Epson HX-40 ???

From: Lawrence Wilkinson <ljw_at_formula1.demon.co.uk>
Date: Tue Feb 17 17:50:37 1998

In article <34E88AB7.C4AF29DC_at_navix.net>, Cord Coslor
<archive_at_navix.net> writes
>First, I picked up an Epson HX-40 laptop-sized computer. On the front it
>says MagicBox above the LCD screen. On the back there is a battery bay
>as well as a rom chip bay, and it says Epson HX-40 Model # H401A. I
>understand this machines runs off of program-specific rom chips. It has
>a chip in the slot under the trap-door, and when I boot it, it comes up
>to a pharmacetical company inventory, order, etc., menu. The machines
>runs off of 4 AA batteries or a AC adapter. It really is a cute machine,
>but I want to know more. In searching the web, I find 1 measly reference
>to this machine... yes, 1 (or two), neither of which give any info. on
>this machine. It is listed on a guys resume as having experience in
>working with it. I do find a lot of information on the well-known Epson
>HX-20 --- known as the 1st laptop computer. In finding pictures of that,
>this one looks really similar. This one has ports labeled BCP and one
>labeled SP on one side, and on the back is the cassette, seriel, and
>RS-232C, printer, and power adaptor ports. There is also a 50-pin port
>on the opposite side with no label. I guess what I am wondering is if
>any of you have some more information on this little guy? No year can be
>found on it, but I suspect early 1980s. Does anyone have any other
>'chips' for it to insert other software into memory. Are these units
>rare? Please let me know any information. If you're interested in it let
>me know that to.
I am not familiar with the HX40, but I have used HX20s and PX8s a lot,
and it sounds like some sort of hybrid, i.e. a Z80 machine in an HX20
style case, mainly because it is booting to (presumably) the CP/M
prompt. Try DIR and see what happens. TYPE should also work, but for
the life of me I can't remember what the other inbuilt CCP commands are
(USER maybe, but not much use to you.)

The PX8 ROMs were in plastic chip carriers. They are just ROMdisk, and
their contents are a CP/M disk image, so it is possible to burn your own
EPROMs. It may well work with the PX8 ROMs, but maybe the software they
contain wouldn't run anyway.

The PX8 had an expansion port at the back, maybe 50 pins, and the
expansion modules sat under the machine. The HX20 had a bay for a
cassette module to the right of the screen, and a printer to the left,
or was it the other way around?! Anyway, in your previous message you
mentioned a 'cartridge out' switch, this is probably just the lever
which physically ejects the cassette module. At a guess, the unit has
been modified to accept a barcode reader.
-- 
Lawrence Wilkinson                                  ljw_at_formula1.demon.co.uk
The GirlFrendo homepage:         http://www.formula1.demon.co.uk/girlfrendo/
"You've got the brains, or so you say, maybe you see things another way"-bis
Received on Tue Feb 17 1998 - 17:50:37 GMT

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