ASCII lists the 3 rarest MSX machines

Celebrating the 30th anniversary of MSX, ASCII published a series of articles about our favorite 8bit computer. Some of them are quite an interesting read, and although this is quite an old one we feel it's worth reporting about.

First, ASCII mentions the General Paxon PCT-50, an MSX computer integrated in TV. Matching joysticks and keyboard were optional - of course. Thanks to the quality of its dedicated RGB output this computer was very popular for taking screen shots to be used in magazines.

Second, the Mitsubishi ML-T2SH - an MSX computer with an integrated phone/modem, Kanji ROM and full-fledged word processing software "MSX Write", this machine targeted the business-users of the pre-internet era. In fact, it was marketed to fathers who felt personal computers were too complex or expensive. According to the article, the deal breaker was the capability to do stock trading without the intervention of a business manager or security firm, directly on the computer. Although commissions were pretty steep, this concept was quite ahead of its time.

Third and arguably the most unknown MSX computer is the Daisen Sangyo MX-2021, an MSX2 computer designed specifically for Factory Automation. Coming in a ruggid white box, a set with 3 cartridge slots, FDD, keyboard and mouse would set you back a mere 150,000 yen at the time. The three cartridge slots allowed for useful extensions such as RAMdisks for timing critical operations or control sensors.

So there you have it. Online stock trading, the ultimate screen-shot setup and factory automation - all in a days work for MSX in the 1980s. Makes one wonder where these MX-2021's were all being used, doesn't it?

Relevant link: ASCII lists the rarest MSX machines