The PC-5000 is the Sharps's first attempt to produce a laptop computer, and was one of the first clamshell style portable computer with the Grid Compass and the Gavilan.
So it is a clamshell style portable computer : when you open the PC-5000, the LCD screen (8 x 80) is lifted to reach its ''in-use'' position, and when you close the computer the screen tilts until it covers the keyboard.
There is an optional printer which can be mounted into the case of the PC-5000 (see picture).
The type of memory used here is quite special, it's magnetic bubble memories. The advantage is that it's quite fast and you can change the memory cartridges (64k or 128k each) in the computer. Thus you can reach 256k RAM, or you can insert applications stored on ROM modules. But the main drawback of theses memories, is that there are very expensive !
The PC-5000 uses MS-DOS but is not really PC compatible, although Sharp tried to sell it by focusing on this point.
Some good software was available for the PC-5000, including Easy-Writer II (wordprocessor), Easy-Comm (communications)and Easy-Planner (spreadsheet). There were sold together as the EasyPac (some sources say that Easy-Report was included).
EasyMenu was the menu-interface built-in the PC-5000.
Please consider donating your old computer / videogame system to Old-Computers.com or one of our partners from anywhere in the world (Europe, America, Asia, etc.).
I had this machine in the late 80's. Nice, long-lasting battery. The printer was a very keen feature, and I used to run Borland Turbo Pascal on it to develop small programs. Ah, memories... RT
Wednesday 20th February 2002
Rob Taylor (Whitby, Canada)
NAME
PC-5000
MANUFACTURER
Sharp
TYPE
Portable
ORIGIN
Japan
YEAR
1983
BUILT IN LANGUAGE
Microsoft Basic 1.0
KEYBOARD
Full-stroke 72 keys with 8 function keys and arrow keys (English, German and French versions)
CPU
Intel 8088
SPEED
4.77 Mhz
RAM
128k, up to 256k (Magnetic Bubble Memory, 64k and 128k modules)
ROM
192k (64k system program + 128k for Basic/MS-DOS)
TEXT MODES
80 chars x 8 lines (LCD screen)
GRAPHIC MODES
640 x 80 dots
COLORS
Monochrome
SOUND
Beeper
SIZE / WEIGHT
325 (W) x 305 (D) x 85 mm (H) / 4.5 Kg
I/O PORTS
Bubble memory cartridge slot Serial port (proprietary) RS232c port Bus expansion port Tape-recorder
(France, 1985)
