The Philips NMS 8220 is a

personal computer A personal computer, commonly referred to as PC or computer, is a computer designed for individual use. It is typically used for tasks such as Word processor, word processing, web browser, internet browsing, email, multimedia playback, and PC ...

released in 1986 and compatible with the MSX2 standard. Developed by the Dutch electronics company

Philips Koninklijke Philips N.V. (), simply branded Philips, is a Dutch multinational health technology company that was founded in Eindhoven in 1891. Since 1997, its world headquarters have been situated in Amsterdam, though the Benelux headquarter ...

, it was aimed at both home users and small businesses. The NMS 8220 was one of the many computers that adhered to the MSX standard, a popular home computing platform in the 1980s that sought to unify hardware specifications across various manufacturers, enabling software compatibility.

Description

The NMS (New Media Systems) branding reflected Philips' efforts to market the machine with a focus on multimedia, contrary to the previous VG (Video Game) series machines . The NMS 8220 was positioned as being able to handle productivity and educational software besides games. This was reinforced by inclusion of the ''"MSX Designer"'' program in

ROM Rom, or ROM may refer to: Biomechanics and medicine * Risk of mortality, a medical classification to estimate the likelihood of death for a patient * Rupture of membranes, a term used during pregnancy to describe a rupture of the amniotic sac * ...

, with the machine

booting In computing, booting is the process of starting a computer as initiated via Computer hardware, hardware such as a physical button on the computer or by a software command. After it is switched on, a computer's central processing unit (CPU) h ...

it automatically. The NMS 8220 featured a compact all-in-one design similar to the previous VG-8020. Two models were produced: the NMS 8220/00, sold mainly in

Belgium Belgium, officially the Kingdom of Belgium, is a country in Northwestern Europe. Situated in a coastal lowland region known as the Low Countries, it is bordered by the Netherlands to the north, Germany to the east, Luxembourg to the southeas ...

France France, officially the French Republic, is a country located primarily in Western Europe. Overseas France, Its overseas regions and territories include French Guiana in South America, Saint Pierre and Miquelon in the Atlantic Ocean#North Atlan ...

and

Netherlands , Terminology of the Low Countries, informally Holland, is a country in Northwestern Europe, with Caribbean Netherlands, overseas territories in the Caribbean. It is the largest of the four constituent countries of the Kingdom of the Nether ...

; and the NMS 8220/16 sold in

Spain Spain, or the Kingdom of Spain, is a country in Southern Europe, Southern and Western Europe with territories in North Africa. Featuring the Punta de Tarifa, southernmost point of continental Europe, it is the largest country in Southern Eur ...

with a different keyboard.

Specifications

The NMS 8220 has the following technical specifications: * CPU:

Zilog Z80A The Zilog Z80 is an 8-bit microprocessor designed by Zilog that played an important role in the evolution of early personal computing. Launched in 1976, it was designed to be software-compatible with the Intel 8080, offering a compelling altern ...

at 3.58 MHz * RAM: 64 KB * VRAM: 128 KB * Graphics:

Yamaha V9938 The Yamaha V9938 is a video display processor (VDP) used on the MSX2 home computer, as well as on the Geneve 9640 enhanced TI-99/4A clone and the Tatung Einstein 256. It was also used in a few MSX1 computers, in a configuration with 16kB VRA ...

(screen modes ranging from 256 x 192 pixels with 16 colors to 512 x 212 pixels with 16 colors; sprites and hardware scrolling) * Storage: Cassette tape * Ports: Includes two joystick ports, a printer port, two cartridges slots, a DIN-8 cassette port, a

Scart SCART (also known as or , especially in France, 21-pin EuroSCART in marketing by Sharp Corporation, Sharp in Asia, Euroconector in Spain, EuroAV or EXT, or EIA Multiport in the United States, as an EIA interface) is a French-originated standard ...

connector, a DIN-8 monitor out and a

RF video Radio frequency (RF) is the oscillation rate of an alternating electric current or voltage or of a magnetic, electric or electromagnetic field or mechanical system in the frequency range from around to around . This is roughly between the upper ...

connector. * Operating System: ''"MSX Designer"'' and

MSX BASIC MSX BASIC is a dialect of the BASIC programming language. It is an extended version of Microsoft's MBASIC Version 4.5, adding support for graphic, music, and various peripherals attached to MSX microcomputers. Generally, MSX BASIC is designed to f ...

in ROM.

References

{{Philips MSX2 microcomputer NMS 8220 Z80-based home computers