“PC-8800 series”的意思、由来-开放百科全书

The {{nihongo|PC-8800 series|PC-8800シリーズ|Pī Shī Hassen Happyaku Shirīzu|lead=yes}}, 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

The PC-8800 series sold extremely well and became one of the three major Japanese home computers of the 1980s, along with the Fujitsu FM-7 and Sharp X1. 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]

History

Nippon Electric's Electronic Device Sales division launched the PC-8001 in September 1979, and it dominated 40% of the Japanese personal computer market in 1981.^[3] At that time, Japanese personal computers were mostly used for hobbies. The division introduced the PC-8801 in November 1981, and tried to expand the personal computer market for business.

The PC-8801 had an ability to display Kanji characters with an optional Kanji ROM board. Some companies released Japanese word processor softwares for it, such as {{Nihongo|My Letter|マイレター}}, {{Nihongo|Writing|文筆|Bunpitsu}}, and {{Nihongo|2=ユーカラ|3=Yūkara}}. They were ported to the PC-9801 later. NEC released {{Nihongo|Nihongo Word Processor|日本語ワードプロセッサ}} which was a rebranded version of Yukara, but it didn't success.^[4] On the other side, Enix and Koei's computer games won popularity, and established the PC-8801 as a PC game platform superseded the PC-8001.^[5] 170,000 units of PC-8801s were shipped as at November 1983.^[6] Its successor, the PC-8801mkII, came with JIS level 1 kanji font ROM, a smaller case and keyboard, and one or two internal 5¼-inch 2D floppy disk drives (model 20 and 30). It sold more than the PC-9800 series at that time.^[7]

As of December 1983, NEC had multiple personal computer lines come out from different divisions. Nippon Electric's Information Processing group had the PC-9800 series, and NEC Home Electronics had the PC-6000 series. To avoid confliction, they decided to consolidate personal computer business into two divisions; NEC Home Electronics dealt with the 8-bit home computer line, and Nippon Electric's Information Processing group dealt with the 16-bit personal computer line. The Electronic Device Sales division span off personal computer business into NEC Home Electronics.^[8]

In March 1985, NEC Home Electronics introduced the PC-8801mkIISR which improved graphics and sound capabilities. Game developers competed in quality of skills in animation and music.^[5] A cost reduced version, the PC-8801mkIIFR, shipped 60,000 units for a half of year.^[9] Although the PC-9801VM shipments were surpassed it,^[7] the PC-8800 series was still popular as a Japanese PC game platform toward the early 1990s.^[10]

Hardware

Graphics

Throughout the lifetime of the PC-8800, there were four different graphics modes. They are as follows:

It's important to note that no entry in the PC-8800 series was capable of displaying all four modes.

Sound

Early entries in the PC-8800 series used a simple internal speaker a-la the IBM PC only capable of generating simple beeps and clicks. Later models added FM-synthesis chips, allowing for much more robust audio.

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, 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 called Dai Gyakushū, and a unique Super Mario Bros. game for the computer, Super Mario Bros. Special.

Model list

References

1. ^{{cite journal |title=New Products |journal=InfoWorld |date=May 1984 |page=52 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=uS4EAAAAMBAJ&pg=PA52&dq=pc-8801 |access-date=June 20, 2013 |publisher=Infoworld Media Group Inc.}}
2. ^{{cite magazine |title=NEC PC-8800 personal computer system (evaluation) |author-first=David H. |author-last=Ahl |magazine=Creative Computing |date=November 1983 |volume=9 |issue=11 |page=28 |url=http://www.atarimagazines.com/creative/v9n11/28_NEC_PC8800_personal_comp.php |access-date=June 20, 2013}}
3. ^{{Cite book|title=パソコン大図鑑最新・人気パソコン目的別全カタログ|publisher=Kodansha|year=1981|isbn=4-06-141673-1|pages=30-31|language=Japanese}}
4. ^{{Cite book|title=パソコン驚異の10年史―その誕生から近未来まで|last=片貝|first=孝夫|last2=平川|first2=敬子|publisher=Kodansha|year=1988|isbn=4-06-132721-6|pages=55-85|language=Japanese|chapter=日本語ワードプロセッサの歴史}}
5. ^¹{{Cite book|last=西村|first=正人|title=100万人の謎を解くザ・PCの系譜|publisher=コンピュータ・ニュース社|year=1988|isbn=4-8061-0316-0|editor-last=コンピュータ・ニュース社|pages=150-153|language=Japanese|chapter=ゲームの進化とヒット商品の源を探る}}
6. ^{{Cite journal|year=1984|title=ASCII EXPRESS : NEC、パーソナルコンピュータ2機種を発売|journal=ASCII|language=Japanese|publisher=ASCII|volume=8|issue=1|issn=0287-9506}}
7. ^¹{{Cite book|title=100万人の謎を解くザ・PCの系譜|publisher=コンピュータ・ニュース社|year=1988|isbn=4-8061-0316-0|editor-last=コンピュータ・ニュース社|pages=128-129|language=Japanese|chapter=パソコン機種別シェア変遷}}
8. ^{{Cite book|title=日本電気株式会社百年史|author=日本電気社史編纂室|date=2001-12-25|publisher=NEC|pages=652-660}}
9. ^{{Cite news|title=日電、8バットパソコン好調―新モデル投入成功。|date=1986-03-10|work=Nikkei Sangyo Shimbun|publisher=Nihon Keizai Shimbun|page=5|language=Japanese}}
10. ^{{Cite book|title=蘇るPC-9801伝説永久保存版第1弾|last=阿部|first=広樹|publisher=ASCII|year=2004|isbn=4-7561-4419-5|pages=121-125|language=Japanese|chapter=PC-9801 魂の名作ゲームの旅}}