Sharp PC-4500

<p>The Sharp PC-4500 series moved Sharp’s portable MS-DOS computers into a conventional clamshell laptop form. Released in October 1987, it used an 80188-compatible NEC V40 processor and a wide CGA-compatible LCD, with battery power and a range of disk configurations.</p><p>The entry PC-4501 used one floppy drive and 256KB of RAM, the PC-4502 added 640KB, backlighting and two drives, and the PC-4521 exchanged one floppy for a 20MB hard disk. These configurations are grouped as one product family.</p>

<h6>Notable Features</h6><ul><li>NEC V40 processor offered selectable IBM-compatible and faster clock rates.</li><li>PC-4501, PC-4502 and PC-4521 configurations covered single-floppy, dual-floppy and hard-disk storage.</li><li>Optional cards added serial communications, modem, external video, expanded memory or ROM-based applications.</li></ul><h6>Historical Significance</h6><ul><li>Succeeded the lunchbox PC-7000 with a more recognisable laptop form factor.</li><li>A later price cut made the PC-4501 one of the first sub-US$1,000 PC-compatible laptops.</li></ul><h6>Collector's Notes</h6><ul><li>Configurations differ substantially, so model labels, backlight, keypad and drive equipment should be verified.</li><li>Lead-acid battery packs normally require rebuilding, while proprietary option cards are uncommon.</li></ul>

Specifications

Technical Information
Name	Sharp PC-4500
Manufacturer	Sharp
Launched	Thursday, October 1, 1987
Launch Price	From US$1,295
Country	Japan
CPU	NEC V40 at 4.77 or 7.16 MHz
Units Sold	More than 26,000 across the series by November 1988
Configurations	PC-4501, PC-4502 and PC-4521
I/O	Parallel and external floppy ports; optional serial and modem
Expansion	Two proprietary option-card slots
Keyboard	78 keys on PC-4501; 88 keys with numeric keypad on higher models
Operating System	MS-DOS 2.11 or 3.21 with GW-BASIC
Storage	One or two 3.5-inch floppy drives, or one floppy plus 20MB hard disk
Graphics	CGA compatible
Display	Monochrome STN LCD, 640×200 pixels
RAM	256KB on PC-4501; 640KB on PC-4502/4521; up to 1.6MB
CPU Speed	Selectable 4.77 or 7.16 MHz