NEC PC-100
Developer | NEC, ASCII, Cybernet Kogyo |
---|---|
Type | Home computer |
Release date | October 13, 1983[1] |
Introductory price | Monochrome US$2,500 Color US$3,300 |
CPU | 8086 CPU @ 7 MHz |
Memory | 128KB RAM (expandable to 768KB RAM), 32KB ROM |
Display | 14-inch color CRT (PC-KC651)(Rotatable monitor)[2] |
Graphics | 720 by 512 pixels (512 colors and can display 16) |
The
The development was operated by NEC Electronic Device Business Group, ASCII (Microsoft dealer in Japan) and Cybernet Kogyo, a subsidiary of Kyocera.[3]
Far ahead of its time and too costly, PC-100 did not sell well. A complete set with the printer PC-PR201 that could print alphabet,
- model10 (398,000 yen) - a 5-inch 2D (360KB) floppy disk drive
- model20 (448,000 yen) - two 5-inch 2D floppy disk drives
- model30 (558,000 yen) - two 5-inch 2D floppy disk drives
Competition with PC-98
NEC faded out the PC-100 because of the reorganization of their business units rather than its technical issues.
The Electronic Device Business Group launched the
In 1981, NEC expanded personal computer lines into three groups: NEC Home Electronics, Information Processing Business Group and Electronic Device Business Group, with each specializing in a particular series. The Electronic Device Business Group developed the
By 1983, the Japanese personal computer industry grew greatly, and its distribution network became complex. It caused the problem for NEC that each group competed to sell its own product to the same chain. Their biggest competitor was each group in the company, and they contested for the leadership. One software company's president recalled the sales section of PC-9801 often said "Down with the 88!".[5]
The PC-100 and PC-9801F were released at the same time, and the problem surfaced. A store manager complained he couldn't determine which salesperson to follow. In December 1983, NEC decided to consolidate personal computer business into two divisions: NEC Home Electronics to deal with the 8-bit home computer line, and Nippon Electric's Information Processing Business Group to deal with the 16-bit personal computer line. The Electronic Device Business Group passed off their personal computer business to NEC Home Electronics. NEC Home Electronics discontinued development of the PC-100, PC-6000 series, PC-6600 series and PC-8000 series, and these lines were merged to the PC-8800 series to concentrate on the home computer market.[4][6]
Trivia
Possibly due to the standard inclusion of a mouse, a blue anime style mouse with "PC-100" on its chest looking little like Superman was used as a promotional character.
References
- ^ The Industry:Japan on 16K a day, By Alexander Besher, InfoWorld, 28 May 1984, Page 67, ...Modeled blatantly after the Lisa, the NEC PC-100 was the star introduction at Tokyo's Japan Data Show last October...
- ^ NEC PC-100 Color Video Pinout
- ^ 富田, 倫生 (1995). パソコン創世記 (in Japanese). ボイジャー. Retrieved 2019-03-11 – via Aozora Bunko.
- ^ OCLC 676485242.
- ISSN 0287-9506.
- ISBN 4-8061-0316-0.
External links
- パソコンの歴史 1983年 - timeline