Sharp PC-G815, a capable chonky boi

 

The Sharp PC-G815. Not pretty, but it can draw.

Ignoring the PC-G850, Sharp's educational G-line of Z80 pocket computers will never win any design awards, they also had reduced functionality compared to something like the PC-E500. RAM wasn't stellar, there was no memory backup, none of the new structured BASIC commands introduced with the E600/500S, and sadly, no graphics. 

Well, except one of them.

Besides the aforementioned G850, there was one G-line unit that *could* do graphics, the Sharp PC-G815. Although it's a bit of a chonky boi (it weighs in at almost 500gr. with batteries and case), the Sharp PC-G815 wasn't a bad deal.

A lightweight it isn't.

Released in 1993, the G815 came with 32KB of RAM, a Z80 compatible CPU clocked at 3.54 MHz, a *graphical* 4-line display, BASIC, C and assembler (also CASL if you were so inclined).

Inside view

If you soldered a piezo buzzer and put the internals for a backup battery in, you were packing the best "G" model unit until the 850 line was released. Strangely, the G815 case has already been prepared for a backup battery even including the switch, it's just glued over with a cover. I sourced the rest of the needed gubbins from a broken PC-E200.

If you get rid of the cover...

...you can add a back-up battery.

The G815 tends to fly under the radar of most collectors, which is a bit sad, considering they are very capable little units. I've included a size comparison with a G850VS, the last Pocket Computer Sharp produced.

Brothers!