Editing PC-8800 series (section)

==History==
Nippon Electric's Microcomputer Sales Section of the Electronic Device Sales Division launched the [[PC-8001]] in September 1979, and by 1981 it consisted of 40% of the Japanese personal computer market.<ref>{{Cite book|title=パソコン大図鑑 最新・人気パソコン目的別全カタログ|publisher=[[Kodansha]]|year=1981|isbn=4-06-141673-1|pages=30–31|language=ja}}</ref> In April 1981, Nippon Electric decided to expand personal computer lines into three groups: New Nippon Electric, Information Processing Group and Electronic Devices Group, with each specializing in a particular series. The Microcomputer Sales Section was reformed to the Microcomputer and Application Division in June 1980, and was renamed to the Personal Computer Division in April 1981. At that time, Japanese personal computers were mostly used by hobbyists. The division introduced the '''PC-8801''' in November 1981 and intended to expand the personal computer market into the business world.<ref name=":0" />

The '''PC-8801''' was capable of displaying [[Kanji]] characters via an optional Kanji [[Read-only memory|ROM]] board. Various companies released Japanese [[word processor]] software for the machine, such as {{Nihongo|My Letter|マイレター}}, {{Nihongo|Writing|文筆|Bunpitsu}}, and {{Nihongo|2=ユーカラ|3=Yūkara}}. NEC themselves released {{Nihongo|Nihongo Word Processor|日本語ワードプロセッサ}} which was a rebranded version of Yukara, but it was not a success.<ref>{{Cite book|title=パソコン驚異の10年史—その誕生から近未来まで|last1=片貝|first1=孝夫|last2=平川|first2=敬子|publisher=[[Kodansha]]|year=1988|isbn=4-06-132721-6|pages=55–85|language=ja|chapter=日本語ワードプロセッサの歴史}}</ref> In addition to office software, companies like [[Enix]] and [[Koei]] released many popular games for the system, establishing the PC-8801 as a strong gaming platform.<ref name="nishimura_1988">{{Cite book|last=西村|first=正人|title=100万人の謎を解く ザ・PCの系譜|publisher=コンピュータ・ニュース社|year=1988|isbn=4-8061-0316-0|editor-last=コンピュータ・ニュース社|pages=150–153|language=ja|chapter=ゲームの進化とヒット商品の源を探る}}</ref> By November 1983, the '''PC-8801''' had shipped 170,000 units.<ref>{{Cite journal|year=1984|title=ASCII EXPRESS : NEC、パーソナルコンピュータ2機種を発売|journal=[[ASCII (magazine)|ASCII]]|language=ja|publisher=[[ASCII Corporation|ASCII]]|volume=8|issue=1|issn=0287-9506}}</ref> The PC-8801's direct successor, the '''PC-8801mkII''', came with a [[JIS X 0208|JIS level 1 kanji]] font ROM, a smaller case and keyboard, and, in the models 20 and 30, one or two internal 5{{frac|1|4}}-inch 2D [[floppy disk]] drives. This set of PC-8800 computers sold more units than the PC-9800 series at that time.<ref name="salesdata_1988">{{Cite book|title=100万人の謎を解く ザ・PCの系譜|publisher=コンピュータ・ニュース社|year=1988|isbn=4-8061-0316-0|editor-last=コンピュータ・ニュース社|pages=128–129|language=ja|chapter=パソコン機種別シェア変遷}}</ref>

By December 1983, NEC had multiple personal computer lines coming out from different divisions. NEC's Information Processing group had the PC-9800 series, and NEC Home Electronics had the [[PC-6000 series]]. To avoid competing with itself, NEC decided to consolidate their personal computer business into two divisions; the NEC Home Electronics division dealt with the 8-bit home computer line, and the Information Processing group dealt with the 16-bit personal computer line. The Electronic Device Sales division spun off personal computer business into NEC Home Electronics.<ref name=":0">{{Cite book|title=日本電気株式会社百年史|author=日本電気社史編纂室|date=2001-12-25|publisher=[[NEC]]|pages=652–660}}</ref>

In March 1985, NEC Home Electronics introduced the '''PC-8801mkIISR''', which had improved graphics and sound capabilities.<ref name="nishimura_1988" /> A cost-reduced version, the '''PC-8801mkIIFR''', shipped 60,000 units for half a year.<ref>{{Cite news|title=日電、8バットパソコン好調—新モデル投入成功。|date=1986-03-10|work=[[Nikkei Sangyo Shimbun]]|publisher=[[Nihon Keizai Shimbun]]|page=5|language=ja}}</ref> Although the PC-9801VM shipments surpassed it,<ref name="salesdata_1988" /> the PC-8800 series was still popular as a Japanese PC game platform until the early 1990s.<ref>{{Cite book|title=蘇るPC-9801伝説 永久保存版 第1弾|last=阿部|first=広樹|publisher=[[ASCII Corporation|ASCII]]|year=2004|isbn=4-7561-4419-5|pages=121–125|language=ja|chapter=PC-9801 魂の名作ゲームの旅}}</ref>