Description

Computer

The HB-F700F is like an improved version of the HB-F500F for the French market.

The architecture has been improved and there is more RAM. The equivalent model does not exist in Japan.

The keyboard reference is KBD-12F. See HB-F700 Series for the technical details.

Software

Two floppy disks were provided with this computer:

MSX-DOS 1 + HiBrid
MSX-DOS 1 + the graphics editor Halos created by HAL Laboratory + a demo

MSX-DOS

MSX-DOS can't be launched from these disks as pressing CTRL+STOP when booting will not prevent the loading of the intro or main menu. Inserting the disk after booting and entering POKE &HF346,1: CALL SYSTEM has the same effect. The only remaining option is to copy MSXDOS.SYS and COMMAND.COM to a new formatted disk with the MSX-BASIC COPY command.

Sometimes the second disk was replaced by a disk containing only MSX-DOS 1.

Hibrid

HiBrid is a collection of 4 or 5 utilities, developed by Micro Technology. These utiities are similar in some ways to early Windows versions or the Macintosh:

Hi-Base (database)
Hi-Calc (spreadsheet)
Hi-Comm (communications) only in version 1.10
Hi-Graph (business graphics)
Hi-Text (word processor)

Only in version 1.00, Sony added a file manager called Visual Filer and three extra applications: Calculator, Calendar and Clock. The enhanced package is HiBrid Special File Handler version 1.0.

These programs are available in six languages (Dutch, English, French, German, Italian and Spanish).

You need a mouse in port 1 or 2 to use HiBrid. If you use a joystick, it must be in port 2.

Halos

The graphics editor is the same as the one created for the HB-F900 / HBI-F900 system as HBS-H022D, but lacks some features. Files created by this tool: .SCR.

Contrary to the professional version, which always requires a mouse, you can use the keyboard, a joystick in port B or a mouse in port A with this version.

This version includes a built-in graphical manual and supports only screen 8.