website/content/museum/sharp-pc-1210-1211-1212.md

---
title: Sharp PC-1210 / 1211 / 1212
categories:
- Computers
types:
- Pocket
origins:
- Japan
years:
- '1980'
cpus:
- Sharp CMOS SC-43177
params:
  name: PC-1210 / 1211 / 1212
  image: /media/museum/photos/sharp_pc1211_system_s2.jpg
  company: /companies/sharp
  company_name: Sharp
  specs:
  - label: NAME
    value: PC-1210 / 1211 / 1212
  - label: MANUFACTURER
    value: Sharp
  - label: TYPE
    value: Pocket
  - label: ORIGIN
    value: Japan
  - label: YEAR
    value: '1980'
  - label: BUILT IN LANGUAGE
    value: BASIC interpreter
  - label: KEYBOARD
    value: 57 keys, QWERTY calculator type with numeric key-pad
  - label: CPU
    value: Sharp CMOS SC-43177(A) and SC43178 (4 bits)
  - label: SPEED
    value: 256 kHz
  - label: RAM
    value: |-
      PC-1210: 896 Bytes (400 steps / 50 memories available for user)\
      PC-1211/12: 1920 Bytes (1424 steps, 178 memories)
  - label: ROM
    value: 11,2 kB (?)
  - label: TEXT MODES
    value: 1 line x 24 chars. (LCD screen)
  - label: GRAPHIC MODES
    value: None
  - label: COLORS
    value: Black and White
  - label: SOUND
    value: CPU controlled piezo buzzer, fixed frequency and duration
  - label: SIZE / WEIGHT
    value: 175 (W) x 70 (D) x 15 (H) mm / 170 g
  - label: I/O PORTS
    value: 9 pin expansion port for printer and cassette interface
  - label: POWER SUPPLY
    value: 4 x 1,35 V button cell MR44 or similar
  - label: PERIPHERALS
    value: |-
      CE-121 cassette interface\
      CE-122 printer and cassette interface (single needle impact printer)\
      CE-152 tape recorder
  - label: PRICE
    value: |-
      PC-1210: $125.- (USA 03.1980)\
      PC-1211: 200 (Germany, France - 1980)\
      PC-1212: 125 (Germany, 05.1983)
  tabs:
  - photos
  - adverts
  - emulators
  - links
  forum_thread: 913
  photos:
  - title: LARGE VIEW
    subtitle: ''
    text: ''
    image: /media/museum/photos/sharp_pc1211_system_s3.jpg
  - title: CLOSE-UP
    subtitle: ''
    text: ''
    image: /media/museum/photos/sharp_pc1211_closeup_s1.jpg
  - title: PC-1211 AND PC-1212
    subtitle: ''
    text: |-
      Externally, the only difference between the two versions is the LCD display background colour, grey for the PC-1212, greenish-yellow for the PC-1211.\
      Internally, the ROM content has been slightly improved.
    image: /media/museum/photos/sharp_pc1211_12111212_s1.jpg
  - title: CE-122
    subtitle: ''
    text: PC-1212 and CE-122 printer and cassette interface unit in their carrying case.
    image: /media/museum/photos/sharp_pc1211_ce122case_s1.jpg
  - title: USER MANUALS
    subtitle: ''
    text: ''
    image: /media/museum/photos/sharp_pc1211_manuals_1.jpg
  adverts:
  - title: FRENCH ADVERT (JAN. 1981)
    subtitle: ''
    text: Sharp 1211 advert from ILLEL, a french computer seller
    image: /media/museum/pubs/sharp_pc1211_pub-fr_1.png
  - title: PHOTOGRAPHY TOOL
    subtitle: ''
    text: taken from Popular Science nov.1980
    image: /media/museum/pubs/sharp_pc1211_pix_popscience_nov1980.jpg
  emulators:
  - title: POEMS
    url: http://sourceforge.jp/projects/poems/
    platform: Unix / Linux
    text: PC-12xx, 14xx & 13xx emulator
  - title: PockEmul
    url: http://pockemul.free.fr/
    platform: Multiplatform
    text: Emulates nearly all Sharp pocket computers!
  links:
  - title: Web Wiz CAPTCHA
    url: http://www.webwizcaptcha.com
    text: ''
  related:
  - /museum/sharp-pc-1245
  - /museum/sharp-pc-1250-pc-1251
  - /museum/sharp-pc-1260-pc-1261-pc-1262
  - /museum/sharp-pc-1401-pc-1402-pc-1421
  - /museum/sharp-pc-1403-h
  - /museum/sharp-pc-1500-pc-1500a
  - /museum/sharp-pc-2500
  oc_id: 936
  source:
    url: https://web.archive.org/web/20230602175555/http://www.old-computers.com/museum/computer.asp?c=936
    date: '2023-06-02'
---

The Sharp PC-121x series is generally regarded as the first commercially available pocket computers ever. Its design was based on the way normal pocket calculators were built, but the case was turned 90 degrees to allow for a wider display, and most mathematical function keys were replaced with alphanumerical keys. Its main intended use was BASIC programming, although it could be used as a calculator as well, by simply typing in the math functions with the alphanumerical keyboard in one line of up to 80 characters.

As for the release date of the different models, sources somewhat differ, but based on model numbers and a careful examination of exemplars of all three types, the following course of events seems the most probable: The **PC-1210** was the first model, released in 1980. Contrary to the other models, it had only 896 bytes of RAM (1 RAM chip of 1k\*4bit = 512 Bytes, plus 3 times 128 Bytes incorporated in the three display chips), resulting in 400 Bytes user memory, shared between BASIC (max. 400 steps) and variables, the so-called "flexible memories" (max. 50). Moreover, there are 26 "fixed memories" (A\~Z) and 48 steps "reserve memory", which do not use up any user memory. When looking at the "inner values", the PC-1210 looks a bit like a prototype, as there are multiple "fixes" on the PCBs, and a small additional PCB with a single logic chip had been squeezed in, which is missing in the later models.

This first model was quickly replaced by the **PC-1211**, which was released in the same year, and had two additional RAM chips, thus having 1920 bytes of RAM at its command (1424 steps, 178 flexible memories). The PCB had been slightly redesigned, and some of the chips updated.

At the same time, it was also marketed by Tandy/Radio Shack as the [TRS-80 Pocket Computer](/museum/tandy-radio-shack-trs-80-pc-1/), which had a slightly earlier version of the main PCBs (judging from the fixes), a slightly different look (outer plastic parts in black, not brown, and gray display frame), but exactly the same technical data.

In 1983, the PC-1211 was re-released as the **PC-1212**. The innards are exactly the same (identical PCB number). Allegedly, some minor changes had been made to the ROMs, and the only visible difference was that the display does not have the strangely yellowish background colour, but looks like any LCD as they are commonly known.

The PC-121x series provided a display of 24 characters (some of the later Sharp PCs had even less!), and was a pseudo "multi-processor system" with two 4bit-CPUs. However, this design was probably not chosen in order to improve speed, but simply because the available CMOS processors did not have enough on-board ROM to implement BASIC functionality in one CPU alone. Thus, they basically do not work in parallel, but in a 'time sharing' manner: CPU I functions to read key-in data or read the instruction to be executed from RAM, and scheduling math operations and BASIC statements. Operations are then performed by CPU II, which also handles display and buzzer output as well as low-level printer and cassette functions.

The picture represents a PC-1210 with the **CE-122** printer and cassette interface unit (single needle mechanical dot printer). Other peripherals were the **CE-121** cassette interface, and the **CE-152** tape recorder, which could of course be used with most other models as well.

Special thanks to **Roman von Wartburg** and his [site](http://retrocomputing.ch/) for all this information.