MSX in China

By Pat

Expert (71)

04-01-2007, 16:51

Some things I was wondering about:

* Were there ever MSX computers used in China?
* Are there still active MSX users over there?

Does anyone have an idea on this?

By flyguille

Prophet (3031)

04-01-2007, 18:52

at those mountain of garbage of old computing?

By snout

Ascended (15187)

04-01-2007, 22:01

Hmm.. I'm not sure how the relationship between Japan and China was at the time, but with MSX computers being distributed in both Russia and Korea one would think there should indeed be MSX fans somewhere out there in China. Interesting we never heard a single thing about it.

According to AWstats in the year 2006 we had only very few visitors from China... (55th position in the list of top-countries) so perhaps the machine just didn't make it there.

By snout

Ascended (15187)

04-01-2007, 23:19

This just in: solid evidence from Quibus!

By Manuel

Ascended (19678)

04-01-2007, 23:24

Got this picture in 2000 from Benny Roger GUndersen. Text translation: (not very good)
"The picture is from the rich Taiher school for children. The children here are very lucky to have computers for use. But the children that attend this school belongs to a picket out elite."

> But are you sure they are MSX computers?

No I'm not sure, thats why I wrote the question mark, they are not PC's and they use the familiar cartridge as you can see on the picture. Also a friend of mine that work as a teacher was in China 2 years ago and told me they used MSX computers in the school connected to a cassette player to store on.

Well, that's all info I have left now. Can't find the original mail anymore...

By sinus

Expert (85)

05-01-2007, 08:12

I am actually living in China since 2001. I already wondered about these small computers that so looked like MSXes. I am not sure what the ones on the picture are, but they really look like many others that can be found easily a little bit everywhere in China. They are quite cheap and still sold in many toy shops / electronic markets in China. I never bought any of them myself to test it and have a glance inside, but as far as I know they are Nintendo NES Clones, not MSXes.
Here you can find that kind of Nes-in-a-keyboard clone: http://www.woen.info/en/pirate/clones.html .

The yellow cartridges can be found everywhere too, most of them are compilations. The games are Nes like. No MSX logo anywhere.
I have never found evidence of any MSX activities in China. 6 years ago computers were hardly seen in schools, but it quickly changed, at least in high standard middle/high schools in large cities. All i have seen in Chinese schools till now were very modern PCs and many up to date electronic devices, very high tech compared to what I have seen in Europe during that time.

So I can't be 100% sure these are not MSXes, but at least I am 99% convinced they're not.
This doesn't mean they never were any MSX activities in the past. All I know is that, here in china, as far as technology is concerned, people know what 'obsolete' is and don't spend time on 'useless' things in terms of survival, like 'old toys', for the time being. Leisure for children and teenagers appeared recently. Especially with video games, but toy shops are not what they are in the west. No time to waste at it.

20 years ago, China was not what it is today, huge changes. I doubt there was room for computing, but who knows? I will further ask. It has indeed to be compared with Russia at that time, that is the only hint.

If any one else has any other clue on that question it would be very interesting.

sin

By tfh

Prophet (3426)

05-01-2007, 11:28

According to AWstats in the year 2006 we had only very few visitors from China... (55th position in the list of top-countries) so perhaps the machine just didn't make it there.
Hehehe, and probably quite some of these visits were made by me as well

By Haohmaru

Paladin (774)

05-01-2007, 11:37

@sinus, judging by the pictures on WOEN the machines depicted in the 'solid evidence' is a Famicom/NES clone indeed.

By Pat

Expert (71)

05-01-2007, 12:29

OK, Interesting stuff. I more or less asked this because I am planning a (business) visit, and were wondering if anything interesting regarding MSX could be done (In Shanghai or Beijing).

By tfh

Prophet (3426)

05-01-2007, 12:32

OK, Interesting stuff. I more or less asked this because I am planning a (business) visit, and were wondering if anything interesting regarding MSX could be done (In Shanghai or Beijing).
In the past I also searched around for some MSX stuff in HongKong and Guangdong, but have never been able to find anything, so I more or less gave up. But then again: I might have looked in the wrong places

By Tanni

Hero (556)

05-01-2007, 13:05

The Sachen Q Boy on the Woen site looks quite similar to the OCM.

According to the language list of blueMSX, there are Chinese Simplified and Chinese Traditional messages for that emulator. This does not necessarily mean that there are lots of Chinese MSX users out there in China, but at least someone interested in MSX who did the translation.