computer science

PC-6600 series

PC-6600 series is a computer science topic covered in the lgStudy science library. This page brings together a partial reference excerpt, illustrations, worked examples, real-world applications and a short study plan, so you can understand PC-6600 series rather than just read about it. In short: The NEC PC-6600 Series were a lineup of personal computers produced by the NEC Corporation on November 21, 1983. They were essentially a PC-6001 MK2 with a built-in 3.5" floppy disk drive.

Key takeaways

PC-6600 series belongs to computer science; place it in that map before memorising details.
Learn the definition first, then one example that makes the definition concrete.
Connect PC-6600 series to a quantity you can measure, compute or draw — that is where exam questions come from.
Reproduce the core statement of PC-6600 series from memory before moving on to harder problems.

Reference excerpt

The NEC PC-6600 Series were a lineup of personal computers produced by the NEC Corporation on November 21, 1983. They were essentially a PC-6001 MK2 with a built-in 3.5" floppy disk drive. Two models in this series were produced: the PC-6601 and the PC-6601 SR.

History The PC-6601 was released on November 21, 1983 with the retail price of 143,000 yen (US$886.46). All of the features from the PC-6001 MK2 are on the PC-6601, but it adds a single-sided 3.5 inch FDD that was built-in to the machine, with one additional FDD available as an option. A new function has also been added to the PC-6001 MK2’s speech synthesis that allows for two-octave pitch for singing. There was a good amount of bundled software which includes a Japanese Word Processor, a song writer, and an adventure game called Colony Odyssey. There’s a switch on the back of the PC-6601 to disconnect the built-in FDD, this is useful for some PC-6001 MK2 software that won’t work unless the FDD is disconnected from the computer. A Extended Kanji ROM cartridge was available as an option, it was meant to expand the Kanji ROM font from 1024 characters to full JIS Level 1. Like the PC-6001 MK2, the image character is Takeda Tetsuya. In 1984, NEC released the PC-6601 SR, a higher end version of the PC-6001 MK2 SR. The price for this computer was at 155,000 yen (US$960.85). The PC-6601 SR adds all the features that were added from the PC-6001 MK2 SR, like the YM2203 FM synthesis sound chip.

References OLD-COMPUTERS.COM: The Museum: NEC PC 6601

Worked examples

Example 1 — a first encounter with PC-6600 series

Start with the simplest possible case. Write down what PC-6600 series claims or describes in one sentence, then invent the smallest concrete situation in which that sentence is true. In computer science, the smallest case is usually a single object, a single equation or a single measurement. Check that every symbol or term in your sentence has a meaning in that case.

Example 2 — changing one variable

Take the situation from Example 1 and change exactly one quantity: double it, halve it, or set it to zero. Predict what should happen to PC-6600 series before you calculate. Comparing your prediction with the result is the fastest way to find out whether you understand the idea or only the words.

Example 3 — an exam-style question

Typical questions about PC-6600 series ask you to (a) state it precisely, (b) apply it to given data, and (c) explain a limitation. Practise writing all three answers in under five minutes; the third part is what separates a full-mark answer from an average one.

Applications of PC-6600 series

In research: PC-6600 series appears in computer science research whenever the underlying quantities have to be modelled precisely. Papers usually cite it as a starting assumption and then explore where it breaks down.
In technology and industry: Engineering practice reuses PC-6600 series in design rules, simulations and safety margins. Knowing the idea lets you read a specification sheet and understand why the numbers look the way they do.
In the classroom: PC-6600 series is common in secondary-school and first-year university syllabi. It links to neighbouring topics Computer-related introductions in 1983, Computer hardware stubs, NEC personal computers, so understanding it makes those chapters shorter.
In everyday life: Look for PC-6600 series outside the textbook — in sport, cooking, traffic, electronics or the sky above you. An example you found yourself is remembered far longer than one you were given.

Ask Teacher Smith questions about this articleOpens your AI tutor with a question about “PC-6600 series” →

Affiliate

Preply — study more efficiently by working with a personal tutor. 50% off.

How to study PC-6600 series in 20 minutes

Read the reference excerpt below once, without taking notes.
Close the page and write down what PC-6600 series means in your own words.
Compare your version with the excerpt and mark what you missed.
Work through the three examples above with pen and paper.
Explain PC-6600 series out loud to somebody else — or to Teacher Smith in the lgStudy chat.

Frequently asked questions

What is PC-6600 series in simple terms?

The NEC PC-6600 Series were a lineup of personal computers produced by the NEC Corporation on November 21, 1983. They were essentially a PC-6001 MK2 with a built-in 3.5" floppy disk drive.

Why does PC-6600 series matter?

Because it connects several computer science ideas at once: it gives you a definition you can apply, a quantity you can calculate, and a way to check whether a result is plausible.

How should I study PC-6600 series?

Read the excerpt, restate it from memory, then work through the examples and applications listed on this page. The five-step study plan above takes about twenty minutes.

What does this page cover?

It gives you a compact reference excerpt plus original lgStudy explanations, examples, applications and study material on PC-6600 series.