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.
PC-8800 series
Developer
Nippon Electric (NEC)
Manufacturer
New Nippon Electric (NEC Home Electronics)
Type
Release date
November 1981; 42 years ago (1981-11)
NEC μPD780C-1 @ 4 MHz and higher
Memory
64kilobytes and higher
Display
Text 80 × 25, graphics 160 × 100, 8 colors (and higher)
Graphics
SGP
Sound
Internal beeper (and higher)
Power
100 VAC
Predecessor
Successor
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.
Nippon 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 (文筆, Bunpitsu), and Yūkara (ユーカラ). NEC themselves released Nihongo Word Processor (日本語ワードプロセッサ) which was a rebranded version of Yukara, but it was not a success.[5] In addition to office software, companies like Enix and Koei released many popular games for the system, establishing the PC-8801 as a strong gaming platform.[6] By November 1983, the PC-8801 had shipped 170,000 units.[7] The PC-8801's direct successor, the PC-8801mkII, came with a JIS level 1 kanji font ROM, a smaller case and keyboard, and, in the models 20 and 30, one or two internal 51⁄4-inch 2D floppy disk drives. This set of PC-8800 computers sold more units than the PC-9800 series at that time.[8]
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]
Throughout the lifetime of the PC-8800, there were four different graphics modes. They are as follows:
No entry in the PC-8800 series was capable of displaying all four modes.
The 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.
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, 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.
Released 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 μPD780C-1 4 MHz
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 μPD780C-1 4 MHz
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 μPD780C-1 4 MHz
64 KB
48 KB
Yes
Yes
Yes
No
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 μPD780C-1 4 MHz
64 KB
48 KB
Yes
Yes
Yes
No
Yes
2× 5.25" 2D
No
PC-8801 mkII SR with 300 bit/s modem
PC-8801mkII FR
model 10
NEC μPD780C-1 4 MHz
64 KB
48 KB
No
Yes
Yes
No
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 μPD780C-1 4 MHz
192 KB
48 KB
No
Yes
Yes
No
Yes
2× 5.25" 2HD
No
FDD 2D->2HD
1986
PC-8801 FH
model 10
NEC μPD70008 8 MHz
64 KB
48 KB
No
Yes
Yes
No
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 μPD70008 8 MHz
192 KB
48 KB
No
Yes
Yes
No
Yes
2× 5.25" 2HD
No
88MR CPU upgrade
1987
PC-88 VA
NEC μPD9002 8 MHz
512 KB
256 KB
No
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
2× 5.25" 2HD
No
CPU upgrade (8-bit to 16-bit)
PC-8801 FA
NEC μPD70008 8 MHz
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 μPD70008 8 MHz
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 μPD9002 8 MHz
512 KB
256 KB
No
Yes
Yes
Yes
FM (YM2608) Stereo + ADPCM Mono
Yes
2× 5.25" 2HD
No
PC-88 VA3
NEC μPD9002 8 MHz
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 μPD70008 8 MHz
64 KB
48 KB
No
Yes
Yes
No
Yes
2× 5.25" 2D
No
TV(NTSC) output (composite video), del external I/O
PC-8801 MA2
NEC μPD70008 8 MHz
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 μPD70008 8 MHz
64 KB
48 KB
No
Yes
Yes
No
Yes
2× 5.25" 2D
No
88FE model change
PC-8801 MC
model 1
NEC μPD70008 8 MHz
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
NEC Personal Computers