FMV-TOWNS replaced Fujitsu’s FM TOWNS and used the standard PC/AT-compatible architecture,*1 in keeping with the internationalization trend of the computer industry. Fujitsu announced three models in November 1995 — the all-in-one FMV-TOWNS Fresh ・ GT (with TV capability), the all-in-one FMV-TOWNS Fresh ・ GS, and the base model, the FMV-TOWNS Model H.
The previous FM TOWNS was built around the TOWNS architecture. The FMV-TOWNS migrated to the same PC/AT-compatible architecture as Fujitsu’s FMV series, but it retained backward compatibility with FM TOWNS. To accomplish this, the FMV-TOWNS models had a TOWNS mode switch to switch between a TOWNS mode and a PC/AT-compatible mode. In the PC/AT-compatible mode, the computers could run Windows 95 software in the same environment as Fujitsu’s FMV DESKPOWER series. In the TOWNS mode, the computers could run Towns OS software in the previous FM TOWNS environment.
The TOWNS mode worked by using a TOWNS card in the PCI slot. This card not only contained the FM TOWNS audio and video functions; it also had an emulator so that the Towns OS could control the PC/AT-compatible CPU, memory, hard drive, CD-ROM drive, and other devices.
- *1. PC/AT-compatible architecture: A computer architecture that began with IBM’s PC/AT computers in 1984. It became a de facto standard in the computer industry and was adopted worldwide because it was an open architecture.
| Configuration | All-in-one models | Base model | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Model name | FM V-TOWNS Fresh・GT |
FM V-TOWNS Fresh・GS |
FM V-TOWNS MODEL H |
| Introduced | November 1995 | ||
| CPU | 90 MHz Pentium | 120 MHz Pentium | |
| Memory | 8 MB (expandable up to 128 MB) | 16 MB (expandable up to 128 MB) |
|
| Hard disk drive | 850 MB (IDE specification) | 850 MB (IDE specification) |
|
| flexible disk drive | One 3.5-inch drive, three modes*1 | ||
| Optical drive | One 4x CD-ROM drive | ||
| External dimensions [mm] | 420 x 418 x 128 (w x d x h) | ||
| Weight | ~11.4 kg | ~11.7 kg | ~11.3 kg |
| Power consumption | 160 W, max. | ||
| OS | Windows95，Towns system software V2.1 | ||
| Other details |
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- （*1）Three-mode floppy drive: supports disks in any of three capacity formats: 720 KB, 1.2 MB, and 1.44 MB.
