website/content/museum/nec-apc-iii.md

title, categories, types, origins, years, cpus, params

title	categories	types	origins	years	cpus	params
NEC APC III	Computers	Professional Computer	Japan	1983	Intel 8086	name image company company_name specs tabs forum_thread photos oc_id source APC III /media/museum/photos/nec_apciii_system_s1.jpg /companies/nec NEC label value NAME APC III label value MANUFACTURER NEC label value TYPE Professional Computer label value ORIGIN Japan label value YEAR 1983 label value END OF PRODUCTION Unknown label value BUILT IN LANGUAGE None label value KEYBOARD 101-key with 12 function keys, cursor and numeric keypads label value CPU Intel 8086 label value SPEED 8 MHz label value RAM 128 KB up to 640 KB label value VRAM Unknown label value ROM Unknown label value TEXT MODES 40 or 80 columns x 25 lines label value GRAPHIC MODES 640 x 400 dots bit-mapped color label value SOUND Internal speaker label value I/O PORTS Floppy Disk Drive, RS-232C, Printer, C-bus slot x 6 label value BUILT IN MEDIA 2 internal TEAC FD-55B-01-U 5.25'' floppy drives - 720 KB in native mode, 360 KB with the SLE board label value OS Special version of MS-DOS 2.11 label value POWER SUPPLY Built-in power supply unit label value PERIPHERALS External hard disk drives label value PRICE About $3,000 with internal 10 MB hard drive 1984 photos 970 title subtitle text image LARGER VIEW /media/museum/photos/nec_apciii_system_s2.jpg title subtitle text image FRONT PANEL 10 MD HDD version. Thanks to **Chevy** /media/museum/photos/nec_apciii_frontview_s1.jpg title subtitle text image REAR SIDE **(1)** Keyboard connector\ **(2)** Monochrome monitor plug\ **(3)** External HDD controller card housing\ **(4)** Colour RGB monitor DB9 plug\ **(5)** Configuration switches\ **(6)** Serial RS-232 interface connector\ **(7)** Two additional serial ports\ **(8)** Parallel printer connector /media/museum/photos/nec_apciii_rearside_s1.jpg title subtitle text image EXPANSION CARD SLOTS An extra memory card is inserted in one of the four expansion slots. Thanks to **Chevy** /media/museum/photos/nec_apciii_expcard_s1.jpg title subtitle text image KEYBOARD Thanks to **Chevy** /media/museum/photos/nec_apciii_keyboard_s1.jpg title subtitle text image INSIDE Thanks to **Chevy** /media/museum/photos/nec_apciii_inside_s2.jpg 996 url date https://web.archive.org/web/20230324112835/http://www.old-computers.com/museum/computer.asp?c=996 2023-03-24

The Nec APC III appears to be the U.S. version of the NEC PC-9801, which was made in a variety of configurations.

This machine was partially IBM PC compatible, but neither the PC bus or BIOS were cloned. It had an NEC 7220 graphics chip which was not directly CGA compatible, but was much higher resolution, and quite fast for its day.

The CPU is an 8086 running at 8 MHz with 128K of memory. The system used an OEM version of MS-DOS 2.11, modified to work with its non-standard BIOS and hardware. Simple DOS applications that did not make use of IBM BIOS calls or of lower-level hardware would work.

Optionally there was an expansion board called SLE (for Software Library Expander) which some nicknamed the SLEeze board. This board included a second 8086 processor, Phoenix BIOS and memory. In conjunction with its accompanying software this board allowed for "more PC compatibility" by emulating a true PC clone with CGA graphics. Accounts of how well this actually worked vary.

NEC also ported a version of System III UNIX and released it as PC-UX available as an optional OS. NEC also provided a hardware-based virtual memory paging board for PC-UX which helped performance.

Other options included a 10MB hard drive. Memory was expandable to 640K.

Thanks to Richard Bramante for information and pictures.

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.