DOS Palmtop: NEC MobileGear MC-MK12 Details and specs

NEC MobileGear MC-MK12





About this machine:

Actually this is the small brother of the NEC MC-MK22. Same specs, just no text-based webbrowser and no picture viewer. Besides that same machine, so read the MC-MK22 and MC-MK32 articles if you want to hear my thoughts about this series in detail.

Specs:

CPU: 80486SL-33 @ 16 MHz
Graphics: Monochrome - "nearly CGA", some CGA appz work with a special emulation driver
Display: 640 x 240 monochrome STN LCD , 4 grey scales, 7.2 inch
Memory (RAM): 2 MB
ROM (Software): 2 MB (Estimation, probably more since loads of appz are included.)
I/O ports: RS232 Serial, 1 x PCMCIA 2.0 Type II slot
Sound: PC Speaker - Piezo
Operating System: MS-DOS 6.2
Software: E-mail Client, FAX transmission and reception, PC Sync, word processor, spreadsheet, address book, scheduler, clock, calculator, dictionary , memo, search, configuration tools, etc.
Size: Length 12.2 cm, Width 24.5 cm, Height 2.45 cm ( 4.5 x 9.25 x 1.25 inch)
Powered by: 2 AA batteries - rechargable or non-rechargable or AC adaptor (optional accessory), CR2032 Lithium button cell as memory backup
Weight: 550 gram (20 ounces) including 2 standard AA and CR2032 batteries
Special features: Built-in modem, infrared
Released: 11/28/1996
Originally retailed for:: 82,000 Yen
Clone of: Not a clone, successor to the other MC-MK models
Similar models: NEC MC-MK22, NEC MC-MK32

Pros:
- Really nice keyboard
- Fast Processor
- Built-in modem

Cons:
- Pretty incompatible graphics mode
- Power management is not that bad, but the 486 sucks it empty pretty fast if you use it a lot.

Collector Value:
8 of 10

Usage Value:
2 of 10

Verdict:
Cool specs, but the incompatible graphics and the Japanese software make it rather useless, even though it's a nice collector's piece. Pretty rare since around a half year later NEC released the same model with webbrowser (Text based) and picture viewer (Yay?), so just like its predecessors it was a rather short-lived model.


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