Tag Archives: Rare

The blue brother : Sharp PC-1500D

Hello, don’t i promised great news ’till end of the year?
Well, here’s the first news: Blue brother arrived with his printer, in a nice briefcase.

PC-1500D_001

That’s a long time since I was looking for and patience paid off.
Here are some pictures from all angles:

PC-1500D_002

PC-1500D_003

PC-1500D_004

On Japanese sites it has the reference Sharp PC-1500D.
But, to my knowledge, there is nothing to give this name.
Its serial number is very interesting because it puts to the latest PC-1500 manufactured and before the PC-1500A.

PC-1500D_005

Internally it is a version A04 identical to the other PC-1500 A04.

No, the only thing that distinguishes it is blue.
Nay, superb blue !!!

This is the ninth of the family.

PC-1500 : The Book of the Grail

Who has not wanted to know exactly what happens in the machine?
I remember rumors that spoke of an amazing book in which we could understand everything … on the PC-1600.
Oh yes, I searched long and I abandoned my quest for the Grail.

6 months ago, a friend offered me some books on the PC-1500.
He told me “there is a book with commented ROM listing.”
I thought it was for the PC-1600 but he told me the title: PC-1500 Intern
What?? For the PC-1500?? Great!

Wow, what a thrill opening my package and discovering this book among other treasures …
Here it is:

PC-1500 Intern
PC-1500-Intern

the book and the patch sheets
PC-1500-Intern add

A sample page :
PC-1500-Intern 133

Tandy a full system closed to Sharp one.

Most of you better know the Sharp system. Why ?
Maybe because Tandy/Radio shack didn’t follow Sharp along the years for this pocket computer.
Here is the Tandy system :
EMI_2609

We know some PC-3, PC-4… but the PC-2 is still at the PC-1500 step.
I don’t know exactly why…
Someone can help me with this item ?

I already presented the PC-2.
To be precise I presented one version of the machine.
Yes, you really read “one version”, maybe the third one.
On the picture you can see lot of blue straps and a IC named “SC613128” with “A03”.
TRS-80_PC2_004

We know it’s the firmware revision. Then A03 seems to be the third.
Does someone have the first and the second ? Uh… that sounds mysterious…

I have the fourth !
Tandy_PC2_A04

As you see, no blue straps on the CPU board.
In fact it’s exactly closed to the PC-1500 evolution.
But… one moment please…
With some friends we had a really interesting discuss about Tandy and Sharp.
Like the chicken and the egg … which came first?

After reading this first article you have more questions than answers, isn’t it ?
– who have the versions one and two ???
– who can answer the chicken/egg question ???

PTA-4000+16

It’s another under license production by Hiradas Technika.
Do you use the module port to expand memory ? Yes ! 16KB more with CE-161
But they don’t !
Their PTA-4000+16 is nothing but a PC-1500 with a self made 16KB memory board inside.
Crazy, no ?
Stupid ! The module port has being removed and it’s door is glued.

PTA-4000-16_018 PTA-4000-16_019
PTA-4000-16_003 PTA-4000-16_005

Look at the buzzer… it’s now on the CPU side.
PTA-4000-16_009 PTA-4000-16_012

PTA-4000-16_016