Nishi is introduced by Anne de Raad around one o'clock in the afternoon and so the lecture starts. Nishi starts the lecture thanking all attendees for still being MSX users. He tells the listeners he gave up MSX himself 10 years ago. He made a mistake he says, because a friend of his invited him 2 years ago (in 1999 that should have been) to a MSX fair in Tokio. Nishi was very suprised MSX was still alive. He says MSX should be back and starts telling about his progress as a computer engineer for ASCII corp. Nishi tells us he did not finish his study and dropped out of school. After working for ASCII corp for a couple of years he picked up his study again and got his PHD (dr.) degree. A few years later he met Bill Gates, who he proudly told about his PHD degree. After which Gates asked him how much he had payed for his degree. With this last joke, Nishi got full attention of the audience.

Nishi's vision on the creation of MSX

 Back in 1981 Nishi was in the IBM team to design computers. At that time Microsoft asked IBM to create a computer. The IBM computer produced at that time used a Z80 cpu. Nishi asked IBM to get the Z88, but IBM did not want to. Nishi had already designed a office computer and a portable computer for IBM at that time, the only computer that was missing was the home computer. The first thing that came up was: IBM hardware, so IBM software. But Nishi felt that was not a good idea at all. For example, Nishi says, take a look at VHS videotapes. It is a standard used by many companies. MSX should be like VHS, a standard that will be adapted by many companies.

But the MSX should be better than existing computers, Nishi felt, so it should have better graphics support, at that time the best was MCGA and CGA. Nishi found those techniques very poorly and wanted something better. So they decided to create a new chip, but they did not have the skills to create microchips. Nishi and his team went to Yamaha, who could make the technology. So Yamaha would do both graphics and audio. Also Nishi felt that computers were too expensive at that time. To get the price lower, the machine should have less components. Nishi's goal was a one-chip solution .

What does MSX stand for?

Nishi says that he is well aware of the fact that MSX is interpreted differently by many people. Some say it is MicroSoft eXtended, but others say it is Matsushita, Sony and (X)others. But Nishi tells the audience it really stands for Machines(hardware) with Software eXchangeability. Sony and Matsushita took notice of Nishi's MSX designs at the time and contacted eachother to try this new system of Nishi (who was 26 at the time).

The MSX 2

 Along the project the question raise how to optimize graphics and audio for the MSX system. The answer lie in a advanced graphics instruction set according to Nishi. So again Yamaha got convinced by Nishi to create a FM synthesizer subset for MSX, which is today called MSX Audio. But they discover that just a new sound system was not enough to create the MSX 2. They wanted to implement digital video and audio, in other words: motion picture. In 1983 CD was announced by Philips and Sony. In a later stadium the plans for digital audio and video evolved in the standards mpeg1 and mp3. Now Nishi points out he does realize a lot of people will probably think he is saying he created mpeg, but he did not actually. But, he says, our plans for digital video and audio on MSX helped creating mpeg, although it never got implemented for MSX.

 Nishi's goal to realize the single-chip MSX were still on, and he contacted Toshiba to create the chip. They accepted and made a chip which only integrated sound, but not video. Nishi got very angry about that and got a fight with Toshiba. (Now Nishi jokes around again, cursing Toshiba and putting up an act in which he plays an angry Nishi cursing at Toshiba) But Toshiba got angry with Nishi too, and stopped the production of the chip. Nishi now knows he was mistaken at the time, because the chip should never have been given up.

Nishi now opens a door and makes fun of the heat in the room, and warns us not to fall asleep in the moisy heat.

The popularity contest (that wasn't one)

Nishi and his team were very disappointed because the MSX never got as popular as television or telephone. But, he says, when you've got success you always want more. So, soon Philips and Sony started complaining why MSX wasn't as popular as television. Nishi seeked for the reason and started thinking it was the price of the MSX. He asked his grandmother if she wanted to use one of the computers he designed. She replied with the question: "What can I do with it?". Nishi replied: "You can write letters". His grandmother said she already had pen and paper. "What about stock prices then?", Nishi asked. "I have a calculator", he grandmother replied. "So, how about playing games?" His grandmother said she had television. Finally Nishi tried to convince her by telling she could send email with the MSX, but his grandmother replied she had a telephone for communicating.
Nishi felt he could never compete with all that, and started asking himself what he could do to get it into people's homes. "So", Nishi asked himself, "what have television and telephone in common?" A NETWORK! (this was in 1986) "What is a car without a highway?", Nishi askes the audience. "A very expensive karaoke machine!", he says. Nishi thinks networking possibilities for MSX could be the way to get MSX in every home. But it never worked out. Nishi says, many succesful computer engineers never became succsesful in internet.

Integrating MSX with communication media (which ended up with a story on Nishi's career and Windows ;)

In 1990 the debate about launching the MSX 3 was also about integrating CD-ROM into MSX, so the system would be like the SEGA. (games and apps on cd-rom). But they decided not to because a better solution would come up soon (which was DVD).

Now Nishi jumps to a totally different topic, being Tilburg 1996.

"5 years ago I heard about Tilburg", Nishi says. It's a shame today's fair is not a big as it was back then. Nishi says he has a lot of friends who tell him he would never be in the computer business if it wasn't for MSX. Nishi jumps to another topic again. "Today's computers boot in 2 and a half minutes!" If Windows was used for a car- navigation system, we would all crash, because it is 2 and a half minutes slow! "Maybe we still need MSX?", Nishi says.

Launch of the revival project

 ASCII corp hasn't frozen everything yet, Nishi says, and is inviting everyone to give input on the MSX. There are about 70.000 MSX software titles, so ASCII decided to create an official complete MSX emulator. The ASCII MSX emulator is going to be released for free on the internet. It will run on Linux, Windows and Apple. MSX player is developed for intent OS (which is a OS on an OS, in this case Linux). The emulator can run on many platforms because of intent. ASCII is going to alter the software so it can run on a mobile phone, because ASCII thinks playing games on a phone is an important feature. ASCII is trying to define the future platform of MSX based on the MSX player. Distribution of software will be through the internet. ASCII thought of the name MSX.NET for the project. Nishi jokes around about windows.net and legal issues. ASCII is also going to setup MSX server. A large website containing information, images, etc, etc. Nishi thinks the people are reactivating MSX and is impressed by the activities of all MSX fans who are still developing. The MSX server is totally based on the internet and will contain a billing and payment system, so developers can publish their creations on MSX.net. Nishi wishes to create a platform for MSX developers to sell their products. How does ASCII is going to make money is the discussion, but he thinks there must be a way.

The one-chip MSX

 Arm is going to be the CPU, Intent and Linux are the OS. MSX one-chip is linux all the way. There is going to be a programmable radio packet device, a wireless packet device. Nishi gives the example that he wants to put a MSX chip in his shoes, which can tell him how many miles he walked today. He continues with another example of MSX in the toilet (very interesting example), so that the toilet can tell you you drank to much the night before.

Audience Questions

Q: In which way is MSX player different then existing emulators?
A: We talked to many people, it is not really different. We based it on a other MSX emulator and we have it in license.

Q: Based on which other emulator?
A: It is based on fMSX

Q: Is the MSX player open source?
A: Yes, except for Microsoft basic

Q: Will it be produced at Philips?
A: No, Nishi has no contacts with Philips anymore

Q: Did you come here just for the fair?
A: Yes, I did

Q: Is basic in the emulator?
A: Yes.
Q: What about Microsoft then?
A: We are still talking, but Microsoft is going to receive money for it

Q: Will there be a new version of basic?
A: No, it is frozen.

Q: Is the Turbo R emulated in MSX player?
A: Yes, it is

Nishi starts another story. "Don't you think it is crazy you need a computer to receive email? What about a distributed mailserver running on the single-chip MSX? Everywhere in the world you could be identified and check your email. Swatch is sponsor for that program, the've got something similar with skeepasses already

Q: How about connecting to external devices like i.e. harddrives?
A: It will be possible by flash

Q: How will one be able to develop for the new MSX?
A: We will offer support for companies and developers. Linux is the development platform
Q: And how can programmers create software without paying for licenses?
A: So everyone in this room can program software for the msx and then put it on msx server online. (wrong answer?)

Q: How will the USB be supported?
A: USB plugin. If you are online and plug in, the driver will be downloaded

Q: Does the new MSX get a CDRom?
A: Most possibly a cdr, also for mp3. But is not decided yet, because ASCII will be enemy of Matsushita and Sony when they put it in.

Q: Is the source of MSX going to be free
A: Yes, it is going to be open source with the launing of MSX player probably.

Q: What is the response of Panasonic, Sony, etc?
A: We havent talked yet.
Q: Will you ?
A: Yes, otherwise we are enemies. I do not want to upset them, but we do not need them anymore. Our parnters are individuals who have vision for the future. Big companies will quit when not seeying money. Individuals will not, they wil continue.

Q: Why would developers want to develop for the MSX?
A: No reason, intent is so multi platform.

Q: You say you do not need Sony?
A: We do need them as a customer! But I won't beg them, if they say, 1/10 of royalty etc.

Q: Linux is the basic operation system?
A: Yes.
Q: But linux needs to be compiled what is the os to compile linux?
A: There is a c compiler that can generate the code.
Q: But then you need extensions to that c compiler
A: That technology is already here

Q: If you start putting it up, the MSX server, you need a massive website, how to do that?
A: Don’t know.
Q: Nobody is working on it?
A: No.
Q: But you need a rather complex site to enable all developers to be a seller
A: We do not know yet, if it is going to be a server everywhere or a little site. But the server will be massive.
Q: But that server will be set up by ASCII???
A: Probably by an ISP in a few continents.

Q: How to facilitate communication between Japanese and Englsh users?
A: That is a point I already mentioned, we need to use the power of computers to translate.
Q: I don’t think translation should not be in between, we need broken-English translation and good visuals, that is enough. I will leave that problem to the users.

Q: How many versions did you make? They have to be very small to fit in your tie, but large to watch a movie on it.
A: It will have fpga, and we have smaller and larger version in design.

Q: They new msx has tv out, why? With radio communication we like to use wireless communication!
A: We have a name, nanny, (note: could be Lanny, I may have misheard Nishi) for the microcontroller, it is a nanochip with flash and io but no video.
Q: Which usb version?
A: Latest version
Q: So it will be possible to stream video?
A: Yes

Q: What about the speed of the arm9 core? Slow and fast version?
A: We haven’t it figured out, the speed.
Q: How much mhz?
A: 300 mininmum. Sometimes 500mhz

Q: About the MSX server, how about copyrights? How to protect software?
A: Whenever you request a download, every nic has a unique id, it is encrypted and you need to recompile it with a key you get.

Q: Do you also put old software online like Konami games?
A: We are collecting older archive files, we want to let others to decide to go into public domain or charge 1 yen or 1 dollar or so. Emotionally nothing is free. We have konami software in our archive, the issue is; are we after free software or a small fee software.

Q: Old MSX hardware is gonna work on the one-chip MSX?
A: I think by having a high speed usb converted to slot, it may be possible.

Q: Is the one-chip MSX fully compatible?
A: I cannot say fully, but we do our best.

Q: How to protect MSX server from non-paying customers?
A: The downloads are going to be like a telephone bill. And also you can buy a prepaid card for the MSX server. Every country has regulations for electric money. We need maximum flexibilty and security.

Q: How do your support digital equipment, like spdif etc.?
A: Only output, not input. It is not a general computer, we are not competing with pc’s.

Q: How about the speed?
A: It can be extermely slow to run on solar cells.

Q: Which semiconductor is going to produce?
A: A partner in asia, europe and america. The europian is the biggest in europe in consumermarket In america largest in telecommunication.

Q: Will you raise the specs in other versions?
A: No, I do not want to compete with other people

Q: But what if it becomes very popular, is there no way to competition?
A: no.
Q: Never?
A: I do not want to say never.

Q: What will be the price of the one chip MSX?
A: From 15/20$ to 10$

Closing

Nishi thanks us all for our interest and closes the lecture.

ASCII's proposed timetable:

August 2001 - Distribution of MSX player for PC begins.
November 2001 - MSX server goes online.
4Q 2001 - Distribution of MSX player for various platforms.
1Q 2002 - Single MSX Tape Out.
3Q 2002 - Manufacturing of single chip MSX begins.
1Q 2003 - New MSX goes on sale.
2004 - Single-chip MSX licenses open.

Photos by Stephan.