Gakken GMC4 – 4bit Micro Computer Vol 24 Otona no kagaku Modellismo e giocattoli educativi giapponesi

Dopo il Wire Recorder di Poulsen la Gakken presenta un nuovo kit educational: un microcomputer a 4 bit  per imparare le basi della programmazione dei primi computer prodotti negli anni 70. Questa volta più che una riproduzione di uno strumento scientifico storico si tratta di un kit ex novo che certamente pero’ non mancherà di affascinare gli hobbisti appassionati di informatica e di progetti come Arduino.

GAKKEN GMC4: The 4bit MicroComputer

After the ubergeek Poulsen’s Wire Recorder Gakken is going to release the very first 4bit computer mass produced in the last 30 years: the GMC4. This microcomputer will be covermounted on the issue 24 of the magazine “Otona no Kagaku”. The GMC4 got a 16 keys keyboard, an inbuild speaker an outsanding 7 elements LED display and a 6 LEDs display.

Tennis game, melody software and two other 4bit videogames are preinstalled in the GMC4. This 4bit computer will be released in June and in the coming weeks Gakken shuld updated their website with some mode details about this great retrocomputer.

UPDATE: I wrote a short reportage for MAKE Magazine blog about the MYCOM NIGHT held in Tokyo by Gakken to celebrate the GMC4.

Seems that the GMC4 idea comes from a 4bit microcomputer (FX MYCON R-165) that Gakken released in the early 80s for the denshi block series. There is even a PC emulator for this: http://www.vector.co.jp/soft/dl/win95/util/se289783.html

Image: shogoweb