OPENMSX
Emulate the classic MSX system
Credit: https://openmsx.org
Les Pounder travels back to a time when VHS and Betamax fought for supremacy, but there could be only one!
OUR EXPERT
Les Pounder is associate editor at Tom’s Hardware and a freelance maker. He blogs about hacks and makes at bigl.es.
B ack in 1983 we were spoiled for choice when it came to home computers. But one machine that never made it to our school yard was the MSX.
The MSX wasn’t the most well-known home computer in the UK. In Japan, though, the MSX family of computers sold seven million units.
That doesn’t sound like too much of a big deal, but the total number of MSX sold worldwide was nine million! The MSX isn’t one computer; rather it’s a family of computers that all use a standardised architecture. There were MSX machines from big names such as Sony, Samsung and GoldStar (now known as LG) in an attempt to create a standard home computer. Microsoft provided its software knowledge and at that time MS-DOS was still only at Version 2. The goal of the MSX project was to replicate a standard similar to the VHS videotape, which dominated the late 20th century.
At the core of the MSX was the venerable Zilog Z80 CPU, the same CPU found in Sinclair’s ZX Spectrum, and Radio Shack’s TRS80. The Z80 ran at 3.58MHz and was backed up with between 8KB and 512KB of RAM (later models having the larger RAM capacities). The MSX operating system is an oddity for 1980s home computers. It used a BASIC interpreter to load games from cassette, but with newer models it could also load floppy disks. Why is this odd? Well, when working with disks we see familiar file types such as .com and .bat – commands and batch files often used in the MS-DOS (and sometimes found even today) operating system.
To rest the MSX go to the top left menu and then select Reset MSX. If you have a floppy disk inserted, the system will autoboot.
Sony’s HB-10P was a European MSX that came with 16KB of RAM and two cartridge slots. UK readers may remember the HB-10B, which was practically the same but with a UK PSU.
The MSX hides a treasure trove of games and solid hardware, and with prices rapidly increasing via online auction sites, emulation looks to be the best way to dip your toe into the wondrous world of the MSX. So let’s fire up the time machine, set the destination to 1983 and travel back to the height of VHS/Betamax war!