SVI-838, the hybrid PC-MSX

Here the additionnal (or modified) GW-BASIC commands that make the bridge in this machine between PC and MSX2 :

- SOUND ON to select the MSX PSG
- SOUND OFF to select the PC generator sound
- NOISE channel, periode, duration
- SOUND frequency, tempo, volume, channel
- PLAY with music macro language for each of the 3 PSG channels
- PLAY ON
- SCREEN type, colors, active page, visible page, clear screen, surimposition
- COLOR
- PAINT x,y, paint attribute, border color, background attribute

More pictures here :

http://zonadepruebas.org/backup/modules/newbb/viewtopic.php?...

I'm intrigued by this picture, guess why !!!

Well, a Yamaha V6355 chip ... not a V9938 chip (MSX2 chip). I guess V6355 is V9938 compatible ...

Yeaaah!
This is a wonderful machine but It's a pity that there aren't too many programs with MSX capabilities for it.

Now that's was actually what I was wondering. I know nothing about this machine but how compatible is it? I read the MSX-cartridge expansion has a Z80 built in, and I saw King's Valley 2 running in the pictures. But now what is it Is it a PC with 'just some MSX components' or can it in fact run MSX software? With only the 8088 CPU I guess it can't, but can it function as an MSX when the 'MSX cartridge' is inserted, but no actual game or cartridge is inserted in that?
It's a nice machine, that's for sure. Just trying to find out how useful it is

Additionnal answer : it should be interesting to know what happens if you insert a non-autoexecutable MSX1 cartridge in the MSX adaptor. With the MSX Game Reader, it was a nice trick to access to MSX-BASIC. Maybe some SVI-838 user could answer to this question.

Anyway, I have my doubts. Another example that SVI-838 has limited MSX features : there's a disk drive (and you can add OR a second disk drive OR a harddisk), but there's no any disk rom that makes the drive compatible at the same time with PC and MSX, as it's the case with the Philips PTC MSX PC card, that gives you a complete MSX2 on PC !