The HB-F9P was a Sony MSX2-computer, launched in 1985. The abbreviation HB stands for Hit Bit.[1]
The HB-F9P was unusual in the sense that it did not come with a built in floppy disk drive, instead it had a built in software suite "Memovision" that would run automatically unless a program cartridge was inserted in the cartridge slot or the GRAPH key was pressed during booting.
Memovision could store data on the special HBI-55 (battery backed RAM) "data cartridge" [2] that Sony originally had developed, for their HB-55 and HB-75 MSX computers. These systems contained a simple built in program called the "Personal Databank".[3] [4] Memovision was a continuation of the same idea, but much extended, as it contained stuff like a (birthday) calendar with alarm system, a "family databank" (a combination of a text editor and database) a built in calculator and a timer and time calculator, all rendered in pseudo 3D style.[5]
Variants edit
Of the HB-F9 there were many different localized variants produced:
- HB-F9P, with QWERTY-keyboard layout was designed for the PAL-standard, and meant for European countries, except Germany, France, Spain and the former Soviet Union.
- HB-F9R, had a Russian keyboard.
- HB-F9D, had a QWERTZ-keyboard for the German market
- HB-F9F, had an AZERTY-keyboard for the French market, and was designed for the SECAM-standard.
- HB-F9S, had a modified QWERTY-keyboard for the Spanish market.
Technical specifications edit
- memory
- Video
-
- VDP
- Yamaha V9938
- text: 80×24, 40×24 en 32×24 (characters per line × lines) four colors, two foreground colors and two background colors
- graphical: maximal 512×212 pixels (16 colors of 512) and 256×212 (256 colors)
- colors: 512 maximal
- VDP
- Engine
-
- MSX-Engine: S-1985
- real-time clock with trickle-charged battery backup
- sound
References edit
- ^ "HB-F9P at oldcomputers.com". Archived from the original on 2010-11-20. Retrieved 2011-11-10.
- ^ "Sony data cartridge" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 2012-03-31. Retrieved 2011-11-10.
- ^ "Screen shot of the Personal Databank of the HB-55 and HB-75". Archived from the original on 2012-04-25. Retrieved 2011-11-13.
- ^ site explaining the HBI-55 in combination with the HB-55
- ^ Screenshots of Memovision