This is one of my 2011 additions to my collection and a great one for that matter: A Fujitsu FM-Towns computer, model Fresh-ET. I got this from a Yahoo auction in Japan from a reasonable price but it was kind of a crazy bet nonetheless. I had no idea what to expect from this computer since info about it is very, very scarce.
The original FM-Towns model was released in 1989 and the more famous FM Marty was released in 1993. But Fujitsu didn’t stop there; They still made a bunch of later models called FM-TownsII that were still compatible with the older FM-Towns/Marty but added many more “PC-like” features. There is a FM-TownsII that is somewhat common out there (this model – it looks like a VCR/TV combo) but the later FM-TownsII like mine look much more like an IBM-PC than any previous Towns computer. FM-TownsII ran Towns OS and Windows 3.1. There was an even later series called FMV-TOWNS that was active until 1997 and ran on Windows 95 and Pentium processors.
The Fresh-ET I got was released in 1995 and has a quite powerful 80486 DX2(66MHz) CPU and a default of 8Mb RAM. Mine has an extra 8Mb stick bringing it to 16Mb which is quite good for that time. It also has a CD-ROM, Hard drive and has the dual boot option (Towns OS and Windows 3.1). It has a gray Towns keyboard (maybe from the original TownsII model?) and a Marty mouse:
I was very lucky that my model arrived without a scratch and working perfectly. I haven’t figure out how to boot directly into Windows 3.1 yet but I can boot into the Towns OS and browse around all the installed programs (hard to tell what they do since its all Japanese but hey, I have time to learn 🙂 ). I can also boot into CDs and have been able to play some fantastic arcade conversions. I will post some pics/videos soon. Ah, there is also a built-in 3.5 floppy drive which is cleverly hidden behind a little trap door with the Fujitsu logo:
UPDATE
I got a new keyboard for my system. Here is how my setup looks like now:
Overall I am very happy with this new addition to my collection and I look forward to learn more about it.
Technical Specs:
NAME | FM-Towns II Fresh-ET |
MANUFACTURER | Fujitsu |
TYPE | Professional Computer |
ORIGIN | Japan |
YEAR | 1995 |
KEYBOARD | Full stroke 123 keys with function keys and numeric keypad |
CPU | 486DX2 (66 MHz) |
RAM | 8Mb (Max of 64Mb) |
GRAPHIC MODES | ■640 Dot x 480 line / 768 x 512 lines (16.7 million colors in 256 colors) ■512 Dot x 480 line / dot 512 x 512 lines (32768 colors) ■640 Dot x 480 line / 768 x 512 line (16 colors out of 4096 colors x 2 screens side) ■320 Dot x 240 line / 384 dots × 256 lines (32768 colors x 2 screens side) ■640 Dot x 480 line / 768 x 512 lines (16.7 million colors) ■1024 Dots x 768 lines (256 colors) ■1024 Dots x 768 lines (16 colors × 2 screens side) |
COLORS | Up to 16.7 million |
I/O PORTS | VGA video, Atari Joystick/mouse, Proprietary FM-Towns keyboard, RS-232, Serial |
BUILT IN MEDIA | 3.5 Drive and CD-ROM |
OS | DOS/Windows 3.1 and Towns OS |
POWER SUPPLY | Built-in switching power supply unit |
PERIPHERALS | Partially PC compatible and full FM-Towns compatible |
Standard mouse is the same as MSX, which means that they are interchangeable.