I have two main units, color printer X-710,
memory card XM-101 (8 KB), two memory
card XM-100 (4 KB), original bag and
original box (CIB).
type computer
country Japan
year 1983
os MS-DOS / GEM-desktop
cpu NSC 800
speed
ram 8 KB
rom 20 KB
graphic 4 x 20 mono LCD
colors mono
sound tune, duration
ports expander port, serial, parallel, casette
The Canon X-07 — A Pocket Computer Ahead of Its Time
The Canon X-07, released in 1983, was one of the most sophisticated and capable pocket computers of its era — a hand-held machine small enough to fit in a jacket pocket yet capable of running Microsoft BASIC, connecting to printers and plotters, and even displaying bitmapped graphics through an optional video interface. Using a National Semiconductor NSC-800 processor (a CMOS Z80-compatible chip) at 3.84 MHz, the X-07 combined genuine computing power with remarkable portability in a package measuring just 20×13×2.6 cm and weighing 480 grams.
Specifications and Design
The X-07’s internal 120×32 pixel monochrome LCD display provided 4 lines of 20 characters in normal operation — adequate for programming and data entry. A Toshiba T6834 co-processor handled display generation and also provided a real-time clock with alarm functions, making the X-07 useful as an organiser as well as a programming tool. With 8 KB of RAM (expandable to 24 KB via SRAM cards or unofficial third-party expansions up to 128 KB), Microsoft BASIC in ROM, and an extensive set of I/O ports — parallel, serial, expansion, cassette interface, and RAM/ROM card slots — the X-07 was exceptionally well-connected for a machine of its size.
Popularity in Finland and France
The Canon X-07 achieved particular popularity in Finland and France — two markets where it found dedicated user communities that produced software, hardware expansions, and documentation well beyond what Canon officially provided. Finnish users were especially enthusiastic, creating unofficial memory expansion cards and software libraries that extended the machine’s capabilities far beyond its original specification. This Nordic and Francophone following gives the X-07 a special resonance in the Computer Museum Ata collection — a machine that was genuinely beloved in Finland.
The Optional Video Interface
One of the X-07’s most remarkable optional accessories was a video interface that connected the machine to a standard CRT monitor, enabling a much larger 40×24 text mode and a 256×192 pixel graphics mode with six colours. This transformed the X-07 from a pocket computer into something approaching a full home computer experience — a dual-mode machine equally comfortable in a pocket or on a desk. The combination of portability and expandability made it one of the most versatile pocket computers available in 1983.