LGR - NEC PC-8801 Update: It Works!
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Date: 2022-04-14
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Comments and reviews: 10
Joshi
Clint, you shouldn-t have acquired the PC-8801 nor the PC-8801MkII! They can-t play any games since nothing can load from disk, the graphics mode is not the one for games! The sound is just missing as well so this is a fairly incapable machine! You can-t even fix it cause that-s hardware stuff! Should-ve gotten a PC-8801MkIISR or anything released after it. My personal peace of mind choice would be an MA/MA2 or an MC(though that one-s rare) or if you wanna go crazy there-s the VA series which are 16bit but have had little games released for it. Why the MA/MA2 or the MC? They have the best audio chip available for the system (YM2608 OPNA) built-in so no sound card has to be bought! It is backwards compatible with the YM2203 chip found in this SR onwards and is supported by a lot of games (1987 onward yeah) and it has rhythm, ADPCM, and s t e r e o audio! These models are quite nice and the M- series (MH, MA, MA2 and MC) have high density floppy drives! So that-s pretty much the no-hassle-guaranteed selection that will make sure you have a good time! The MC has -one- quirk that makes it special. It can use the PC Engine-s Super CD-ROM drive for the three games in the library that might support it (waaaaow. So yeah that-s a sum up on the pc-88 you should choose by preference. You-re missin' out on a great library of games from Japan (provides you know Japanese in the slightest, hehe!
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Clint, you shouldn-t have acquired the PC-8801 nor the PC-8801MkII! They can-t play any games since nothing can load from disk, the graphics mode is not the one for games! The sound is just missing as well so this is a fairly incapable machine! You can-t even fix it cause that-s hardware stuff! Should-ve gotten a PC-8801MkIISR or anything released after it. My personal peace of mind choice would be an MA/MA2 or an MC(though that one-s rare) or if you wanna go crazy there-s the VA series which are 16bit but have had little games released for it. Why the MA/MA2 or the MC? They have the best audio chip available for the system (YM2608 OPNA) built-in so no sound card has to be bought! It is backwards compatible with the YM2203 chip found in this SR onwards and is supported by a lot of games (1987 onward yeah) and it has rhythm, ADPCM, and s t e r e o audio! These models are quite nice and the M- series (MH, MA, MA2 and MC) have high density floppy drives! So that-s pretty much the no-hassle-guaranteed selection that will make sure you have a good time! The MC has -one- quirk that makes it special. It can use the PC Engine-s Super CD-ROM drive for the three games in the library that might support it (waaaaow. So yeah that-s a sum up on the pc-88 you should choose by preference. You-re missin' out on a great library of games from Japan (provides you know Japanese in the slightest, hehe!
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GeoNeilUK
Does the digital RGB work for the BBC Micro? I remember the schools I went to using MicroVitec CUB monitors which had a RGB TTL port and nothing else.
How is Sharp X68000 for non-Japanese speakers? I heard that it was an awesome Amiga-style machine that Sharop really could hav tried releasing outside of Japan, in the US and Europe.
. but then I fantasise about Apple having an -odd couple- regime where Apple went cap in hand to investors and somehow, we ended up in a position where Steve Jobs had to rub shoulders with Lord Sugar. I'm imaging Europe seeing Macs in an A500 all-in-one style format that Jobsworth would want to kill as soon as possible. but coudln't because they'd be the most popular Mac models going in the world (largely thanks to Europe and South Africa) I could imagine collectors insisting on calling those Macs -SugarMacs-
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Does the digital RGB work for the BBC Micro? I remember the schools I went to using MicroVitec CUB monitors which had a RGB TTL port and nothing else.
How is Sharp X68000 for non-Japanese speakers? I heard that it was an awesome Amiga-style machine that Sharop really could hav tried releasing outside of Japan, in the US and Europe.
. but then I fantasise about Apple having an -odd couple- regime where Apple went cap in hand to investors and somehow, we ended up in a position where Steve Jobs had to rub shoulders with Lord Sugar. I'm imaging Europe seeing Macs in an A500 all-in-one style format that Jobsworth would want to kill as soon as possible. but coudln't because they'd be the most popular Mac models going in the world (largely thanks to Europe and South Africa) I could imagine collectors insisting on calling those Macs -SugarMacs-
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Joshua
These old computers probably would probably outlast any modern laptop or tablet PC that are out as of today. Had a DELL studio XPS (Had Windows Vista Home Premium, before I upgraded to Windows 7 Ultimate before it even burned up) that lasted for only 7 years and the hard drive (or the motherboard) burned up on me completely, so I no longer have my DELL studio XPS 8100 due to the fact it bit the dust. The old computers may have outlasted a DELL computer that I had (built in 2009. Old stuff lasts a very long time and it still would probably last even longer. Besides my mom had a computer that looked exactly like this one, but it had Windows 2. 11 installed on it.
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These old computers probably would probably outlast any modern laptop or tablet PC that are out as of today. Had a DELL studio XPS (Had Windows Vista Home Premium, before I upgraded to Windows 7 Ultimate before it even burned up) that lasted for only 7 years and the hard drive (or the motherboard) burned up on me completely, so I no longer have my DELL studio XPS 8100 due to the fact it bit the dust. The old computers may have outlasted a DELL computer that I had (built in 2009. Old stuff lasts a very long time and it still would probably last even longer. Besides my mom had a computer that looked exactly like this one, but it had Windows 2. 11 installed on it.
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Matchrocket
I had one of those. I bought it in 1984 I think. It came with two external disk drives. They made a very loud clicking sound when accessing each track (annoying as hell. It came with C/PM 2. 2, MS Multi Plan and Word Star (Multi Plan was worthless. I believe it was 64K. It had two Basics. One in firmware like your machine has, and a disk version. In retrospect I wish I had bought a Kaypro instead. It would have been more expensive but I think I would have been happier with it.
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I had one of those. I bought it in 1984 I think. It came with two external disk drives. They made a very loud clicking sound when accessing each track (annoying as hell. It came with C/PM 2. 2, MS Multi Plan and Word Star (Multi Plan was worthless. I believe it was 64K. It had two Basics. One in firmware like your machine has, and a disk version. In retrospect I wish I had bought a Kaypro instead. It would have been more expensive but I think I would have been happier with it.
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Ethan
There was a very common problem in this particular tape player, I used to have one back in the days and I even used it for my MSX also, anyway most likely you just need to spin the motor by your hand a few times while its off and then put the bottom shell back, and it should work fine I even remember I left the bottom shell unscrewed because of this problem, it was very common, thank you for sharing it brings back great memories.
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There was a very common problem in this particular tape player, I used to have one back in the days and I even used it for my MSX also, anyway most likely you just need to spin the motor by your hand a few times while its off and then put the bottom shell back, and it should work fine I even remember I left the bottom shell unscrewed because of this problem, it was very common, thank you for sharing it brings back great memories.
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Steven
Space Harrier is on the NEC PC-8801-. If you get it working with Space Harrier, I would envy you--At least I have my Astro City Mini, Turbo-Grafx 16 Mini and PC Engine Core Grafx II, PC Engine GT, Saturn, GameGear, Master System, Famicom/NES, GBA, Switch, 3DS to play Space Harrier on-. If they made a mini version of this PC that connects to an HD TV and comes pre-loaded with Space Harrier I would probably buy it-.
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Space Harrier is on the NEC PC-8801-. If you get it working with Space Harrier, I would envy you--At least I have my Astro City Mini, Turbo-Grafx 16 Mini and PC Engine Core Grafx II, PC Engine GT, Saturn, GameGear, Master System, Famicom/NES, GBA, Switch, 3DS to play Space Harrier on-. If they made a mini version of this PC that connects to an HD TV and comes pre-loaded with Space Harrier I would probably buy it-.
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Randy
I have that same version, but mine also has the 16-bit board so I can boot it with CP/M OR MS-DOS - DOS 1. 2 is what I have with is. I only have a mono monitor though. But I do have the dual 5 1/4- floppy drive as well. The 8801A was definitely sold int he US, my friend's Dad didn't get it from Japan, and I have the whole set of US English manuals for it.
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I have that same version, but mine also has the 16-bit board so I can boot it with CP/M OR MS-DOS - DOS 1. 2 is what I have with is. I only have a mono monitor though. But I do have the dual 5 1/4- floppy drive as well. The 8801A was definitely sold int he US, my friend's Dad didn't get it from Japan, and I have the whole set of US English manuals for it.
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Deca
I like to think that somewhere in some disused dark basement in some university somewhere there is an old computer that has been long forgotten hidden behind boxes and dust since the mid 80's that has just been loyally repeating the word 'fartz' and will continue to do so until the power is cut or the computer dies.
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I like to think that somewhere in some disused dark basement in some university somewhere there is an old computer that has been long forgotten hidden behind boxes and dust since the mid 80's that has just been loyally repeating the word 'fartz' and will continue to do so until the power is cut or the computer dies.
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John
I like the front-facing buttons on the front of the monitor. I was trying remember, during your last video, what I used to drool over for monitors, and you just reminded me that it was the Sony Trinitron, which seemed impervious to all the annoying problems that plagued early colour CRT monitors.
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I like the front-facing buttons on the front of the monitor. I was trying remember, during your last video, what I used to drool over for monitors, and you just reminded me that it was the Sony Trinitron, which seemed impervious to all the annoying problems that plagued early colour CRT monitors.
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ValentinesEve1996
Hey LGR, did you know that there actually exists an official mini console for the NEC PC-8001 called the NEC PC-8001 Pasocom Mini. It was officially announced by NEC back in August 2019. It was made by NEC and HAL Laboratory (the same company that made Kirby and Super Smash Bros.
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Hey LGR, did you know that there actually exists an official mini console for the NEC PC-8001 called the NEC PC-8001 Pasocom Mini. It was officially announced by NEC back in August 2019. It was made by NEC and HAL Laboratory (the same company that made Kirby and Super Smash Bros.
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