Sharp X68000 Compact XVI

The Sharp X68000 Compact XVI condensed the 16 MHz X68000 architecture into a smaller single-tower enclosure in February 1992. It replaced the traditional 5.25-inch drives with two high-density 3.5-inch floppy drives while retaining SCSI storage support.

The selectable 16 or 10 MHz processor, 2MB of RAM and established graphics and sound hardware made it a compact but highly compatible member of the X68000 family.

Notable Features

• Compact single-tower case.
• Two 3.5-inch high-density floppy drives replaced the usual 5.25-inch drives.
• Selectable 16 MHz and 10 MHz processor modes.

Historical Significance

• Made the X68000 platform smaller while retaining the desirable XVI performance and compatibility.
• Its different disk format reflected the broader industry move toward 3.5-inch media.

Collector's Notes

• Original software was commonly issued on 5.25-inch disks, so disk-format compatibility must be considered.
• The compact power supply and surface-mount components require specialist repair skills.

Specifications

Technical Information
Name	Sharp X68000 Compact XVI
Manufacturer	Sharp
Launched	Thursday, January 2, 1992
Country	Japan
CPU	Motorola 68000 at 16 MHz with 10 MHz compatibility mode
Units Sold
Form Factor	Twin-tower desktop
Expansion	Two expansion slots
Graphical Environment	SX-Window 3.0
Operating System	Human68k 3.0
Storage Interface	SCSI
Storage	Two 5.25-inch floppy drives; HD configuration included 80MB SCSI hard disk
Sound	Yamaha YM2151 FM and OKI MSM6258 ADPCM
Graphics	Sharp X68000 custom graphics chipset
RAM	4MB standard, expandable to 12MB
CPU Speed	25 MHz
Form Factor	Twin-tower desktop
Expansion	Two expansion slots
Graphical Environment	SX-Window 3.0
Operating System	Human68k 3.0
Storage Interface	SCSI
Storage	Two 5.25-inch floppy drives; HD configuration included 80MB SCSI hard disk
Sound	Yamaha YM2151 FM and OKI MSM6258 ADPCM
Graphics	Sharp X68000 custom graphics chipset
RAM	4MB standard, expandable to 12MB
CPU Speed	25 MHz