View source for PC-9801

{{ConsoleBob
| logos=
| consoleimage=PC9801.jpg
| name=
| maker=[[NEC]]
| distributor=
| variants=
| add-ons=
| releases={{releasesPC98
| pc98_date_jp=1982-10-13 {{ref|https://web.archive.org/web/20021020223812/http://www.nec.co.jp/press/ja/0210/1004.html#chu4}}
| pc98_rrp_jp=298,000
}}
}}
The '''PC-9801''' is a computer released by [[NEC]] in 1982, and the first computer in the [[PC-9800 series]].

==Hardware==
The PC-9801 was envisioned as a high-end business machine by NEC, being built around a 16-bit [[µPD8086]] processor (NEC's version of Intel's 8086) and two [[µPD7220]] graphics chips, developed by NEC to efficiently display the kanji character set (at a high enough resolution to read). In this original setup, one is used for graphics, and the other for text.

This PC-9801 shares much in common with the original [[PC-8801]], with many peripherals designed for the PC-8801 (such as monitors) being compatible with both machines. Built into ROM is [[N88-BASIC (86)]], which derives from the PC-8801's [[N88-BASIC]]; the two are very similar, and though the languages are not completely interchangable, often only minor changes were required to make a PC-8801 BASIC program run on a PC-9801.

The PC-9801 was significantly more expensive than the PC-8801 at launch; as well as taking into account for the computer itself, customers were expected to purchase an external [[PC-9881]] 8-inch disk drive in order to interface with the machine. Likewise while the default PC-9801 can handle some types of kanji characters, if the user wanted to make full use of word processing software, a [[PC-9801-01]] expansion board would need to be purchased for JIS kanji level 1. Were a printer required as well, the combined cost would reportedly total nearly {{price|1,000,000|region=JP}}.

While not strictly designed for gaming, the PC-9801's popularity in business inevitably led to video games being produced for the system (not dissimilar to the IBM PC in the West). The PC-9801 has higher resolution graphics than most of its contemporaries, but is limited to 8 colours. Much like the PC-8801, sound hardware is limited to a simple "beeper".

===Technical specifications===
*'''CPU:''' [[µPD8086]] clocked at 5MHz
*'''Graphics:''' 2x [[µPD7220]] clocked at 2.5MHz
**640×400, 8 colours, 1 page
**640×400, 2 colours, 3 pages
**640×200, 8 colours, 2 pages
**640×200, 2 colours, 6 pages
*'''RAM:''' 128KB
*'''VRAM:''' 48KB
*'''Sound:''' Internal "beeper"

==List of games==
{{BulletPointGameList|PC98}}

==References==
<references />

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{{PC9800Series}}