website/content/museum/system-formulet-inc-bubcom-80.md

---
title: SYSTEM FORMULET INC. BUBCOM 80
categories:
- Computers
types:
- Professional Computer
origins:
- Japan
years:
- '1980'
cpus:
- Zilog Z80
params:
  name: BUBCOM 80
  image: /media/museum/photos/bubcom80_2.jpg
  logo: /media/museum/logos/bubcom80_logo.gif
  company: /companies/system-formulet-inc
  company_name: SYSTEM FORMULET INC.
  specs:
  - label: NAME
    value: BUBCOM 80
  - label: MANUFACTURER
    value: System Formulet Inc.
  - label: TYPE
    value: Professional Computer
  - label: ORIGIN
    value: Japan
  - label: YEAR
    value: ? 1980
  - label: BUILT IN LANGUAGE
    value: Bubcom 80 Basic
  - label: KEYBOARD
    value: Full-stroke keyboard with numeric and editing keypads, function keys
  - label: CPU
    value: Zilog Z80 + Motorola 6809A
  - label: RAM
    value: 64 KB
  - label: ROM
    value: Unknown
  - label: TEXT MODES
    value: 80 x 24 ?
  - label: GRAPHIC MODES
    value: Unknown
  - label: COLORS
    value: 'yes'
  - label: SOUND
    value: Unknown
  - label: BUILT IN MEDIA
    value: 2 x 8'' disk-drives
  - label: OS
    value: CP/M optional
  - label: POWER SUPPLY
    value: Built-in PSU
  - label: PERIPHERALS
    value: Light pen, disk-drive, printer
  - label: PRICE
    value: BC-80RN (64 KB) = 168 000 yen (Japan, 1980?)
  tabs:
  - photos
  - adverts
  photos:
  - title: COMPLETE SYSTEM
    subtitle: ''
    text: ''
    image: /media/museum/photos/bubcom80_1.jpg
  adverts:
  - title: JAPANESE ADVERT
    subtitle: ''
    text: Thanks to [Mayura Labo](http://mayura.jp/blog) for this picture
    image: /media/museum/pubs/bubcom80_pub_1.jpg
  comments:
  - author: Paul Giers (United States)
    date: Monday 7th October 2019
    text: The bubble memory cartridges measured approximately 3" x 2" x 1", fully enclosed except for the bottom, where the connector was recessed in the cartridge housing (similar to a gaming cartridge). I have no idea what the insides of a cartridge look like (too expensive to break open!), so I don''t know what the ''bubble'' in ''bubble memory'' really referred to.
  - author: Paul Giers (United States)
    date: Monday 7th October 2019
    text: |-
      I owned one a Bubcom80 as a Monbusho Scholar at Kyoto University from 1983-85. I used it to pre-process survey data on social networks and access to legal resources as part of a study of women''s litigation behavior (or lack thereof). The data eventually went in to the University mainframe as a 3-ft long stack of punch cards.\
      The two expansion slots held 32kb bubble memory cartridges, which if I remember correctly served essentially as RAM. Each of the 2 8" floppy drives dwarfed modern desktop towers is size and weight.\
      I brought the darn thing back to the States with me (it took up almost half my shipping allotment) and lugged it around for many years before discarding it. Man, do I wish I had kept it to show my grandchildren!

      Paul J. Giers Jr\
      Charlotte, NC
  - author: Maurizio Sorrentino (Italia)
    date: Wednesday 11th January 2017
    text: |-
      il riferimento si trova a pag.34 del libro:\
      Considerations for Use of Microcomputers in Developing Country Statistical Offices: Final Report :

      "In one of these system, the Bubcom 80, a 32Kb memory cartridge was priced at $ 175 in mid-1982."

      Da Google Libri.
  - author: Maurizio Sorrentino (Italia)
    date: Wednesday 11th January 2017
    text: |-
      Cercando in rete ho trovato una citazione tecnica sul Bubcom 80 in cui afferma che la memoria ram ammonta a 32kb.\
      Quindi possiamo presupporre che fosse espandibile a 64 Kb ma la configurazione base è di 32Kb.

      https://books.google.it/books?id$C833da8KmJQC$pg$PA34$lpg$PA34$dq$BUBCOM+80$source$bl$ots$MDM4FLDUVg$sig$7xCmoyKFvoO7m9rC0mkFh9-8dFg$hl$it$sa$X$ved$0ahUKEwjGs7Gs0brRAhXCdlAKHbmJBBoQ6AEIYzAO$v$onepage$q$BUBCOM$2080$f$false
  oc_id: 340
  source:
    url: https://web.archive.org/web/20221203230610/http://www.old-computers.com/museum/computer.asp?c=340
    date: '2022-12-03'
---

Almost nothing is known about this rare japanese system... Apparently its was first marketed as the System Formulet Bubcom 80, then bought back by Fujitsu and sold as the **Fujitsu Bubcom 80**.

Originaly it was a CP/M machine which used Fujitsu magnetic bubble memory. It had filesystem support for the bubble memory cartridge right in the CP/M BIOS. It seems also to have been one of the first japanese system to offer 8 colors display and is considered at the origin of the popular [Fujitsu FM-8](/museum/fujitsu-fm-8/) computer (anyone can confirm that ?).

There were different versions, at least two : BC-80RN and BC-80RS with memory differences. The RN model had 64 KB RAM, and the RS ... more ?!

It was apparently possible to upgrade it with modules inserted in one of the two slots on top of the case.

**Jake Christie** sent us this information:\
The Bubcom 80 used "bubble memory", which was supposed to be the solution to the storage limitations of 1980s microcomputers.\
I believe the machine cost over 10,000 yen in Japan when it was introduced sometime between 1982 or 1984, and there was an attempt to export the Bubcom 80 to the US because it was a business computer.

<table> <tr> <td></td> <td>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.</td> <td></td> </tr> </table>