Fujitsu FM Towns II Model SN

The Fujitsu FM Towns II Model SN was the only notebook-style member of the FM Towns family. Developed for Japanese education, it combined a 66 MHz 80486DX2, double-speed CD-ROM, hard disk and vivid 10.4-inch TFT display in a low-profile portable enclosure.

The wide-viewing-angle screen, television outputs and communication interfaces supported group teaching, classroom presentations and science sensors. Despite its notebook shape, the five-kilogram system had no battery and required AC power.

Notable Features

• 10.4-inch TFT displayed as many as 260,000 colours and could be viewed by groups of students.
• Integrated double-speed CD-ROM, three-mode floppy drive and 340MB hard disk.
• S-Video and NTSC outputs allowed classroom material to be shown on a television.

Historical Significance

• The sole laptop-style FM Towns model, announced specifically for education in February 1995.
• Model number FMTWSN34J identifies the 340MB production configuration.

Collector’s Notes

• Although laptop-shaped, the Model SN has no battery and must be connected to AC power.
• Its unusual educational-market design and integrated TFT make surviving examples particularly distinctive.

Specifications

Technical Information
Name	Fujitsu FM Towns II Model SN
Manufacturer	Fujitsu
Launched	Wednesday, February 1, 1995
Discontinued	Mid-1990s
Country	Japan
CPU	Intel 80486DX2 at 66 MHz
Units Sold
Operating System	Towns system software 2.1; Windows 3.1
I/O	RS-232C, Centronics, RGB, S-Video, NTSC, mouse and educational sensor interfaces
Keyboard	Integrated notebook keyboard
Storage	Double-speed CD-ROM, one three-mode 3.5-inch floppy drive and 340MB hard disk
Sound	FM synthesis, PCM and CD audio
Graphics	Towns graphics with up to approximately 260,000 colours; RGB, S-Video and NTSC output
Display	Built-in 10.4-inch TFT colour display
ROM	Towns system and CD-boot firmware
RAM	4MB standard; expandable to 36MB
CPU Speed	66 MHz