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Pippin expand memory 4M-8M

The internal board from a 4MB or 8MB Pippin memory module.

Memory expansion modules for Pippin were manufactured by Bandai Digital Entertainment.

Bandai's Pippin Atmark and @WORLD consoles shipped with 6MB of built-in RAM, while the Katz Media Player 2000 shipped with at least 8MB. This memory was shared by the on-board video (which used 1MB as VRAM) and the Macintosh operating system (which itself took up about 2MB), leaving the remainder to be used by the application.[1] Support for displaying Japanese and Kanji characters consumed about another 1MB of memory, 1.5MB if Japanese text input is required.[2] Some Pippin titles required a memory upgrade to launch or enable additional features.[3]

Design[]

Sometimes referred to as "retention cards", the modules use a 68-pin Hirose FX-type mezzanine connector to add 2, 4, 8 or 16MB of RAM, mounted on a small board that was manufactured by ADTEC Corporation (アドテック) and housed in a plastic case.[4] As high-capacity modules were very rare, hobbyists have been known to produce handcrafted units.[5]

Release[]

Because some software updates, such as Internet Kit v.2.0, required a memory upgrade, Bandai Digital Entertainment announced that the complete price (including installation fee) for a 2MB memory module would be discounted from JP¥ 15,000 to 9,800 from September 25 to December 10, 1996.[6] The upgrade service began at the end of November 1996 and the complete installation price for a 8MB memory module was also discounted, from JP¥ 27,000 to 19,800.[7] Memory cards could also be purchased directly in Japan by users who did not want to send in their consoles for the installation service.[8] In Europe, Katz Media sold a 16MB memory module with their SurfEZ! web browser for US$ 149.[9]

Versions[]

Model Product ID / Family No. Date MSRP*
Pippin ATMARK ATMARK(sic) Memory Card 2MB PA-82003-2 1995 ?
Pippin ATMARK ATMARK(sic) Memory Card 2MB PA-82011[10] 1996 JP¥ 11,800[11]
(¥15,000 installed)[6]
PA-82011 / 601077500[12] 1996-01-07
Pippin @ ATMARK EX-Memory 4MB (for EVT-2 prototype)** PA-82003-1[13] 1995 ?
Pippin @ ATMARK EX-Memory 4MB (for developers) PA-82003-4[14] 1995 ?
Pippin ATMARK ATMARK(sic) Memory Card 8MB PA-82013 / 60110[15] 1996-01-10 JP¥ 21,800[11]
(¥27,000 installed)[7]
PA-82013 / 70102[16] 1997-01-02
PA-82013 / 70109[17] 1997-01-09
Pippin @World Memory Module 8MB PW10009 / 71128[18] 1997-11-28 ?
Pippin @World 16MB Memory Module** PW10027[19] 1997 US$ 149[9]

* Price does not include installation.
** Rare specimens show makeshift labeling.[20]

Gallery[]

Titles that require a memory upgrade[]

The following upgrade requirements presume the 6MB default configuration of most consumer consoles from Bandai Digital Entertainment.[11] Katz Media Player 2000 consoles have 8MB or at least 14MB of RAM in consumer and developer configurations, respectively.[21][22]

Title Module needed  Note
ad.hoc Medical Practice Quick Training Course 8MB  Will not launch without an upgrade.[23]
Action Designer: Ultraman Tiga 2MB  Printing features require an upgrade.[12]
Anime Designer: Dragon Ball Z 2MB  Printing features require an upgrade.[12]
Circus! 2MB  Will not launch without an upgrade.[24]
Gadget: Invention, Travel, & Adventure 2MB  Will not launch without an upgrade.[3]
Gundam Virtual Modeler Light 8MB  Will not launch without an upgrade.[3]
Internet Kit ver.2.0 2MB  New features require an upgrade.[25]
The Journeyman Project: Pegasus Prime 8MB  Will not launch without an upgrade.[26][27]
Mobile Suit Gundam: Zion Dukedom Military-File 2MB  Will not launch without an upgrade.[28]
Power Nazoler 2MB  Power Mac version requires 4MB free.[29]
Star Wars: Dark Forces ?  Demo disc specifies 8MB RAM needed.[30]
Super Marathon 2MB  More features enabled in game options.[3]
WebViewer with MS Internet Explorer / J-DATA NetCruiser 8MB  Will not launch without an upgrade.[31]
Yellow Brick Road I 2MB  Will not launch without an upgrade.[3]
Yellow Brick Road II 2MB  Will not launch without an upgrade.[3]

References[]

  1. Useful Notes / Pippin, TV Tropes. Accessed 2017-04-20.
  2. Pippin Developer Newsletter No. 3-1 (Japanese), Atmark Channel. 1995-10-25. Archived 1998-05-08.
  3. 3.0 3.1 3.2 3.3 3.4 3.5 Adding Memory to the Pippin (French) by Pierre Dandumont, Journal du Lapin. 2016-07-30.
  4. 試作RAM分解 (Japanese: Disassembly of prototype RAM) by MISUTHiKU (みすてぃく), PIPPINであそぼ~. 2001-08-11. Archived 2015-06-21.
  5. Memory addition to Pippin (Japanese) by chemy cano, Pipp!n@Archive. Archived 2007-02-03.
  6. 6.0 6.1 バンダイがピピンのバージョンアップサービス (Japanese), PC Week / Japan. 1996-09-25. Archived 1999-02-23.
  7. 7.0 7.1 Developer News Letter No.8 (Japanese), Pippin ATMARK Developer Support Center. 1996-12-15.
  8. Operation 1: Memory Card Expansion (Japanese) by MAISON PiPPiN, GeoCities. Archived 2000-01-22.
  9. 9.0 9.1 Combien coûtait une Pippin de développement chez Katz Media ? (French) by Pierre Dandumont, Le Journal du Lapin. 2019-08-04.
  10. PPIN PiPPiN AtMaRK Japan Video Game Console W/CD-ROM Apple System BANDAI Rare, eBay. 2017-04-05.
  11. 11.0 11.1 11.2 Spec. (Japanese) by chemy cano, Pipp!n@Archive. Archived 2007-02-05.
  12. 12.0 12.1 12.2 Pippin: 2, 4 ou 8 Mo de plus? (French) by Pierre Dandumont, Journal du Lapin. 2019-02-10.
  13. 開発用PIPPIN (Japanese) by MISUTHiKU (みすてぃく), PIPPINであそぼ~. Archived 2002-11-07.
  14. Bandai Pippin Image Archive, The Mac Geek. Accessed 2017-04-19.
  15. The Apple Pippin, the unknown console by Pierre Dandumont. Le journal du Lapin. 2016-05-28.
  16. Bandai Apple / Atmark Pippin 8MB RAM Memory Card in box - rare, eBay. 2017-04-05.
  17. 16MB-RAM増設 (Japanese: 16MB-RAM expansion) by MISUTHiKU (みすてぃく). Let's play with Pippin. Archived 2006-06-21.
  18. Pippin 8MB RAM modules (ATMARK and @ World) by defor, Twitter. Accessed 2019-08-20.
  19. Bandai Electronics - Pippin @World, Old-Computers.com. Accessed 2017-04-19.
  20. Pippin: 16mb Memory by Mark Johnson, Flickr. 2003-05-09.
  21. Pippin Specifications, Katz Media SARL. Archived 1998-01-29.
  22. Katz Media Begins Shipping Pippins in Europe, Katz Media SARL. Archived 1997-03-17.
  23. ad.hoc, a program for the Pippin (French) by Pierre Dandumont, Journal du Lapin. 2018-01-10.
  24. Let’s Play Apple Pippin: Circus! (French) by Pierre Dandumont, Journal du Lapin. 2018-03-18.
  25. What's New? Internet Kitバージョンアップサービス (Japanese), Atmark Channel Home Page. Archived 1997-01-02.
  26. An unreleased Pippin game: The Journeyman Project: Pegasus Prime (French) by Pierre Dandumont, Journal du Lapin. 2017-01-05.
  27. Info - Older / unreleased versions, The Journeyman Project. Accessed 2017-05-11.
  28. Let's Play Apple Pippin: Zion Dukedom Military-File (French) by Pierre Dandumont, Journal du Lapin. 2018-04-01.
  29. パワーナゾラー動作環境 (Japanese: Power Nazoler operating environment), Infortech. Archived 1999-02-22.
  30. Katz Media Apple Pippin Development Kit by aspect, AssemblerGames. 2015-06-02.
  31. WebViewer (別名 NETCRUISER 3.0) (Japanese) by MAISON PiPPiN, GeoCities. Archived 2000-03-01.

External links[]

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