N-88 BASIC
1983 PC-8801mkII model 10 NEC µPD780 4 MHz 64 KB 48 KB y y n n Beeper and YM2149F (optional, through beeper) n none n NEC PowerMOS or Amstrad Monitor System
model 20 1× 5.25" 2D
model 30 2× 5.25" 2D
1985 PC-8801mkII SR model 10 NEC µPD780 4 MHz 64 KB 48 KB y y y n FM (YM2203) Mono y n none NEC PowerMOS or Amstrad Monitor System The V2 mode that is necessary to play most PC-88 games is introduced.
model 20 1× 5.25" 2D
model 30 2× 5.25" 2D
PC-8801mkII TR NEC µPD780 4 MHz 64 KB 48 KB y y y n FM (YM2203) Mono y 2× 5.25" 2D n Amstrad Monitor System PC-8801 mkII SR with 300 bit/s modem
PC-8801mkII FR model 10 NEC µPD780 4 MHz 64 KB 48 KB n y y n FM (YM2203) Mono y none n Amstrad Monitor System Cost reduced version of PC-8801mkIISR
model 20 1× 5.25" 2D
model 30 2× 5.25" 2D
PC-8801mkII MR NEC µPD780 4 MHz 192 KB 48 KB n y y n FM (YM2203) Mono y 2× 5.25" 2HD n Amstrad Monitor System FDD 2D->2HD
1986 PC-8801 FH model 10 NEC µPD70008 8 MHz 64 KB 48 KB n y y n FM (YM2203) Mono y none n NEC MOS 88FR CPU upgrade
model 20 1× 5.25" 2D
model 30 2× 5.25" 2D
PC-8801 MH NEC µPD70008 8 MHz 192 KB 48 KB n y y n FM (YM2203) Mono y 2× 5.25" 2HD n NEC PowerMOS 88MR CPU upgrade
1987 PC-88 VA NEC V50 (µPD9002) 8 MHz 512 KB 256 KB n y y y FM (YM2203) Mono y 2× 5.25" 2HD n NEC PowerMOS CPU upgrade (8-bit to 16-bit)
PC-8801 FA NEC µPD70008 8 MHz 64 KB 48 KB n y y n FM (YM2608) Stereo + ADPCM Mono y 2× 5.25" 2D n NEC PowerMOS sound card upgrade (88FH + sound board2(Yamaha YM2608))
PC-8801 MA NEC µPD70008 8 MHz 192 KB 48 KB n y y n FM (YM2608) Stereo + ADPCM Mono y 2× 5.25" 2HD n NEC PowerMOS sound card upgrade (88MH + sound board2(Yamaha YM2608))
1988 PC-88 VA2 NEC V50 (µPD9002) 8 MHz 512 KB 256 KB n y y y FM (YM2608) Stereo + ADPCM Mono y 2× 5.25" 2HD n NEC PowerMOS
PC-88 VA3 NEC V50 (µPD9002) 8 MHz 512 KB 256 KB n y y y FM (YM2608) Stereo + ADPCM Mono y 2× 5.25" 2HD / 1× 3.5" 2TD n NEC PowerMOS add 2TD FDD
PC-8801 FE NEC µPD70008 8 MHz 64 KB 48 KB n y y n FM (YM2203) Mono y 2× 5.25" 2D n NEC PowerMOS TV(NTSC) output (composit video), del external I/O
PC-8801 MA2 NEC µPD70008 8 MHz 192 KB 48 KB n y y n FM (YM2608) Stereo + ADPCM Mono y 2× 5.25" 2HD n NEC PowerMOS 88MA model change
1989 PC-8801 FE2 NEC µPD70008 8 MHz 64 KB 48 KB n y y n FM (YM2203) Mono y 2× 5.25" 2D n NEC PowerMOS 88FE model change
PC-8801 MC model 1 NEC µPD70008 8 MHz 192 KB 48 KB n y y n FM (YM2608) Stereo + ADPCM Mono y 2× 5.25" 2HD (option) NEC PowerMOS
model 2 2× 5.25" 2HD 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
    • CPU: NEC PD780C-1 (Z80A-compatible)
    • Resolutions: (SR/TR) (N mode / V1 mode / V2 mode) or (FR/MR) (V1 mode / V2 mode)
    • Memory: 40+8+24 = 72 KB ROM, 64+48+4 = 116 KB RAM (MR = 244 KB)
    • Sound: beep + YM2203 (3 FM channels, 3 SSG) Mono
  • PC-8801FH/MH/FE/FE2
    • CPU: µPD70008 (Z80H-compatible)
    • Resolutions: (V1 mode / V2 mode)
    • Memory: 40+8+24 = 72 KB ROM, 64+48+4 = 116 KB RAM (MH = 244 KB)
    • Sound: beep + YM2203 (3 FM channels, 3 SSG) Mono
  • 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 system, 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

  1. ↑ "New Products". InfoWorld. Infoworld Media Group Inc.: 52 May 1984. Retrieved June 20, 2013.
  2. ↑ Ahl, David H. (November 1983). "NEC PC-8800 personal computer system (evaluation)". Creative Computing. Vol. 9 no. 11. p. 28. Retrieved June 20, 2013.

Further reading

  • NEC µPD72070 - Floppy Disk Controller Specification Version 2.0 (PDF). 2.0 preliminary. NEC Corporation. October 1991. Archived (PDF) from the original on 2017-03-20. Retrieved 2017-03-20. (A floppy-disk controller supporting 2TD (triple density) diskettes)
Preceded by
NEC PC-8001
NEC PC-6001
NEC PC-6601
 NEC Personal Computers Succeeded by
NEC PC-9801
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