website/content/museum/msx-1.md

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

title	categories	types	origins	years	cpus	params
MSX 1	Computers	Home Computer	Japan	1983	Zilog Z80A	name company company_name specs tabs hardware emulators links comments related oc_id source MSX 1 /companies/msx MSX label value NAME MSX 1 label value MANUFACTURER MSX label value TYPE Home Computer label value ORIGIN Japan label value YEAR 1983 label value BUILT IN LANGUAGE Microsoft Extended Basic (MSX Basic V1.0) label value KEYBOARD At least 70 keys (including 5 F-keys with 10 functions and 4 arrow keys) label value CPU Zilog Z80A label value SPEED 3.58 MHz label value CO-PROCESSOR Video chip must be compatible with the Texas Instruments TMS 9918/A or TMS 9928/A (Japan : 60 Hz) or TMS 9929/A (Europe : 50 Hz) label value RAM At least 8 KB (most machines had 64kB built in) label value VRAM 16 KB label value ROM 32 KB BASIC/BIOS ( MSX BASIC V1.0) label value TEXT MODES Mode 0 : 40 x 24\ Mode 1 : 32 x 24 label value GRAPHIC MODES Mode 2 : 256 x 192 with 16 colors (Hires mode)\ Mode 3 : 64 x 48 with 16 colors (Multi colour mode)\ 32 sprites label value COLORS 16 label value SOUND General Instruments AY-3-8910 Programmable Sound Generator\ 3 channels, 8 octaves label value I/O PORTS Joystick socket (1 or 2), Cardridge slot (1 or 2), Tape-recorder plug (1200/2400 bauds), RGB video output, Centronics interface label value OS MSX DOS hardware emulators links title subtitle text image NATIONAL CF-2131 16 KB RAM expansion /media/museum/hardware/national_cf2131_16k-cart.jpg title subtitle text image CASIO OR-216 - 16 KB RAM EXPANSION Box /media/museum/hardware/casio_or216_16kbramexpansion_box.jpg title subtitle text image PHILIPS RAM EXPANSION RAM expansion and LOGO language cartridges. Thanks to Daniele from Italy /media/museum/hardware/philips_vg8020_cartridges_s1.jpg title subtitle text image MEGA RAM DISK 256 from DDX (Brazil) This is the famous Megaram cartridge made in Brzail, used to play all Konami cracked Megarom games.6401999243 /media/museum/hardware/msx_megaram256-ddx_1.jpg title subtitle text image PANASONIC FS-IFA1 & FW-RSU1W Scanner/Printer interface 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. /media/museum/hardware/msx_fs-ifa1_fw-rsu1w.jpg title subtitle text image SONY HBI-232 RS232c cartridge Used to connect serial printers. /media/museum/hardware/sony_msx_rs232c-cartridge.jpg title subtitle text image YAMAHA MOUSE #1 This mouse was compatible with all MSX systems. It connects to the first Joystick port. Thanks to **www.zonadepruebas.com** /media/museum/hardware/yamaha_mouse_s2.jpg title subtitle text image YAMAHA MOUSE #2 Brand new! Thanks to **www.zonadepruebas.com** /media/museum/hardware/yamaha_mouse_s1.jpg title subtitle text image PHILIPS VW0020 80-col dot-matrix printer 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. /media/museum/hardware/philips_vg8020_printervw0020_s1.jpg title subtitle text image SANYO PHC-DR II Side /media/museum/hardware/sanyo_phc-drii_side_1.jpg title subtitle text image SANYO PHC-DR II Front /media/museum/hardware/sanyo_phc-drii_front_1.jpg title subtitle text image SANYO DR-202 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. /media/museum/hardware/sanyo_phc28_dr202tapedrive_s1.jpg title subtitle text image NATIONAL RQ-8030 tape-recorder /media/museum/hardware/national_tape_rq8030.jpg title subtitle text image BIT-CORDER Cassete recorder dedicated to Hit-Bit MSX systems, though it could be used with any home computers. /media/museum/hardware/sony_hb201_bitcorder_1.jpg title url platform text fMSX for MS DOS Homepage http://www.komkon.org/~dekogel/fmsx.html MS DOS title url platform text BlueMSX http://www.bluemsx.com/ Windows Excellent free MSX emulator title url platform text BrMSX http://www.lsi.usp.br/~ricardo/brmsx.htm Windows A Bresilian MSX Emulator written in 100% assembler title url platform text CompuJunk's MSX Emulator http://ftp.castel.nl/msx/ Windows A MSX1 and MSX2 Emulator title url platform text RuMSX http://members.eunet.at/lexlechz/msx.html Windows A MSX Emulator for Win95 and Win NT + Direct X title url platform text fMSX for MAC OS Homepage http://www.emulation.net/msx/index.html Apple title url platform text fMSX official Homepage http://www.komkon.org/fms/fMSX Multiplatform 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 url platform text openMSX - The MSX emulator that aims for perfection. http://openmsx.sourceforge.net/ Multiplatform 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. title url text Baboo! http://www.baboo.net/baboo.shtml MSX dedicated Yahoo clone. Essential ! title url text FILE-HUNTER.COM http://www.file-hunter.com/ Excellent! All MSX emulators, sources and utilities! title url text FTP da MSXBr-L/MSX.Org.Br http://www.caetano.eng.br/msxsoft/ Excellent brasilian software archive title url text MOAI TECH http://www.moai-tech.com/ Spanish/English website with interesting content title url text MSX Hardware List http://www.faq.msxnet.org/hardware.html An impressive list of MSX hardware. The Bible !!! title url text MSX Ressource Center http://www.msx.org/ Essential site ! title url text Possi's Konami MSX Page http://dynamo.geol.msu.ru/MSX/ Nice page dedicated to all Konami MSX games (roms, scans, mids, etc.) title url text The MSX Games Box http://www.msxgamesbox.com All about MSX gaming (games, covers.etc.). More Fun, Less Mhz! title url text The MSX Museum BOX http://www.msxmuseumbox.com More than 190 different MSX models in pictures. title url text The ultimate MSX Faq http://www.faq.msxnet.org Here, you can find near all hardware pieces related to MSX. title url text Web Wiz CAPTCHA http://www.webwizcaptcha.com The MSX home computer system author date text Omar (Dubai, UAE) Thursday 18th March 2021 Adding to that, my mother actually owned an MSX as a teenager. There were a lot of edutainment titles, and the MSX it seems was marketed primarily with an educational slant, and a games system and work computer second. Eventually the company (Al-Alamiah) began creating MS-DOS computers, but there''s barely any information I can find about those. author date text ACS Monday 22nd June 2015 The MSX was also very popular in west asian and north african Arabian countries. It was also especially popular in gulf countries with KSA based al-Alamiah reprogramming translating the OS to Arabic. al-Alamiah also developed and published several Arabic applications and video games. author date text Makunga Thursday 30th May 2013 Hi all. Believe it or not, I became a fan of programming and computers after using one of those around 1985. They where hooked to black $ white CRT TV sets and the programs in MSX Basic recorded in music cassets. That was in Cuba and were the first computers introduced at high schools along with 8086/8088 Ltels with 256 KB RAM (for the teachers). Damn, I''m so old... author date text Roger Jowett (Ulster) Thursday 28th February 2013 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v$zsjTpFR0oYQ please help\ trying to convert 8bit video for sam coupe\ this is still not mode 3 interlaced with hmpr bit 5$6 CLUT alterations per scan line HELP we only need a DMA...\ masterdos/basic atom lite support HELP author date text josemi (Valladolid (Spain)) Thursday 26th April 2012 MSX 1 was very popular in Spain. It was sold very well in 84 $ 85, specially Sony and Philips Most computers were sold in office material shops, nothing related to families, Philips was a really popular brand for TVs and electrical appliances, so many families bought it in the same shop that offered freezers and hair dryers. Sony was popular too and it made a big advertising campaign. The big problem was the price, a MSX system cost the double that an "grey imported" spectrum, and that was much money for an Spanish family by that time. author date text Marco G (Portugal) Saturday 21st April 2012 I do own a Philips MSX. They were good machines but over here Timex TC-2068 and Sinclair 48k/128k where dominant. author date text Kvisko (Serbia) Monday 9th August 2010 http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/MSX Please add this photo of first MSX, since I remeber it well to be the exact copy of this computer Best wishes to ya all from Serbia author date text Alexei (Seattle (USA)) Wednesday 3rd May 2006 It's too bad the standard didn't last. Rather than an official standard for home computers, we ended up with a de-facto standard (the PC).c Still, MSX are cool machines. Enrico, I'm willing to bet that there are probably even more unknown MSX system. author date text Alberto (Madrid (Spain)) Tuesday 5th November 2002 Hi Enrico, and every one who loves MSX. Certainly the meaning of "MSX" acronym is secondary, let's use these wonderful machines and enjoy! :D\ And thanks to Old-Computers webmasters for your patience ;). Best Regards. author date text Enrico Barbisan (Italy) Thursday 29th August 2002 Kris says: This is a Sord M5 computer\ http://bernholm.dk/computermuseum/index.php?view=sordm5 There are pictures of games and they look very much like MSX games! My question now is: Is the Sord an MSX compatible ??? I and other say: There are some differences, for ex slot format. Ciao,\ Enrico author date text Enrico Barbisan (Italy) Monday 26th August 2002 Hi, I've found this interesting site talking about East countries homecomputers. http://www.homecomputer.de Maybe there are unknown MSX clones around the world. For example: --------\ Elektronika MC1502: MSX?\ http://www.homecomputer.de/pages/easteurope_ussr.html http://www.homecomputer.de/images/wanted/easteurope/Elektronika_MC1502.jpg -------\ Toshiba style!\ http://www.homecomputer.de/images/wanted/easteurope/Bashkirya-2M.jpg Regards,\ Enrico author date text Enrico Barbisan (Italy) Thursday 8th August 2002 Hi Alberto, I'm an Italian MSX user. I know that Nishi said that MSX was the acronym of: "Machine and Software Exchageability".\ I don't know if Nishi has said another thing for it. Let me know.\ Regards,\ Enrico author date text Alberto (Madrid (Spain)) Wednesday 31st July 2002 Hello, I've been an MSX fan for many years and I've read several times the origin of "MSX" as "MicroSoft eXtended" acronym but, the same Mr. Nishi who founded the standard in 1983 has declared the real meaning: The first protoype of this machine was called MNX by "Matsushita-Nishi X". This word was registered and then they have to change to MSX for "Matsushita-Sony X". This information is more detailed at Kuniji Ikeda internet news page. /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/epcom-sharp-hotbit-hb-8000 /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/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 90 url date https://web.archive.org/web/20230604004104/http://www.old-computers.com/museum/computer.asp?c=90 2023-06-04

In the early 80's, there were a lot of home computers. A Japanese company called ASCII corporation (directed by Kay Nishi) decided to create an industry standard for home computers: MSX was born. MSX means Machines with Software eXchangeability. This is the true and only meaning, stop spreading the word about another explanation please.

The new standard was based on an existing computer: The Spectravideo SV 318 which can be considered as a beta version of MSX1 computers. Microsoft designed then MSX1 computers and the first version of the OS: MSX DOS 1 (which looks like early versions of MS-DOS).

Almost every Japanese and Korean computer companies made their own MSX computers (except maybe NEC). Bill Gates was then very confident about the future of the MSX standard.

Spectravideo (one of the MSX companies) made an 80 column card and adapted CP/M for the MSX.

A lot of programs (especially a lot of games from Sega, Konami, Taito, ASCII, etc.) and hardware were developed for this standard. Despite all its qualities, the MSX family didn't have great success in USA. However it was pretty well known in Europe (particularly in the Netherlands and France), in South America (Brazil specifically) and Russia (then the USSR). This standard was replaced in 1985 by MSX 2.