website/content/museum/panasonic-jr-200u.md

---
title: Panasonic JR-200U
categories:
- Computers
types:
- Home Computer
origins:
- U.S.A.
years:
- '1983'
cpus:
- MN 1800A
params:
  name: JR-200U
  image: /media/museum/photos/panasonic_jr-200u_system_1.jpg
  company: /companies/panasonic
  company_name: Panasonic
  specs:
  - label: NAME
    value: JR-200U
  - label: MANUFACTURER
    value: Panasonic
  - label: TYPE
    value: Home Computer
  - label: ORIGIN
    value: U.S.A.
  - label: YEAR
    value: January 1983
  - label: END OF PRODUCTION
    value: '1984'
  - label: BUILT IN LANGUAGE
    value: JR Basic 5.0
  - label: KEYBOARD
    value: Chicklet keyboard with basic statements printed on the keys, 64 keys
  - label: CPU
    value: MN 1800A (6802 compatible)
  - label: SPEED
    value: Unknown
  - label: CO-PROCESSOR
    value: MN1544
  - label: RAM
    value: 36kb (32k + 2k for graphic characters + 2k VRAM)
  - label: VRAM
    value: 2 kb
  - label: ROM
    value: 16 kb
  - label: TEXT MODES
    value: 32 x 24
  - label: GRAPHIC MODES
    value: 64 x 48
  - label: COLORS
    value: '8'
  - label: SOUND
    value: 3 voices, 5 octaves
  - label: SIZE / WEIGHT
    value: 348 × 208 × 56 mm / 1,7 Kg
  - label: I/O PORTS
    value: Composite video out, RF video out, RGB video out, Expansion bus, Tape (600/2400 bauds), RS-232c/printer port, External speaker
  - label: BUILT IN MEDIA
    value: None
  - label: POWER SUPPLY
    value: AC100V 50/60Hz, 8w
  - label: PERIPHERALS
    value: JR-F11 floppy disk-drive, JR-U07 Joystick interface, JR-U05 RS232 interface, JR-PO1 Centronics interface
  - label: PRICE
    value: $349.95 (USA, march 1983)
  tabs:
  - photos
  - adverts
  - hardware
  - software
  - emulators
  - links
  forum_thread: 546
  photos:
  - title: REAR CONNECTORS
    subtitle: ''
    text: ''
    image: /media/museum/photos/panasonic_jr-200u_back_1.jpg
  adverts:
  - title: US ADVERT
    subtitle: ''
    text: ''
    image: /media/museum/pubs/panasonic_jr-200u_pub_s1.jpg
  hardware:
  - title: F-01 DISK-DRIVE
    subtitle: 5''1/4 floppies
    text: ''
    image: /media/museum/hardware/national_jr200_f01_1.jpg
  screenshots:
  - title: BOOT SCREEN
    subtitle: Basic
    text: ''
    image: /media/museum/software/panasonic_jr200_basic_ss.gif
  - title: DEMO TAPE
    subtitle: JR-200 title
    text: ''
    image: /media/museum/software/matsushita_jr200_jr200-2_ss.gif
  - title: DEMO TAPE
    subtitle: 3D graph display
    text: ''
    image: /media/museum/software/matsushita_jr200_3d_ss.gif
  - title: DEMO TAPE
    subtitle: Color graph display
    text: ''
    image: /media/museum/software/matsushita_jr200_color-graph_ss.gif
  - title: DEMO TAPE
    subtitle: 'Color graph display #2'
    text: ''
    image: /media/museum/software/matsushita_jr200_color-graph2_ss.gif
  - title: DEMO TAPE
    subtitle: Color demo
    text: ''
    image: /media/museum/software/matsushita_jr200_colors_ss.gif
  - title: DEMO TAPE
    subtitle: Color sample
    text: ''
    image: /media/museum/software/matsushita_jr200_color-sample_ss.gif
  - title: DEMO TAPE
    subtitle: Panasonic JR200
    text: ''
    image: /media/museum/software/matsushita_jr200_jr200_ss.gif
  - title: DEMO TAPE
    subtitle: Merry go 'round
    text: ''
    image: /media/museum/software/matsushita_jr200_manege_ss.gif
  - title: DEMO TAPE
    subtitle: Panasonic Home Computer
    text: ''
    image: /media/museum/software/matsushita_jr200_schema_ss.gif
  - title: BREAKING BLOCK
    subtitle: ''
    text: ''
    image: /media/museum/software/panasonic_jr200_breakingblock_ss.gif
  - title: COSMIC PATROL
    subtitle: ''
    text: ''
    image: /media/museum/software/panasonic_jr200_cosmic-patrol_ss.gif
  - title: CRAZY MAZEY
    subtitle: ''
    text: ''
    image: /media/museum/software/panasonic_jr200_crazy-mazey_ss.gif
  - title: GEOGRAPHY EXPLORER USA
    subtitle: ''
    text: ''
    image: /media/museum/software/panasonic_jr200_geography-explorer_ss.gif
  - title: SANTA PARAVIA
    subtitle: ''
    text: ''
    image: /media/museum/software/panasonic_jr200_santa-paravia_ss.gif
  - title: VORTEX
    subtitle: ''
    text: ''
    image: /media/museum/software/panasonic_jr200_vortex_ss.gif
  emulators:
  - title: Virtual Panasonic JR-200U
    url: http://www.geocities.com/emucompboy/
    platform: Windows
    text: Thanks to James the Animal Tamer , there is now a JR200 emulator !
  links:
  - title: Armchair Arcade Covers the PPC JR-200U
    url: http://www.armchairarcade.com/neo/node/1598
    text: Excellent article from Armchair Arcade, very detailed
  - title: Matsushita JR Museum
    url: http://dec.sakura.ne.jp/~hayashi/jr/index.html
    text: A japanese virtual museum dedicated to the JR computers !
  related:
  - /museum/matsushita-national-jr-200
  oc_id: 553
  source:
    url: https://web.archive.org/web/20230609170048/http://www.old-computers.com/museum/computer.asp?c=553
    date: '2023-06-09'
---

This computer is the same as the [Matsushita JR-200U](/museum/matsushita-national-jr-200/).

Two years in the making, the Panasonic JR-200 computer was officially announced in January of 1983, with additional launch dates provided for the computer and peripherals. The JR-200u received early and strong support from two software publishing companies; Data-Most and Walt Disney Telecommunications. Having the support of both of these companies, especially Data-Most, was crucial in Panasonic's strategy to successfully market this computer, as well as it's plans to have 30 software titles available by the official launch in the spring of 1983. Additionally, Panasonic planned for an additional 24 titles to become available by mid-summer of 1983 by consulting with other software developers.

From the start, the Panasonic JR-200u was never meant to be a cartridge based machine. Panasonic had other plans for a cartridge based system which never materialized. Initially, software was to be developed first on cassette tapes, and later floppy disks.