--- title: SYSTEM FORMULET INC. BUBCOM 80 categories: - Computers types: - Professional Computer origins: - Japan years: - '1980' cpus: - Zilog Z80 params: name: BUBCOM 80 image: /media/museum/photos/bubcom80_2.jpg logo: /media/museum/logos/bubcom80_logo.gif company: /companies/system-formulet-inc company_name: SYSTEM FORMULET INC. specs: - label: NAME value: BUBCOM 80 - label: MANUFACTURER value: System Formulet Inc. - label: TYPE value: Professional Computer - label: ORIGIN value: Japan - label: YEAR value: ? 1980 - label: BUILT IN LANGUAGE value: Bubcom 80 Basic - label: KEYBOARD value: Full-stroke keyboard with numeric and editing keypads, function keys - label: CPU value: Zilog Z80 + Motorola 6809A - label: RAM value: 64 KB - label: ROM value: Unknown - label: TEXT MODES value: 80 x 24 ? - label: GRAPHIC MODES value: Unknown - label: COLORS value: 'yes' - label: SOUND value: Unknown - label: BUILT IN MEDIA value: 2 x 8'' disk-drives - label: OS value: CP/M optional - label: POWER SUPPLY value: Built-in PSU - label: PERIPHERALS value: Light pen, disk-drive, printer - label: PRICE value: BC-80RN (64 KB) = 168 000 yen (Japan, 1980?) tabs: - photos - adverts photos: - title: COMPLETE SYSTEM subtitle: '' text: '' image: /media/museum/photos/bubcom80_1.jpg adverts: - title: JAPANESE ADVERT subtitle: '' text: Thanks to [Mayura Labo](http://mayura.jp/blog) for this picture image: /media/museum/pubs/bubcom80_pub_1.jpg comments: - author: Paul Giers (United States) date: Monday 7th October 2019 text: The bubble memory cartridges measured approximately 3" x 2" x 1", fully enclosed except for the bottom, where the connector was recessed in the cartridge housing (similar to a gaming cartridge). I have no idea what the insides of a cartridge look like (too expensive to break open!), so I don''t know what the ''bubble'' in ''bubble memory'' really referred to. - author: Paul Giers (United States) date: Monday 7th October 2019 text: |- I owned one a Bubcom80 as a Monbusho Scholar at Kyoto University from 1983-85. I used it to pre-process survey data on social networks and access to legal resources as part of a study of women''s litigation behavior (or lack thereof). The data eventually went in to the University mainframe as a 3-ft long stack of punch cards.\ The two expansion slots held 32kb bubble memory cartridges, which if I remember correctly served essentially as RAM. Each of the 2 8" floppy drives dwarfed modern desktop towers is size and weight.\ I brought the darn thing back to the States with me (it took up almost half my shipping allotment) and lugged it around for many years before discarding it. Man, do I wish I had kept it to show my grandchildren! Paul J. Giers Jr\ Charlotte, NC - author: Maurizio Sorrentino (Italia) date: Wednesday 11th January 2017 text: |- il riferimento si trova a pag.34 del libro:\ Considerations for Use of Microcomputers in Developing Country Statistical Offices: Final Report : "In one of these system, the Bubcom 80, a 32Kb memory cartridge was priced at $ 175 in mid-1982." Da Google Libri. - author: Maurizio Sorrentino (Italia) date: Wednesday 11th January 2017 text: |- Cercando in rete ho trovato una citazione tecnica sul Bubcom 80 in cui afferma che la memoria ram ammonta a 32kb.\ Quindi possiamo presupporre che fosse espandibile a 64 Kb ma la configurazione base è di 32Kb. https://books.google.it/books?id$C833da8KmJQC$pg$PA34$lpg$PA34$dq$BUBCOM+80$source$bl$ots$MDM4FLDUVg$sig$7xCmoyKFvoO7m9rC0mkFh9-8dFg$hl$it$sa$X$ved$0ahUKEwjGs7Gs0brRAhXCdlAKHbmJBBoQ6AEIYzAO$v$onepage$q$BUBCOM$2080$f$false oc_id: 340 source: url: https://web.archive.org/web/20221203230610/http://www.old-computers.com/museum/computer.asp?c=340 date: '2022-12-03' --- Almost nothing is known about this rare japanese system... Apparently its was first marketed as the System Formulet Bubcom 80, then bought back by Fujitsu and sold as the **Fujitsu Bubcom 80**. Originaly it was a CP/M machine which used Fujitsu magnetic bubble memory. It had filesystem support for the bubble memory cartridge right in the CP/M BIOS. It seems also to have been one of the first japanese system to offer 8 colors display and is considered at the origin of the popular [Fujitsu FM-8](/museum/fujitsu-fm-8/) computer (anyone can confirm that ?). There were different versions, at least two : BC-80RN and BC-80RS with memory differences. The RN model had 64 KB RAM, and the RS ... more ?! It was apparently possible to upgrade it with modules inserted in one of the two slots on top of the case. **Jake Christie** sent us this information:\ The Bubcom 80 used "bubble memory", which was supposed to be the solution to the storage limitations of 1980s microcomputers.\ I believe the machine cost over 10,000 yen in Japan when it was introduced sometime between 1982 or 1984, and there was an attempt to export the Bubcom 80 to the US because it was a business computer.
We need more info about this computer ! If you designed, used, or have more info about this system, please send us pictures or anything you might find useful.