NEC Corporation

Home > Browse Our Collection > Computing Companies > NEC Corporation

The NEC Corporation was established in Japan in July 17, 1899

The company was formerly known as Nippon Electric Company, Limited, before it was renamed in 1983. It still goes by the full name in Japan.
As a chip maker, NEC Semiconductors is among the Worldwide Top 20 Semiconductor Sales Leaders.

Timeline for NEC :

Date	Event
22 Oct 1925	Julius Lilienfeld patents the transistor
1938	Eryl Wynn-Williams invents the scale-of-two counter
Oct 1947	J Lyons executives report on the potential of computers to automate clerical work
4 Jul 1956	First keyboard used to input data
Apr 1961	LEO III completed
1963	Theodore H (Ted) Nelson coins the word Hypertext
Sep 1963	First graphic tablet developed
29 Oct 1969	ARPANET launches the world's first packet-switched wide area computer network
22 May 1973	Bob Metcalfe invents Ethernet
25 Jul 1973	UK connects to ARPANET
1974	Gary Kildall creates the CP/M operating system
May 1980	News Article : PO approval for Apple
Nov 1980	News Article : Industrial measurements from I/O subsystem which works with all types of micro
Jan 1981	News Article : 4K RAM for Aim 65
Feb 1981	News Article : New answer to old problem
Apr 1981	News Article : Tipping the scales in favour of accurate weight records
May 1981	News Article : Texas 16-bit TMS-9995 wins added operation speed
Aug 1981	News Article : Mainframe link for Pet via control box and software
Nov 1981	News Article : NEC micro aims to lead the European market
Dec 1981	News Article : Modem price talks sense
Feb 1982	News Article : Avoiding that fatal loss of memory
Mar 1982	News Article : The Welsh connection
Mar 1982	News Article : Building a network of Pets with multi-headed Hydra
23 Apr 1982	Sinclair launches the ZX Spectrum
Aug 1982	News Article : Sinclair languages
Aug 1982	News Article : Interface for Vic-20
Oct 1982	News Article : Convert analogue to digital and back
Dec 1982	News Article : ZX-Spectrum interface
20 Jan 1983	News Article : Sinclair may switch production of the ZX81 and Spectrum computers to France
Feb 1983	News Article : Torch now approved by BT for direct link-up to Telex
31 Mar 1983	News Article : Home-taping
1 Jun 1983	Mattel releases the Aquarius
1 Oct 1984	Philips releases the VG5000
14 Jan 1986	Acorn announces the BBC Master
16 Jan 1986	Apple launches the Macintosh Plus
2 Nov 1988	Robert Tappan Morris launches the Morris computer worm
2 Oct 1992	Congress allows commercial networks to connect to the Internet
3 Sep 1995	Pierre Omidyar founds eBay
23 Jun 1996	Nintendo releases the Nintendo 64
27 Nov 1998	Sega releases the Dreamcast console
4 Feb 2004	Mark Zuckerberg launches "Thefacebook" from Harvard dorm
20 Feb 2010	Commodore VIC-20 becomes the oldest computer to tweet
20 Feb 2014	Facebook buys WhatsApp
26 Nov 2015	Raspberry Pi Foundation launches the Raspberry Pi Zero

Hardware Products

Vixen Switchable 16K RAM
Unknown
This RAM cartridge was manufactured in England by Stonechip Electronics.

Manufacturer : Stonechip Electronics
Type : Peripheral

NEC WD40 Hard Drive
Unknown
This external hard drive is designed to connect to computers in the NEC PC-98 range.

Manufacturer : NEC
Type : Peripheral

NEC PC-8898A Cable
Unknown
This cable is designed to connect an NEC PC-88 series computer to an NEC PC-8031 external disk drive.

Manufacturer : NEC
Type : Peripheral

NEC APC-H20
Unknown
Connecting cable for the NEC APC advanced personal computer.

Manufacturer : NEC
Type : Peripheral

NEC PX-8031BE Mini Disk unit
Unknown
This expansion unit for the NEC PC-8001 computer enabled the use of up to two 5.

Manufacturer : NEC
Type : Peripheral

ZX Panda 16K Expandable RAM for ZX81
Unknown
This expandable RAM module adds 16K RAM to a ZX81 computer.

Manufacturer : Stonechip Electronics
Type : Peripheral

NEC PC-8001 BE
1979
NEC announced its first personal computer, the PC-8001, in May 1979.

Manufacturer : NEC
Type : Computer

NEC PC-6001
1981
NEC announced the 6000 series in 1981.

Manufacturer : NEC
Type : Computer

NEC 8801 BE
December 1981
Successor to the 8800 It has a Z88 processor, dual 8 inch drives, 64K of RAM, full keyboard and a high resolution monitor 640x400.

Manufacturer : NEC
Type : Computer

NEC PC-9801N-23 Numerical Keypad
1982
Numerical keypad, with button covers on the top row to label up the users own function keys.

Manufacturer : NEC
Type : Peripheral

Mapsoft Keyboard for ZX81
1982
This keyboard is the board and keys only, no case.

Manufacturer : Stonechip Electronics
Type : Peripheral

Stonechip Electronics Programmable Joystick Interface
1983
This Stonechip Electronics Programmable Joystick Interface enables any Spectrum software to be used with a joystick.

Manufacturer : Stonechip
Type : Peripheral

NEC PC-8201A
1983
In 1983 Kyoto Ceramics, Kyocera, started manufacturing a series of light weight battery powered computers based on a CMOS microprocessor called the 8Oc85.

Manufacturer : NEC
Type : Computer

Stonechip Electronics Echo Amplifier
1983
This accessory for the Spectrum amplifies the audio signal produced by a Spectrum and plays it through a speaker.

Manufacturer : Stonechip Electronics
Type : Peripheral

NEC PC-8201
1983
This machine was brought back from Japan by Herman Hauser.

Manufacturer : NEC
Type : Computer

NEC APC Advanced Personal Computer
October 1983
The NEC APC Advanced Personal computer (October 1983) is quite a large/heavy machine which was a very reliable business computer.

Manufacturer : NEC
Type : Computer

NEC PC-9801 VM
1985
This personal computer from NEC Corporation was released in Japan in 1985.

Manufacturer : NEC
Type : Computer

NEC PC-8300
1987
The NEC PC-8201A personal computer was introduced in March 1983 as one of the world's first-ever lightweight, battery-powered notebook computers.

Manufacturer : NEC Corporation
Type : Computer

NEC PowerMate Portable Plus
1987
The NEC PowerMate Portable Plus has a hard disc as well as as a 3.

Manufacturer : NEC Corporation
Type : Computer

NEC Mini 5 HA
1987
The NEC Mini 5 HA, Donated with the kind generosity of Johnny Blanchard...

Manufacturer : NEC Corporation
Type : Computer

NEC PC Engine
30th October 1987
The PC Engine is the first games console from NEC, and was a collaboration with the software company Hudsonsoft.

Manufacturer : NEC
Type : Game Console

NEC TurboGrafx
30th October 1987
Known as the TurboGrafx-16, fully titled as TurboGrafx-16 Entertainment SuperSystem in the USA and known in Japan as the PC Engine, is a video game console developed by Hudson Soft and NEC, released i...

Manufacturer : NEC
Type : Game Console

NEC PowerMate Portable SX (APC-H7020X)
1988
This was a "portable" or luggable computer from 1988 with a tilting screen.

Manufacturer : NEC
Type : Computer

NEC FX-PAD
1994
Hand controller for the NEC PC-FX.

Manufacturer : NEC
Type : Peripheral

NEC Versa S/33 Laptop
1994
The NEC 33MHz Versa S/33 Laptop was very kindly donated by Mr R J WisemanModel PC-122-11201Serial No: 4X000791JThis is complete with NEC AC Adaptor and external floppy drive...

Manufacturer : NEC Corporation
Type : Computer

NEC PC-FX
23rd December 1994
The PC-FX was a video game console released by NEC in Japan.

Manufacturer : NEC
Type : Game Console

NEC Life Touch Note Netbook
March 2011
After releasing the Life Touch tablet in 2010, this is a similarly specced machine, but with a full qwerty keyboard, as well as the 7'' resistive touch screen, the machine runs off the Nvidia Tegra Dual Core processor.

Manufacturer : NEC
Type : Computer

Software Products

Super Toolkit
Unknown
After releasing the Life Touch tablet in 2010, this is a similarly specced machine, but with a full qwerty keyboard, as well as the 7'' resistive touch screen, the machine runs off the Nvidia Tegra Dual Core processor.

Manufacturer : Nectarine
Type : Software

PC-8001A CP/M Version 2.2 Operating System
1978
...

Manufacturer : NEC
Type : Software

Invoicing
1982
...

Manufacturer : NEC
Type : Software

Pay Roll
1982
Yellow Wallet containing a ring binder...

Manufacturer : NEC
Type : Software

APC purchase ledger
1982
...

Manufacturer : NEC
Type : Software

Mailing List Manager
1982
...

Manufacturer : NEC
Type : Software

APC System Reference Guide
1982
...

Manufacturer : NEC
Type : Software

Money Manager (Disk)
1986
......

Manufacturer : Connect Systems
Type : Software

Telewriter Disk Upgrade
1987
...

Manufacturer : Microdeal
Type : Software

Money Manager Plus
1987
......

Manufacturer : Connect Systems
Type : Software

Blazing Lazers
1989
This game is known as Gunhed in Japan, and is based on the movie of the same name.

Manufacturer : NEC
Type : Software - Game

Afterburner II
1990
NEC Avenue converted the Sega Classic to the PC Engine, and did an amazing job on it.

Manufacturer : NEC
Type : Software - Game

Darius Plus
1990
...

Manufacturer : Taito
Type : Software - Game

Pac-Land
1990
......

Manufacturer : NEC
Type : Software - Game

APC Sales Ledger
March 1991
...

Manufacturer : NEC
Type : Software

Connectix PowerBook Utilities 2.0
1992
Connectix PowerBook Utilities (CPU) was a collection of utilities designed to simplify common tasks for Apple PowerBook laptop users: Extends Battery Life Secures Data Prevents LCD Burn-in Flexible Ke...

Manufacturer : Connectix
Type : Software

Graduation 2: Neo Generation FX
23rd December 1994
Launch title for NEC's last console.

Manufacturer : Riverhillsoft/NEC
Type : Software - Game

RAM Doubler
1995
This was a piece of software to get rid of all insufficient memory messages forever.

Manufacturer : Connectix
Type : Software

Classmates 2 (Doukyusei 2)
8th August 1996
Simulation life game for the over 18s.

Manufacturer : Elf/NEC
Type : Software - Game

Virtual PC 2.0
1998
Virtual PC 2.0, the key to running PC software on your Mac. A complete solution, no additional hardware needed it recognises existing Mac devices. Microsoft Windows 95 Pre-Installed. Compatibility wi...

Manufacturer : Connectix
Type : Software

Scrabble
1999
Virtual PC 2.0, the key to running PC software on your Mac. A complete solution, no additional hardware needed it recognises existing Mac devices. Microsoft Windows 95 Pre-Installed. Compatibility wi...

Manufacturer : Ubisoft
Type : Software - Game

Virtual PC 5.0
2001
Virtual PC 5.0 for Mac, runs Windows 2000 on your Macintosh. True PC compatibility by enabling you to run multiple Windows operating systems directly on your Mac - whether you're running Mac OS 9 or M...

Manufacturer : Connectix
Type : Software

Super Bubble Pop
2002
3D puzzle fun with wild music & crazy bubble popping action...

Manufacturer : Jaleco
Type : Software - Game

Scrabble Interactive
2003
The definitive word game at last on the PlayStation 2!...

Manufacturer : Ubisoft
Type : Software - Game

Promotional Items

NEC PC-8201 Communications Book
1983
16-page brochure with specifications for the PC-8201 Communications Book.

Manufacturer : NEC
Type : Promotional Item