Panasonic FS-A1WSX | TechMuseum
Year of manufacture: 1988 -1989
Technical Specifications:
- Processor: Z80B, 3.58 and 5.37 MHz
- RAM: 64 KB
- FDD: floppy disk 3.5″
- HDD: –
- Audio: MSX Music, sound chip
- Connectors/Ports: Parallel, RGB, video, audio, joystick, two cartridge, cassette tape
- Case: Keyboard type
- Monitor: Color
- OS: MSX DOS
The Panasonic FS-A1WSX features a Z80B processor at 3.58MHz and 5.37MHz variant and memory of 64kB. Equipped with a floppy disk of 3.5” it ran with the operating system of the MSX DOS version.
The FS-A1 product line of personal computers incorporated the MSX2+ standard. Contrary to other MSX2+ systems, though, this particular ones used a Z80 compatible engine, the Z80B.
The MSX architecture
The MSX standardized architecture was announced by Microsoft and the ASCII Corporation on 1983. Microsoft assembled the joint development team, because the company marketed the series mainly for the Eastern sector and associated with director of the ASCII Corporation. With the project conceived, together they attempted to create a unified standard for the home computing system manufacturers, just like VHS, the Video Home System. The majority of the units sold were in Japan, substantially fewer than expected sold in the US. Notable is the fact that in this decade most home computers of Japan had a Microsoft Basic variant integrated on their ROMs.
Many manufacturers like Philips or Sony produced MSX home computers. Only to note some of them, Spectravideo, Mitsubishi, Panasonic, Fujitsu, Yamaha and many more are included.
MSX had four generations, with the first three exclusively for Japan during the ‘80s. A preeminent home computer system, MSX were popular outside of Asia as well, at Europe, especially Spain and the Netherlands, and South America.
That was just a snapshot on the presentation of the techmuseum series. Indulge more into the history. Continue reading more about the present model, the Panasonic FS-A1WSX here. Alternatively, find more exciting stories like these ones here or here.
Author: PC-GR
The World of Technology
