Beautiful PC-1212 handheld Basic computer from Sharp

Hardware
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@mauve posts elsewhere:
https://pluspora.com/posts/1796694
with three nice big pictures.

Beautiful early 80’s handheld basic computer from Sharp. Same electronics as the 1211, but with a better LCD display that doesn’t decay over time. Sadly, I was told it was working but this is one sick puppy. The keyboard does nothing and the more I inspected it, the worse the symptoms (strange patterns appearing on the LCD). The electronics is split between two boards linked by a row of soldered pins, and my guess is this needs a very good resoldering, which I’m not sure to be able to do. We’ll see. Not all hope is lost.

A commentator notes that the machine has a pair of 4 bit CPUs running at just 256kHz. There’s a service manual here for the very closely related TRS-80 Pocket Computer, and more info on the PC-1210, 1211 and 1212 here.

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Ah, the glory days of 4-bit computing on the go…

(The PC-1211 was my the first computer. Once, I wrote a mini-Space Invaders for this, utilizing the RAD-DEG-GRAD indicators as a second display row. Because, what are you going to do with a computer with a display? – Meaning, any kind of display. :slight_smile: Sadly, it eventually lost the bit of display, it had.)

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