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Sanyo PHC-20

Monochrome home computer produced by Sanyo From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

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The Sanyo PHC-20 is a home computer released by Sanyo in 1982[1] and a member of the concurrently-launched Sanyo PHC-10, PHC-20 and PHC-25 family.

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The PHC-20 sits between the PHC-10 and PHC-25 in terms of price[1] and capability[2] and features a monochrome display output and a simple, integer-only implementation of BASIC.

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Features and design

The PHC-20 is based on a Z80A-compatible CPU and includes 4 kB of RAM[2] and support for monochrome-only video for display on external television or monitor.

In common with the majority of home computers of its era, the PHC-20 features a built-in BASIC interpreter- in this case a limited, integer-only implementation known as Extended Tiny BASIC.[4]

The PHC-20 lacks the printer[4] and expansion ports of the higher-end PHC-25 (with blanking plates on the case where those appear on the latter).[5][6]

Despite the superficial similarities, the PHC-20 is not merely a cut-down PHC-25. It features an internal design and architecture distinct in several major respects and which was described by emulator developer Toshiya Takeda as "unique" and "completely different" to that of the PHC-25.[7]

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Reception

A joint review in the UK-based Your Computer magazine focused mainly on the PHC-25, but devoted a few paragraphs to the PHC-10 and 20. While the PHC-20 was praised for sharing the "same good ergonomics" as its stablemates ("well packaged and [with] comfortable keyboards"), it was considered underspecified for the price and criticised for a lack of printer support and a "severely limited" BASIC.[2]

It concluded that "users can expect new machines to offer more than 3K user RAM, integer Basic and black and white display for £100".[2]

In France, L'Ordinateur individuel magazine considered the PHC-20 less interesting than the PHC-25 (accounting for the 700 F price difference).[8]

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Release, marketing and availability

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Japan

The PHC-20 was announced in Japan in mid-1982 alongside both the PHC-10 and PHC-25. A release date of 1 May and a launch price of ¥47,800 were quoted.[1]

France

Sanyo France announced the PHC-20 (alongside the PHC-25 and PHC-8000) in late 1982 for a price of 1500 F.[8][9] However, L'Ordinateur individuel magazine- which had itself expressed more interest in PHC-25- commented that Sanyo France were "showing little enthusiasm for [the PHC-20's] distribution".[8]

While the PHC-25 was later sold in France[Notes 1] it is not clear whether or not the PHC-20 ultimately made it to shops there.

United Kingdom

In the UK, it was announced that the PHC-20 would launch for £100 in January 1983, alongside the PHC-10 and PHC-25.[11] Your Computer magazine reviewed all three together for the October 1982 issue.[2] However, they later noted that they had all "disappeared again in November"[3] with no indication that they ever reached the UK market.

United States

In the United States, Sanyo originally intended to sell the PHC-20 for $99[12] alongside the PHC-25. However, despite advance publicity having already made it into print, they later withdrew both[13][14] and the PHC-20 never went on sale there.[14]

Sanyo's then marketing manager Ron Milos commented on the affair in early 1984, saying "we had a lot of trouble with that one" and describing the PHC-20 as "nice, but not unique".[14]

Footnotes

  1. Sanyo France continued to promote the PHC-25 for around a year or so after its launch there[10]

References

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