This page will give you only a very short overview about the MZ-series.
Sorry, I do not know very much about the Japanese MZ's. It is very hard
to get information from Japan - what a pity. It would be great if Japanese
fans could give information
to complete the information about the MZ-series much more. I hate incomplete
and wrong information.
I know, that there are much other Sharp oldies, like the Training Board SM-B-80 ( in Japan first sold in December 1978 for 85,000 Yen ). It was sold by Sharp to test the market for the interest in computers. If you're interested to get information about it try these links: English information, Japanese information ( with sublinks ), and a Japanese information about a commercial usage of this board. The SM-B-80's heart is the Z80 and its hardware has a data recorder, ROM / RAM, hex keyboard, LED-display, and an external I/O port connector. A very interesting fine machine which I would very like to get...
Most MZ's use the 8bit CPU LH0080 / Z80 except the models MZ-40K, MZ-5500, MZ-5600 / MZ-6500, and MZ-8000. A wide palette of software was available: Disk Operating Systems like CP/M, FDOS, EOS, AMS-DOS ( MZ-5500, MZ-5600 / MZ-6500 ), MS-DOS, and Tape-BASICs.
Another series produced by Sharp is the Hayac. I do not know anything about this series. Next there are Japanese MZ's like the MZ-80C, MZ-1200, MZ-1500, MZ-2000, MZ-2200, MZ-2500, MZ-2800, MZ-6500, and MZ-8000. I have only incomplete information about these all, sorry. I ever try to get detailed information about these fine Japanese machines.
Read "A Brief History of Sharp Z80-Based
MZ-Computers" by Maurice Hawes / SUC / UK.
1978
MZ-40K
The first MZ in the Sharp MZ-series ( called as "Micro Computer Doctor" and in Japan first sold in May 1978 ). It is a toy, no more. You cannot program it in machinecode, Basic, or other known programming languages. You can only program melodies by note data which will be played at once or by some selectable events. Or you program the 4-digit-display for clock-functions or counter-functions. But such programs cannot be saved. If the power is off you have to re-intype each program - the note data are lost. Nobody can use it to learn the principles of programming logic.
The MZ-40K was sold as a kit. There were two options available: a musical keyboard and some electronic parts to start your program by events.
| Title | More information about the MZ-40K | Language |
| MZ-40K | retropc.net/ohishi/museum |
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| The Museum | www.old-computers.com |
 |
1978
MZ-80K
The MZ-80K was introduced in 1978 on the Japanese market in kit form. Not as a kit it was sold up from August 1979 in Germany ( price DM 1.800; source: The German magazine "Computerwoche" issue No. 33 from August 17, 1979 ). In UK it was officially unveiled in October 1979 at the Birmingham International Business Show ( price £600 ). Later 2 new models were available: MZ-80K2 ( Japan 1980 ) and MZ-80K2e ( Japan 1981 ) all in Japan available only.
In autumn 1980 it was first sold with a 5.25" floppy. Two systems
were available now:
System 1 has one floppy disk and a printer ( 48K, Basic and assembler
included. Price: DM 8.500 + tax ).
System 2 has a second drive ( price DM 11.600 + tax ).
May be, that the MZ-80K was known in Germany as BA-MZ-80K too or Sharp presented it first as BA-MZ-80K but sold it as MZ-80K ?
It is possible but not easy to change the 40-column hardware for CP/M usage which opens a wide range of software. Its standard CPU speed of 2MHz can be easily changed to 4MHz.
The MZ-80K was a big success; about 100,000 systems were sold.
| Title | More information about the MZ-80K | Language |
| The Museum | www.old-computers.com/museum |
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| MZ-80K | retropc.net/ohishi/museum |
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| MZ-80K2e | my.reset.jp/~toragiku/kopa2/mz80k2e.htm |
|
Read the technical data.
Read "A Brief History of the MZ-80K"
by Maurice Hawes / SUC / UK.
1979
MZ-80C
The MZ-80C is an enhanced MZ-80K. It has a more comfortable keyboard,
standard 48K RAM, and the monitor display color is green ( MZ-80K white
). The MZ-80C was sold first in October 1979, probably in Japan only.
| Title | More information about the MZ-80C | Language |
| MZ-80C | retropc.net/ohishi/museum |
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| The Museum | www.old-computers.com |
|
1981
MZ-80B
The MZ-80B was presented on the German Hannover Messe in April 1981.
This MZ was accepted for business purposes. It has a user-friendly typewriter
keyboard and the data recorder is controlled by the system ( electromagnetic
mechanic tape deck ). The data transfer of the data recorder ( 1,800 bits/sec
) is 50% faster than all other SHARP MZ's ( 1200 bits/sec ). It is possible
to use high resolution and two graphic areas by the MZ-80B ( 320 ×
200 dot graphics option ). Short information: 4MHz, max. 64K RAM, floppy
interface optional, 40-/80-columns display.
| Title | More information about the MZ-80B | Language |
| The Museum | www.old-computers.com |
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| MZ-80B | delegate.uec.ac.jp |
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| MZ-80B | my.reset.jp/~toragiku/kopa/mz80b.htm |
|
Read the technical data.
Read "A Brief History of the MZ-80B"
by Maurice Hawes / SUC / UK.
1981
MZ-80A
The MZ-80A is based on the MZ-80K ( same characteristics ), but it is
expanded by a Centronics port and a typewriter keyboard. It was sold in
Japan under the name MZ-1200. Sharp / Germany presented
the MZ-80A in 1981. Short information: standard 2MHz ( 4MHz by change
of the hardware ), max. 48K RAM.
| Title | More information about the MZ-80A | Language |
| The Museum | www.old-computers.com |
|
Read the technical data.
Read "A Brief History of the MZ-80A"
by Maurice Hawes / SUC / UK.
MZ-1200
The MZ-1200 is identical to the MZ-80A (MZ-80K2E?). It was sold in Japan only.
| Title | More information about the MZ-1200 | Language |
| MZ-1200 | retropc.net/ohishi/museum |
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| MZ-1200 |
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| MZ-1200 |
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| The Museum | www.old-computers.com |
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1982
MZ-2000
The MZ-2000 was never sold in Europe, but in Japan and sold there up
from June 1982 as the successor aircraft of the MZ-80B. Short information:
CPU Z-80A 4 MHz, 64K RAM. Up from April 1984 Sharp distributed a "16
Bit Board Kit" for a better performance and for more RAM capacity.
| Title | More information about the MZ-2000 | Language |
| MZ-2000 | retropc.net/ohishi/museum |
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| MZ-2000 | delegate.uec.ac.jp |
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| MZ-2000 | my.reset.jp/~toragiku/kopa/mz2000.htm |
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| The Museum | www.old-computers.com |
|
Read "A Brief History of the MZ-2000
and MZ-2200" by Maurice Hawes / SUC / UK.
1982
MZ-700
In November 1982 SHARP / Osaka / Japan started to sell 20,000 Personal Computer of its MZ-700 series; launched in Japan in October 1982 and sold in UK first in October 1983. It has a clean RAM like all MZ's, so the 64K of the MZ-700 is not controlled by it. Three models were available: MZ-711 ( no data recorder ), MZ-721 ( data recorder ), MZ-731 ( data recorder plus 4 color plotter ). Short information: 3.5MHz, floppy interface optional, quick disk interface optional, 2 joysticks optional, color TV and color monitor connectable ( standard 8 colors for foreground and background ), CP/M by 80-columns card.
| Title | More information about the MZ-700 | Language |
| The Museum | www.old-computers.com |
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| MZ-700 | retropc.net/ohishi/museum |
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| MZ-700 | delegate.uec.ac.jp |
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| MZ-700 | my.reset.jp/~toragiku/kopa/mz700.htm |
|
Read the technical data.
Read "A Brief History of the MZ-700"
by Maurice Hawes / SUC / UK.
( This was my first MZ and it is my favorite and so, my site has a lot
of information about it which will be expanded time by time. )
1982
MZ-3500
In November 1982 SHARP / Osaka / Japan started to sell 5,000 Personal Computer of its MZ-3500 series. It uses 5.25" disks, twin Z80 processors, and RAM max. 256K. Operating systems available are: Basic, FDOS, EOS, CP/M.
| Title | More information about the MZ-3500 | Language |
| The Museum | www.old-computers.com |
|
| MZ-3500 | retropc.net/ohishi/museum |
|
Read the technical data.
Read "A Brief History of the MZ-3500"
by Maurice Hawes / SUC / UK.
1983
MZ-2200
Sorry, I have only poor information about this MZ. Short information: 4MHz, 64K RAM, 40-/80-columns display, 640 x 200 dot graphics.
| Title | More information about the MZ-2200 | Language |
| MZ-2200 | my.reset.jp/~toragiku/kopa/mz2200.htm |
|
Read "A Brief History of the MZ-2000
and MZ-2200" by Maurice Hawes / SUC / UK.
1983
MZ-5500
Sharp / Germany presented the MZ-5500 in September 1983 ( may be it was never sold in Germany ? ). Price: 990 US-Dollar. The 8086 16-bit CPU of the MZ-5500 is clocked by 5 MHZ. Some of the common technical data of the MZ-5500 are similar to the later model MZ-5600. There were 3 models: The MZ-5501 128K RAM, MZ-5511 128K RAM plus one FDD, MZ-5521 256K RAM and two FDDs. The MZ-5500 is a successor of the MZ-2000 / MZ-2200.
| Title | More information about the MZ-5500 | Language |
| The Museum | www.old-computers.com |
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| MZ-5500 | delegate.uec.ac.jp |
|
1984
MZ-800
Sharp has presented the MZ-800 series as MZ-820A and MZ-820B in October 1984 at the Sicob / Paris and launched the MZ-800 in UK in January 1985. The MZ-811 has no data recorder built-in and the MZ-821 with the built-in tape recorder MZ-1T04 was never sold in Scandinavia. In these countries the MZ was sold with a Quick Disk drive only. In Japan it was sold under the name MZ-1500.
Short information: 3.5MHz, 64K RAM, 40-/80-column display, floppy interface optional, quick disk interface optional, color TV and color monitor connectable ( standard, max. 16 colors ), 320 x 200 and 640 x 200 dot graphics, 3 channel sound, 2 joysticks optional, MZ-700 mode, RS-232C interface optional.
| Title | More information about the MZ-800 | Language |
| The Museum | www.old-computers.com |
|
| MZ-800 | retropc.net/ohishi/museum |
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| MZ-800 | my.reset.jp/~toragiku/kopa3/mz800.htm |
|
Read the technical data.
Read "A Brief History of the MZ-800"
by Maurice Hawes / SUC / UK.
MZ-1500
Sharp / Osaka / Japan has presented the MZ-1500 at June 1, 1984. Monthly production count was 15,000 systems. Price: 89.800 Yen ( about DM 750 ).
| Title | More information about the MZ-1500 | Language |
| MZ-1500 | retropc.net/ohishi/museum |
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| MZ-1500 | my.reset.jp/~toragiku/kopa/mz1500.htm |
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| MZ-1500 | delegate.uec.ac.jp |
|
| The Museum | www.old-computers.com |
|
1984
MZ-5600
MZ-6500
Sharp has presented the MZ-5600 in October 1984 at the Sicob / Paris. The Japanese MZ-6500 is identical to the European MZ-5600. Short information: 16bit CPU 8086 8MHz, max. 512K RAM, FDD 800K, HDD 10MB, 80-columns display, 8 colors, 640 x 400 dots graphics, numeric data processor 8087.
| Title | More information about the MZ-5600/6500 | Language |
| The Museum | www.old-computers.com |
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| MZ-6500 | retropc.net/ohishi/museum |
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| MZ-6541A MZ-6556 |
my.reset.jp/~toragiku/kopa2/mz6500.htm my.reset.jp/~toragiku/kopa3/mz6556.htm |
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| MZ-6500 | delegate.uec.ac.jp |
|
1985
MZ-2500
Sorry, I have only poor information about the "Super MZ". The MZ-2500 ( released on the first of October 1985 ) is the successor aircraft of the MZ-80B / MZ-2000 series and it has the MZ-80B and MZ-2000 modes. It uses the 8-bit CPU Z-80. 4 models were available: MZ-2511, MZ-2520, MZ-2521, and MZ-2531. It was sold in Japan up from October 1985. Short information: 6MHz, max. 256K RAM, 40-/80-columns, max. 256 colors, max. 640 x 400 dots graphic, FM sound, FDD.
| Title | More information about the MZ-2500 | Language |
| MZ-2500 | retropc.net/ohishi/museum |
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| MZ-2500 | my.reset.jp/~toragiku/kopa/mz2500.htm |
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| MZ-2500 | delegate.uec.ac.jp |
|
| The Museum | www.old-computers.com |
|
Read "A Brief History of the MZ-2500"
by Maurice Hawes / SUC / UK.
> 1985
MZ-8000
Some later Sharp PC models using 286 and 386 CPUs ( AX-series; 10 - 20MHz ).
1987
MZ-2800
Sorry, I have only poor information. The MZ-2861 was introduced in 1987. Short information: two modes MZ-2500 ( 80286 8MHz ) / MZ-2800 ( Z80B 6MHz ), 80287 optional, 768K RAM, 20-/40-/80-columns display, 15 out of 4096 colors optional selectable, FM sound, FDD 1MB.
| Title | More information about the MZ-2800 | Language |
| MZ-2800 | retropc.net/ohishi/museum |
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| MZ-2800 | my.reset.jp/~toragiku/kopa2/mz2800.htm |
|
| The Museum | www.old-computers.com |
|
