Computer Closet Collection

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NEC PC-8001A

See below for specifications and information on this system.

Introduced:	1979
Original Price:	List price in 1982: $2,894 with 32K RAM, 8012A I/O system w/additional 32K RAM, 8031A dual floppies, and 12" monitor.
CPU:	Zilog Z-80A, 4 MHz
Memory:	16K RAM, expandable to 64K; 24K ROM BASIC
Operating System:	CP/M
Input/Output:
Bus:	NEC proprietary bus
Other Items in Collection:	NEC 8012A I/O expander, 8023A printer, 8031A dual floppy disk drives

The NEC PC-8001A was the first computer system to be mass marketed in Japan in 1979. In physical design it's almost a clone of the Radio Shack TRS-80 Model 1, introduced two years earlier; both have the CPU fully contained within the keyboard; both use the Z-80 microprocessor, and both use external expansion interfaces. The NEC is a more sturdily built machine than the Radio Shack; where the TRS-80 uses plastic, the NEC uses metal. The NEC is also much faster, at a full 4 MHz clock speed, and has color graphics.

Here's a shot of the complete PC-8001A system with I/O expansion chassis, dual floppy drive enclosure, and NEC monitor:

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