While browsing some auctions on ebay, apparently I have discovered another "Italian" MSX computer:



The seller is claiming that this is a MSX computer made by Frael (Frael was -and still is- an Italian company that sells computers and hardware peripherals), but he hasn't specified the hardware specification of this machine in the auction.

The chassis of the machine looks ugly to me... it looks like one of that russian clones of the Sinclair Spectrum that were available in Hungary or Poland during the eighties.

Do you know if this is a real MSX, or maybe a clone of another MSX Computer ?


UPDATE: It seems that the exact name of this computer is Frael Bruc 100; Apparently it's a rare computer that was really compliant with the MSX standards and have even some extra features. One funny thing is that instead of having the standard MSX Basic made by Microsoft, it has a strange "MCL extended Basic". You can see a better picture of it here.

These are the technical specifications I managed to found:

CPU: Z80A
RAM: 64Kb
ROM: 32Kb
VDU: TMS 9129
VRAM: 16Kb
AUDIO: AY-3-8910
I/O CONTROLLER: Motorola 8255
KEYBOARD: 107 Keys

It seems that this is a 99% MSX compatible computer.
Hardware is the same, BIOS is compatible, but BASIC has some differences (extended functions).
Also, there is no cartridge connector, instead there a 50-pin connector.
There are 2 versions: One is modular and the other one is a one-board.

for more info, just Googling...
http://retrocomputing.altervista.org/macchine/bruc100/bruc100.html <-nice page!
http://wiki.museo8bits.es/wiki/index.php/Frael_Bruc_100 <- do not miss the links

By the way, if take a closer look to the board you will notice some curious details: the used RAM chips are STATIC type ones (really expensive by that time) and ROM chips are 32K! (maybe some extra BASIC extensions or built-in software?).

It could be nice to get them jumped...


Sorry for the double post, Internet mysteries...

Merry Xmas