--- title: EPCOM / SHARP Hotbit HB-8000 categories: - Computers types: - Home Computer origins: - Brazil years: - '1985' cpus: - Zilog Z80A params: name: Hotbit HB-8000 company: /companies/epcom-sharp company_name: EPCOM / SHARP specs: - label: NAME value: Hotbit HB-8000 - label: MANUFACTURER value: Epcom / Sharp - label: TYPE value: Home Computer - label: ORIGIN value: Brazil - label: YEAR value: December 1985 - label: END OF PRODUCTION value: '1988' - label: BUILT IN LANGUAGE value: Hot-Basic v1.2 - label: KEYBOARD value: Full-stroke keyboard, 5 function keys and 4 arrow keys. 73 keys. Portuguese special characters - label: CPU value: Zilog Z80A - label: SPEED value: 3.58 MHz - label: CO-PROCESSOR value: TMS-9128NL video processor - label: RAM value: 64 KB (28 KB free with MSX Basic) - label: VRAM value: 16 KB - label: ROM value: 32 KB BASIC/BIOS ( MSX BASIC V1.0) - label: TEXT MODES value: |- Mode 0 : 40 x 24\ Mode 1 : 32 x 24 - label: GRAPHIC MODES value: |- Mode 2 : 256 x 192 with 16 colors (Hires mode)\ Mode 3 : 64 x 48 with 16 colors (Multi colour mode)\ 32 sprites - label: COLORS value: '16' - label: SOUND value: |- General Instruments AY-3-8910 Programmable Sound Generator\ 3 channels, 8 octaves - label: SIZE / WEIGHT value: 405 x 280 x 58 mm / 3,2 Kg - label: I/O PORTS value: Audio output, 2 controller ports, 1 cartridge slot, Tape interface (1200/2400 bauds), Composite video output (PAL-M), RF TV output, Printer / Centronics interface - label: OS value: MSX DOS - label: POWER SUPPLY value: Built-in PSU, 120/220V AC60Hz - label: PRICE value: Unknown tabs: - photos - adverts - hardware - software - emulators - links photos: - title: BEIGE VERSION subtitle: '' text: '' image: null - title: BLACK VERSION subtitle: '' text: '' image: null - title: BOTH SIDES subtitle: '' text: |- The power switch is on the right side.\ The reset switch and second cartridge or expansion slot are on the left side.\ Two joystick connectors are on the front side. image: null - title: REAR CONNECTORS subtitle: '' text: 'Three switches are accessible from the underneath of the case: TV channel 2 or 3, B/W or colour video output, 110/220V power supply.' image: null - title: INSIDE subtitle: '' text: |- Very classical MSX-1 board, designed by Sharp in Japan, but made in Brazil by Epcom. **(1)** Reset switch\ **(2)** Both cartridge slots\ **(3)** General Instruments AY-8910 sound generator\ **(4)** Sharp LH0080A processor, Z80A compatible\ **(5)** 32 KB EPROM chip, holds the MSX-Basic interpreter\ **(6)** Texas Instruments TMS-9128NL video chip, an heat sink is roughly glued on it\ **(7)** Keyboard connector\ **(8)** 16 KB video RAM chips (2x4416)\ **(9)** NEC 8255 I/O chip\ **(10)** Tape recorder remote relay\ **(11)** TV/UHF and composite video module\ **(12)** 110/220V Power supply unit\ **(13)** 64 KB RAM chips (8x4864) image: null - title: LOGO subtitle: '' text: '' image: null - title: BOX subtitle: '' text: '' image: null adverts: - title: 'ADVERT #1' subtitle: '' text: Thanks to [COB-Clube Old Bits](http://www.cobit.kit.net) for this picture. image: null - title: 'ADVERT #2' subtitle: '' text: Thanks to [COB-Clube Old Bits](http://www.cobit.kit.net) for this picture. image: null - title: 'ADVERT #3' subtitle: '' text: Thanks to [COB-Clube Old Bits](http://www.cobit.kit.net) for this picture. image: null hardware: - title: HB-6000 subtitle: 5,25'' Floppy Disk Drive text: We can see here two HB-6000 (5,25'' 360 KB floppy disk drives) and one HB-3600 (Dual disk drive controller). image: null - title: NATIONAL CF-2131 subtitle: 16 KB RAM expansion text: '' image: /media/museum/hardware/national_cf2131_16k-cart.jpg - title: CASIO OR-216 - 16 KB RAM EXPANSION subtitle: Box text: '' image: /media/museum/hardware/casio_or216_16kbramexpansion_box.jpg - title: PHILIPS RAM EXPANSION subtitle: '' text: |- RAM expansion and LOGO language cartridges. Thanks to Daniele from Italy image: /media/museum/hardware/philips_vg8020_cartridges_s1.jpg - title: MEGA RAM DISK 256 subtitle: from DDX (Brazil) text: This is the famous Megaram cartridge made in Brzail, used to play all Konami cracked Megarom games.6401999243 image: /media/museum/hardware/msx_megaram256-ddx_1.jpg - title: PANASONIC FS-IFA1 & FW-RSU1W subtitle: Scanner/Printer interface text: The FS-IFA1 is the printer/scanner interface (left on the picture) and the FW-RSU1W is the handheld scanner (right on the picture). These expansions are for MSX2 systems. image: /media/museum/hardware/msx_fs-ifa1_fw-rsu1w.jpg - title: SONY HBI-232 subtitle: RS232c cartridge text: Used to connect serial printers. image: /media/museum/hardware/sony_msx_rs232c-cartridge.jpg - title: 'YAMAHA MOUSE #1' subtitle: '' text: |- This mouse was compatible with all MSX systems. It connects to the first Joystick port. Thanks to **www.zonadepruebas.com** image: /media/museum/hardware/yamaha_mouse_s2.jpg - title: 'YAMAHA MOUSE #2' subtitle: '' text: |- Brand new! Thanks to **www.zonadepruebas.com** image: /media/museum/hardware/yamaha_mouse_s1.jpg - title: PHILIPS VW0020 subtitle: 80-col dot-matrix printer text: |- This printer was a rebadged version of the Seikosha GP-500.\ It was a 80-column, 50 CPS model with a 7x5 dot matrix head.\ Commodore and Atari used same hardware basis for their MPS-801 and 1029 printers. image: /media/museum/hardware/philips_vg8020_printervw0020_s1.jpg - title: SANYO PHC-DR II subtitle: Side text: '' image: /media/museum/hardware/sanyo_phc-drii_side_1.jpg - title: SANYO PHC-DR II subtitle: Front text: '' image: /media/museum/hardware/sanyo_phc-drii_front_1.jpg - title: SANYO DR-202 subtitle: '' text: The ADSS system allowed to quickly search a specific program in a cassette tape and load it. Seach time for a C60 cassette was less than 1 minute. image: /media/museum/hardware/sanyo_phc28_dr202tapedrive_s1.jpg - title: NATIONAL RQ-8030 subtitle: tape-recorder text: '' image: /media/museum/hardware/national_tape_rq8030.jpg - title: BIT-CORDER subtitle: '' text: Cassete recorder dedicated to Hit-Bit MSX systems, though it could be used with any home computers. image: /media/museum/hardware/sony_hb201_bitcorder_1.jpg screenshots: - title: TITLE SCREEN subtitle: '' text: '' image: null - title: KEYBOARD EXPLANATION subtitle: '' text: '' image: null emulators: - title: fMSX for MS DOS Homepage url: http://www.komkon.org/~dekogel/fmsx.html platform: MS DOS text: '' - title: BlueMSX url: http://www.bluemsx.com/ platform: Windows text: Excellent free MSX emulator - title: BrMSX url: http://www.lsi.usp.br/~ricardo/brmsx.htm platform: Windows text: A Bresilian MSX Emulator written in 100% assembler - title: CompuJunk's MSX Emulator url: http://ftp.castel.nl/msx/ platform: Windows text: A MSX1 and MSX2 Emulator - title: RuMSX url: http://members.eunet.at/lexlechz/msx.html platform: Windows text: A MSX Emulator for Win95 and Win NT + Direct X - title: fMSX for MAC OS Homepage url: http://www.emulation.net/msx/index.html platform: Apple text: '' - title: fMSX official Homepage url: http://www.komkon.org/fms/fMSX platform: Multiplatform text: 'fMSX is a portable MSX emulator ported on : Amiga OS, Mac OS, MS DOS, OS/2, Sony Playstation, Risc OS, Towns OS, Unix / X, Win95 / NT, X68K.' - title: openMSX - The MSX emulator that aims for perfection. url: http://openmsx.sourceforge.net/ platform: Multiplatform text: This new MSX emulator can reproduce, among many other MSX, MSX2and MSX2+ machines, both Panasonic Turbo-R models. Be sure to get the catapult frontend and the system roms from FUNET. links: - title: Baboo! url: http://www.baboo.net/baboo.shtml text: MSX dedicated Yahoo clone. Essential ! - title: FILE-HUNTER.COM url: http://www.file-hunter.com/ text: Excellent! All MSX emulators, sources and utilities! - title: FTP da MSXBr-L/MSX.Org.Br url: http://www.caetano.eng.br/msxsoft/ text: Excellent brasilian software archive - title: MOAI TECH url: http://www.moai-tech.com/ text: Spanish/English website with interesting content - title: MSX Hardware List url: http://www.faq.msxnet.org/hardware.html text: An impressive list of MSX hardware. The Bible !!! - title: MSX Ressource Center url: http://www.msx.org/ text: Essential site ! - title: Possi's Konami MSX Page url: http://dynamo.geol.msu.ru/MSX/ text: Nice page dedicated to all Konami MSX games (roms, scans, mids, etc.) - title: The MSX Games Box url: http://www.msxgamesbox.com text: All about MSX gaming (games, covers.etc.). More Fun, Less Mhz! - title: The MSX Museum BOX url: http://www.msxmuseumbox.com text: More than 190 different MSX models in pictures. - title: The ultimate MSX Faq url: http://www.faq.msxnet.org text: Here, you can find near all hardware pieces related to MSX. - title: Web Wiz CAPTCHA url: http://www.webwizcaptcha.com text: The MSX home computer system comments: - author: Gabriel Graça (Brazil) date: Wednesday 20th May 2015 text: There''s a TV commercial (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v$7PeCWm_trY8) from december 1985 which shows the Hotbit being sold for Cr$3,900,00.00 (yes, nearly 4 million cruzeiros). That would have meant about US$400 as the exchange rate was Cr$10,000.00 that month (things were very dinamic then!). In 2015 dollars, that''s US$877.77. - author: Roger Jowett (Ulster Londonderry) date: Saturday 6th April 2013 text: |- http://www.youtube.com/watch?v$zsjTpFR0oYQ we can run zx spectrum 48k and one 128k programs at 6mhz please help - author: Matheus de Paula Medeiros (Brazil) date: Tuesday 2nd August 2011 text: I bought one of these for $ 5 a while ago. They are amazing. - author: Paulo Vaz (Brazil) date: Sunday 2nd January 2005 text: |- I´m loking for the original or scanned manuals for this machine. Also the demo cartdrige. Thanks in advance. related: - /museum/canon-v-10 - /museum/canon-v-20 - /museum/canon-v-8 - /museum/casio-mx-10-mx-101 - /museum/casio-pv-16 - /museum/casio-pv-7 - /museum/fujitsu-fm-x - /museum/general-paxon-pct-50 - /museum/goldstar-fc-80-fc-200 - /museum/gradiente-expert-plus - /museum/gradiente-expert-xp-800 - /museum/hitachi-ah-200 - /museum/hitachi-h1-h1e - /museum/hitachi-h2 - /museum/mitsubishi-ml-f110-ml-f120 - /museum/mitsubishi-ml-f48-ml-f80 - /museum/mitsubishi-ml-fx1-fx2 - /museum/mitsubishi-ml-g10 - /museum/msx-1 - /museum/national-cf-2000 - /museum/national-cf-2700 - /museum/national-cf-3000 - /museum/national-fs-4000 - /museum/national-fs-4500 - /museum/olympia-phc-2 - /museum/panasonic-cf-2700 - /museum/philips-nms-801 - /museum/philips-vg-8000-8010 - /museum/philips-vg-8020 - /museum/philips-vg-8235 - /museum/pioneer-palcom-px-7 - /museum/sanyo-mpc-100 - /museum/sanyo-phc-28 - /museum/sanyo-phc-30 - /museum/sanyo-phc-33 - /museum/sanyo-wavy-10-mpc-10 - /museum/sanyo-wavy-23 - /museum/sanyo-wavy-3 - /museum/schneider-philips-mc-810 - /museum/sony-hit-bit-10 - /museum/sony-hit-bit-101 - /museum/sony-hit-bit-20 - /museum/sony-hit-bit-201 - /museum/sony-hit-bit-501 - /museum/sony-hit-bit-55 - /museum/sony-hit-bit-75 - /museum/spectravideo-svi-728 - /museum/toshiba-hx-10-pasopia-iq - /museum/toshiba-hx-20-hx-21-pasopia-iq - /museum/toshiba-hx-52 - /museum/victor-hc-6 - /museum/yamaha-cx5 - /museum/yamaha-cx5m-music-computer - /museum/yamaha-sx-100 - /museum/yamaha-yis-303 - /museum/yamaha-yis-503-diabolik - /museum/yashica-yc-64 - /museum/yeno-dpc-64 - /museum/yeno-mx-64 oc_id: 833 source: url: https://web.archive.org/web/20230604025938/http://www.old-computers.com/museum/computer.asp?c=833 date: '2023-06-04' --- The HOTBIT HB-8000 was, along with the [Gradiente Expert](/museum/gradiente-expert-xp-800/), the only MSX system officialy available in Brasil (though imported MSX systems like the Canon V-20, Yamaha CX5, Yashica YC-64, etc. could be bought). It was developped by Sharp and marketed by Epcom. It is a classic MSX 1 computer, with 64 KB RAM and two cartridge slots (one on top, and the "expansion" port on the side of the system). MSX systems did very well in Brasil and litteraly killed the previous micro-computer market populated with TRS-80, Apple II and Spectrum clones from local companies. Gradiente (sound / HIFI products) and Epcom/Sharp (video products) were big companies, and put a lot of money in the marketing of their MSX computers. Though the Hotbit was more respectful of MSX standards than the Gradiente Expert, it did not win the marketing battle, and its production was stopped in 1988. There are several versions of the Hotbit HB-8000: version 1.0 and 1.1 use a white case, while version 1.2, released to be compatible with the Gradiente Expert ASCII table (problem related to portuguese special characters), use a black case.\ \_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_ **Djogo Patrao** adds:\ Back on these days, the most annoying difference between Hotbits and Experts was in which slot were the RAM. A great deal of software didn't autodetected this, and assumed the Expert default, which caused bad (and wrong) opinions about Hotbit. **Rafael Rigues** reports:\ If you look on the back of a black Hotbit, you will notice that the area surrounding the ports is covered by a thin plastic mask, as it was originally recessed. Removing this mask, you will find a circular opening for an extra port marked RGB (the text is molded in the plastic). This leads to the speculation that this model was originally designed as an MSX 2 machine. However, I had the opportunity to help in an interview with the marketing manager of Sharp on that era, and he knew nothing about this. According to him, the 1.2 models are black simply to make them more appealing and fit better with A/V equipment of the time.
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.