Valentin Albillo's HP Collection

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Sharp Pocket Computers

Sharp Raw Scans

Section features scans I've made of assorted documents other than Pictures or Brochures, such as booklets or bulletins. Most are part of my Project HAM, i.e., scans of 40+ year-old vintage documents not authored by me but which were sent to me back then, and due to their perceived rarity (even uniqueness right now) I'm making them available here.

I scanned most paper documents at 300 dpi, resulting in hi-res 2,552 x 3,508 PNG images, which were then converted to multi-page PDF documents with embedded OCR'd texts (e.g.: to allow for copy/paste operations). Some of them also include text pages with my own Notes, providing background info and extra details.


PDF SHARP Raw Scan - BYTE V6N1 January 1981 - SHARP PC-1211 (Full Scan)

This color excerpt includes a nearly full page on the TRS-80 Pocket Computer (aka SHARP PC-1211), which includes a description of what tasks each of its two 4-bit microprocessors are assigned to, and other interesting details.

The SHARP PC-1211 gave rise to an extremely successful and extended family of ever-improving Pocket Computers, which became very popular in Japan and Europe (Germany in particular.)

Last but not least, the excerpt also includes another article, "Numerical Analysis for the TRS-80 Pocket Computer", which features a discrete-Fourier-transform program, and another program that computes the time-domain response of a system with a given transfer function.

PDF SHARP Raw Scan - El Correo del SHARP 3 - PC-1600 and more (Full Scan)

(in Spanish)

6-page excerpt from El Correo del SHARP issue 3, featuring a 3-page review of the truly awesome SHARP PC-1600 Pocket Computer, a nice Labyrinth graphic game for the SHARP PC-1350 and assorted tips and tricks for the SHARP PC-1500 and MZ-700.

PDF SHARP Raw Scan - History of Pocket Computers 1980-2000

(8 pages, original document, not a scan)

An article by Roland J. Saam, Life Senior Member IEEE.

Pocket computers are a category of personal computer. A complete computer system in a small battery powered package that slips in your pocket, it has all the elements needed for writing and running programs. They are reliable, affordable and useable by persons with minimum knowledge. Applications benefit from quick, on-the-spot data gathering, validation, analysis. Learning to program was simple and easy with the manuals supplied with them.

P.S.: Endnote #4 includes a reference to one of my articles: "An informed comparison of the PC-1211 to the Hewlett-Packard HP-41C programmable calculator was written by Valentin Albillo, 'Know Thy Foe: A New Contender'."

PDF SHARP Raw Scan - PC-1360 Schweizerische Armee TopoRechner (Full Scan)

(28 pages, in German)

This is the Instruction Manual for a bundled system composed of a SHARP PC-1360 pocket computer, a 16 Kb RAM Card containing proprietary software, the corresponding documentation and a sturdy carrying case with inside foam to protect it all in rough terrains and atmospheric conditions. The software seems to deal with topographic calculations needed for the operation of Swiss Army's mobile artillery units back in 1986.

These dedicated systems were eventually decommissioned and many ended up in eBay, where they were auctioned at very low prices. Myself, I got no less than five of them, complete with sturdy case and all, at around 50€ each, a bargain for such a powerful vintage 4-line, graphic LCD unit with 16 Kb RAM card and all.

PDF SHARP Raw Scan - The SHARP PC-1500 Pocket Computer (Full Scan)

Includes an Australian brochure for various SHARP computers (EL-7100, PC-1500, PC-1251, EL-1124, EL-852 and EL-7050) and a 4-page review of the SHARP PC-1500 Pocket Computer. Quoting:

The Sharp 1211 pocket computer was introduced two years ago. Since then there have been considerable developments in the microcomputer field and to keep pace SHARP has introduced a new pocket computer, the PC-1500, a more powerful and easier-to-use version with some intriguing accessories.

PDF SHARP Raw Scan - TRS-80 Microcomputer News 1983-1984 - PC-2 Assembly Language (Full Scan)

28 pages, this is a series of articles which will describe the MPU (microprocessor unit) used in the Radio Shack PC-2 pocket computer (aka SHARP PC-1500). It is our intention to include specific information about the 8-bit CMOS microprocessor, the machine code used by the microprocessor, as well as information about the PC-2 memory map and certain ROM calls which are available.[...]

Please understand that the information provided in these articles is the only information which is available.


COPYRIGHT NOTICE
These articles, programs, pictures, their descriptions and other materials created by me are (c) Valentin Albillo, and can be used freely for non-profit purposes as long as (1) the contents aren't modified in any way and (2) the copyright is acknowledged. In plain words, you can download them and use them for non-profit purposes but do not include them in any media and/or site for which you're asking money, do not tamper with their contents and do not say or imply that you created them or that you don't know who created them, you must always give due credit to me.