Sharp X1 turbo II

<p>The Sharp X1 turbo II repackaged the high-resolution turbo architecture at a much lower price. Released in November 1985, it included two 5.25-inch floppy drives and retained the 640 by 400 graphics and Japanese text facilities of the original turbo.</p><p>Sharp also bundled practical software for word processing, image input and communications, positioning the machine as a capable general-purpose computer as well as a game platform.</p>

<h6>Notable Features</h6><ul><li>Dual 5.25-inch floppy drives and 640×400 eight-colour graphics.</li><li>Bundled word-processing, image-input and terminal software highlighted practical uses.</li><li>A limited black edition helped establish the dark finish used by later high-end X1 models.</li></ul><h6>Historical Significance</h6><ul><li>Reduced the price of a dual-drive turbo system by roughly ¥100,000 compared with the earlier top configuration.</li><li>Arrived as rival Japanese 8-bit computers were rapidly adding FM sound and richer graphics.</li></ul><h6>Collector's Notes</h6><ul><li>Working floppy drives and original utility disks are important because much of the machine’s intended software was disk based.</li><li>The limited black version is visually distinctive and particularly sought after.</li></ul>

Specifications

Technical Information
Name	Sharp X1 turbo II
Manufacturer	Sharp
Launched	Friday, November 1, 1985
Launch Price	¥178,000
Country	Japan
CPU	Sharp Z80A at 4 MHz
Units Sold
Model Number	CZ-856C
Bundled Software	WORD POWER, LEXICON and turbo terminal utilities
Controllers	Z80 CTC, DMA and SIO
Text Support	Japanese kanji display and word-processing support
Storage	Two built-in 5.25-inch floppy disk drives
Sound	Three-channel PSG
Display	640×400 in 8 colours plus compatible lower-resolution X1 modes
Video RAM	Text, PCG and high-resolution graphics memory
RAM	64KB main RAM
CPU Speed	4 MHz