Supporting NEC PC-8201A / PC-8300
Laptop Computer Owners Since 1999

Welcome to Web 8201!    Here you will find megabytes of file downloads in all categories from games, system utilities, productivity applications, and much more!    Also, there is a library of scanned user manuals, service manuals, as well as technical documents and links to important resources!    You also should be aware of the Model 100 Mailing List maintained over at Bitchin100.com. It is for all "Model T" computer enthusiasts (not only the TRS-80 Model 100) and has many owners of the NEC PC-8201A and PC-8300 to share experiences with! Link is on the front page here.

This little corner of cyberspace is dedicated to supporting the NEC PC-8201A & PC-8300 laptops. These, along with their sister machines (TRS-80 Model 100 & 102, Olivetti M-10, Kyocera KC85) represent the world's first laptop computers. They might have been first on the block, but their usefulness remains even today. They're only 3.4 pounds, and the size of a 3-ring binder. There is no boot-up time -- as soon as you turn it on, you're at the main menu where you can select programs and data files. They can store a good amount of text, so you can write anything from simple notes to letters to book chapters. You can format and print it out directly by attaching a printer, or you can upload it to your desktop through the serial port. You can write programs. You can play games. You can dial into BBS's and other on-line services. You can use it as a calculator. You can create spreadsheets. You can track appointments and meetings. You can do MANY of the tasks other people do with their $2000 Windows laptop computers, and yet it runs continuously for over 18 hours on four AA batteries.

Picture courtesy of Tezza

Current news from the Web 8201 project:

Planet Protector Prize has been won! Posted: 10/29/2023 It took a couple of decades, but someone finally played and beat the NEC version of the Planet Protector game, and won a free XPROM chip! And the winner is: Renee Rickert Congratulations, Renee! Side project for a dead Model 100 Posted: 4/22/2023 I had a TRS-80 Model 100 with a dead motherboard, and decided to morph it into a Linux machine with a wide display. I felt it was a great way to give the machine a chance at a new life. The keyboard is actually from a Tandy 102 (also dead), which has an even better feel to it.      You can read more about the project here. Come be a part of the community on the Model 100 Mailing List! Posted: 6/26/2020 The Model 100 Mailing List is meant for all users of the original Model T notebook computers, from the TRS-80 Model 100, Tandy 102 & 200, Olivetti M-10, Kyocera KC-85, and NEC PC-8201A & PC-8300. There are hundreds of members on the list, and if you are not yet a part of the community, you really should consider it. This is the place where announcements of new hardware and software are made when they become available. It's where you'll hear about things like the new REX# & REXCPM products for your computer. Come be a part of it! NEC PC-8300 128K System EPROM! Posted: 6/14/2020 Did you end up with an NEC PC-8300 off of eBay that no longer has it''s original system ROM, and instead has some sort of dedicated "industrial" application ROM installed? Well now you can restore the functionality of your NEC PC-8300 to its original state with a solution illustrated right here in the tech area. You will end up with a modified 32-pin chip installed into your 28-pin socket that looks like this: Memory Map Database! Posted: 7/19/2017 I've finally created a memory map database and imported my original NEC <-> M100 memory map cross reference data. This will be a community-managed database! If you a registered member on Web 8201, you can add new entries and edit existing ones as long as you are logged in. Eventually I will have export capabilities that let you create .SYM files for disassemblers, and other include files as needed, to permit robust ROM and .CO software examination. Supported platforms: TRS-80 Model 100/102, NEC PC-8201A/8300, Olivetti M-10, Tandy 200, and Kyocera K-85. Feel free to check it out, and contribute if you can. We need more cross reference data to these other platforms and your help will be essential in this effort! Who says your Model T can only have one Option ROM at a time? Posted: 3/14/2016 REX - The ultimate option ROM/RAM add-on! Tired of only having one option ROM installed in your Model 100 or NEC? Introducing REX, the add-on that plugs right into your existing ROM socket and delivers 768 Kbytes of flexible flash storage, all selectable by some very robust software written by Steve Adolph. You need one of these babies. Visit the online store run by Gregory McGill, ArcadeShopper.com, to place an order! Greg also has 8K RAM modules, power supplies, and various other items for sale for your Model T, so be sure to check it out. Fits into your standard Option ROM socket Stores up to 768 KBytes of ROM images, selectable via software Available for the Model 100, Model 102, and Model 200. (NEC version called the "REX3" also available for special order -- contact Stephen Adolph directly.) Replacement system ROMs Posted: 3/29/2003 If you've obtained the NEC PC-8201A or PC-8300, but it has a custom system ROM because it was used in some dedicated application, there really isn't much you can do with the machine. What you really need is a replacement system ROM that has the original NEC operating system. I can help you with this! Just contact me at the email address shown at the bottom of this page and we can work out the details.

Contact me

The Original Laptop Computer . . . 1983

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