Fujitsu FM Towns II MX

The Fujitsu FM Towns II MX was the high-end model in the 1993 white Towns generation. Its 66 MHz 80486DX2, 4MB of memory, double-speed CD-ROM and enhanced video hardware delivered a major performance increase over the earlier HR and HG desktops.

One megabyte of video RAM supported high-resolution modes up to 1024x768 alongside the established Towns high-colour graphics, sprites and multimedia sound. MX20, MX170 and MX340 configurations differed chiefly in hard-disk capacity.

Notable Features

• 66 MHz 80486DX2 made the MX the fastest Towns model of its generation.
• One megabyte of video RAM supported high-resolution Windows displays.
• Double-speed CD-ROM and the established FM, PCM and CD-audio system preserved Towns multimedia compatibility.

Historical Significance

• Introduced with the white MA and ME models in November 1993.
• Combined the distinctive Towns multimedia architecture with performance suitable for Windows 3.1.

Collector’s Notes

• Some copies of the old-computers.com entry label this machine FM Towns II EX; the specifications match Fujitsu’s documented MX model.
• MX20, MX170 and MX340 suffixes identify no-hard-disk, 170MB and 340MB configurations.

Specifications

Technical Information
Name	Fujitsu FM Towns II MX
Manufacturer	Fujitsu
Launched	Tuesday, November 9, 1993
Discontinued	Mid-1990s
Country	Japan
CPU	Intel 80486DX2 at 66 MHz
Units Sold
Operating System	Towns OS; MS-DOS/V; Windows 3.1
I/O	SCSI, RS-232C, Centronics, expansion slots, mouse, joystick and audio-visual interfaces
Keyboard	Separate keyboard
Storage	Double-speed CD-ROM, two 3.5-inch floppy drives and optional 170MB or 340MB hard disk
Sound	Six-channel stereo FM, eight-channel PCM, 16-bit recording/playback and CD audio
Graphics	Up to 1024x768; 1MB video RAM plus 128KB sprite RAM; Towns high-colour modes
Display	External RGB monitor, 40x25 or 80x25 text
ROM	Towns system and CD-boot firmware
RAM	4MB standard; expandable to approximately 28MB or more depending on revision
CPU Speed	66 MHz