Philips Computers

Philips Computers was the personal-computing and information-systems business associated with Royal Philips, the Dutch electronics group. The business operated from 1963 until 1992 and developed and manufactured a broad range of computers, including early Philips-built machines, IBM-compatible personal computers, notebooks, and computers compatible with the MSX standard. Its products were distributed under the Philips name in European markets and, in North America, were also sold under the Magnavox brand. Philips additionally supplied or bundled monitors, keyboards, mice, storage media, optical products, and other accessories for its systems. The roots of Philips computing preceded the formal Philips Computers period. Between 1953 and 1956, Philips built three computers—PETER, STEVIN, and PASCAL—for internal use. These machines were not mass-market products, but they established an early connection between Philips and electronic data processing. From 1963 onward, the company pursued computing as part of its wider technology portfolio. Its later personal-computer activity included systems based on Z80, Intel 8088, 80286, 80386, and 80486 processors, as well as portable computers using contemporary x86 chips. Philips supported the MSX home-computer standard and released a substantial family of MSX1 and MSX2 systems. Models such as the VG-8000, VG-8010, VG-8020, VG-8230, VG-8235, NMS 8250/8255, and NMS 8280 were sold in several European countries. Philips also contributed to MSX-related expansion hardware, including the NMS-1205 Music Module associated with MSX-AUDIO and the NMS-8280 video-editing system. Alongside its consumer and home-computer products, Philips marketed business-oriented P-series, NMS, PCD, and PCL systems. A distinctive feature of the business was its relationship with display technology. Philips computers were commonly paired with Philips monitors, while the company's separate optical subsidiary, LMSI, was associated with pioneering optical-device work. Philips achieved greater and more durable commercial success with monitors than with branded personal computers. The company's monitor, peripheral, diskette, and optical-media activities therefore outlasted the dedicated computer business, and Philips-branded displays continued to be developed and sold after Philips Computers itself had ended. Philips systems were sold through multiple channels and labels. In North America, many products appeared under Magnavox, reflecting Philips' ownership and use of that brand. A Philips subsidiary also marketed systems through Vendex under the HeadStart name; some of these systems were displayed through the Dutch Vroom & Dreesmann retail chain. Certain HeadStart computers were manufactured in South Korea by Samsung, and some bundled displays were made by Daewoo. Other systems based on Philips designs were associated with third-party names, including Wang and Argent Technologies. The business also pursued experimental and multimedia-oriented initiatives. Philips helped develop the CD-i standard, an ambitious optical interactive-media platform that did not achieve sustained commercial success. The Philips :YES, built around Intel's 80186, was another unsuccessful experiment. In the late 1990s, after the main Philips Computers period, Philips-branded Pentium PCs appeared using generic components and cases rather than a fully proprietary Philips design and production program. In the 2000s, Philips briefly entered the handheld-PC category with the Velo. These later products were separate from the 1963–1992 Philips Computers operation and did not restore Philips as a major branded PC manufacturer.

Philips' involvement with computing began before the creation of its dedicated computer business. From 1953 to 1956, the company produced PETER, STEVIN, and PASCAL for internal use. These early machines were not presented as general consumer products, but they demonstrate that Philips had computer-engineering capabilities well before the personal-computer era. Philips Computers was active from 1963 through 1992 as a subsidiary or business activity of Royal Philips. During this period it designed and manufactured personal computers and related systems. The company's portfolio evolved with the wider computer industry, moving from Z80-based machines to systems using Intel's 8088, 80286, 80386, and 80486 processors. Product families included the P 20, P 21, P 22, P 31, P 32, P 33, and P 34 series, as well as the PCD desktop range and PCL notebooks. Many of these machines were conventional desktop or portable computers for the IBM-compatible market, while others reflected Philips' own industrial design and product architecture. The company was also an important European supporter of MSX, an open computer standard used primarily in home-computer markets. Philips released MSX1 and MSX2 systems across Belgium, France, Finland, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands, and Spain. Its VG-8000, VG-8010, VG-8020, VG-8230, and VG-8235 computers were among the earlier Philips MSX products. Later NMS systems expanded the line with products such as the NMS 800, NMS 801, NMS 8220, NMS 8245, NMS 8250/8255, NMS 8280, and HCS 280. Philips also offered peripherals and specialized expansions, including the NMS-1205 Music Module, which supported the MSX-AUDIO standard, and the NMS-8280, which provided video-editing functionality. Philips' personal computers were closely connected to its display business. Systems were frequently sold with Philips monitors, and Philips produced a large range of monochrome, TTL, CGA/EGA, and VGA CRT displays. The company's display products generally had more lasting market success than its computers. This pattern was consistent with Philips' broader strengths in electronics manufacturing, display engineering, and optical technology. The separate LMSI subsidiary was particularly associated with optical-device development, while Philips also sold storage media such as diskettes and CDs and supplied input peripherals including keyboards and mice. Brand and distribution arrangements extended the reach of the computer portfolio. Philips computers were sold in North America under the Magnavox name. Products in that channel included Magnavox System, Headstart, MaxStation, Magnum, Metalis, and Professional families, many of which corresponded to Philips internal designs or Philips-compatible platforms. A Philips subsidiary also sold computers under the Vendex HeadStart brand. HeadStart systems were marketed in selected markets and appeared in Vroom & Dreesmann stores in the Netherlands. Some HeadStart machines were manufactured in South Korea by Samsung, with certain monitors supplied by Daewoo. Other Philips-derived or Philips-based systems were associated with third-party labels such as Wang and Argent Technologies. Philips pursued multimedia as well as conventional computing. It participated in the development of CD-i, a standard intended to bring interactive content to optical discs. CD-i did not become a durable mass-market success. The Philips :YES, based on Intel's 80186, was another experimental computer product that failed to establish a significant market position. These projects reflected Philips' interest in linking computing, optical media, and consumer electronics, but they also illustrated the difficulty of competing against more focused personal-computer and platform companies. The dedicated Philips Computers business ended in 1992. Philips-branded computing did not disappear completely: in the late 1990s the company sold Pentium PCs assembled from generic components and cases, rather than systems designed and produced through the earlier proprietary Philips program. In the 2000s Philips briefly introduced the Velo handheld PC. These later activities were limited and did not recreate the former computer business. Philips continued to have a stronger presence in monitors, peripherals, optical products, and media than in branded personal computers.

• 2000

  Velo handheld PC activity

  [1]Philips Computersen.wikipedia.org

  In the 2000s Philips briefly introduced the Velo handheld PC.

• 1992

  End of the Philips Computers period

  [1]Philips Computersen.wikipedia.org

  The Philips Computers business was active through 1992, after which Philips' computer activity became more limited and less proprietary.

• 1987

  Broader MSX2 portfolio

  [1]Philips Computersen.wikipedia.org

  Philips released several NMS MSX2 systems, including the NMS 8220, NMS 8245, NMS 8250/8255, and NMS 8280.

• 1986

  Expansion into MSX2 systems

  [1]Philips Computersen.wikipedia.org

  Philips introduced MSX2 models including the VG-8230 and VG-8235.

• 1984

  Philips enters the MSX market

  [1]Philips Computersen.wikipedia.org

  The Philips VG-8000 became one of the company's MSX1-compatible home computers, with distribution in several European markets.

• 1963

  Philips Computers activity begins

  [1]Philips Computersen.wikipedia.org

  Philips Computers began its period as a Philips computer subsidiary or business activity.

• 1956

  Completion of early internal-computing experiments

  [1]Philips Computersen.wikipedia.org

  By this year Philips had produced the internally used PETER, STEVIN, and PASCAL computers.

• 1953

  Early internal computer development

  [1]Philips Computersen.wikipedia.org

  Philips produced PETER for internal use, one of three early computers built by the company before its later commercial computer activity.

A diversified electronics-company computer brand combining Philips hardware, display technology, home-computer standards, and optical-media experimentation. The brand was stronger in monitors and related peripherals than in personal computers themselves.

• Z80 personal computers

  Philips P 2000 series

  The P 2000 family was an early Philips personal-computer line using Z80 processors. It included the P 2000 C, P 2000 M, P 2000 T, P 2010, P 2012, and P 2015. The range illustrates Philips' movement from internal and specialized computing toward branded systems for home and general-purpose users.

• IBM-compatible desktop computers

  Philips P 21–P 34 series

  These families covered Philips desktop systems using successive generations of Intel-compatible processors. The listed products range from 8088-based P 21 and P 31 models through 286-based P 22 and P 32 systems to 386-based P 33 and 486-based P 34 machines. Configurations included conventional desktops, midi towers, and designs associated with Philips' changing 1980s and 1990s industrial styling.

• Desktop personal computers

  Philips PCD series

  The PCD range included Philips desktop computers based on 8088, 286, and 386 processors. Models included the PCD 102, PCD 103, PCD 200, PCD 203, PCD 204, PCD 304, PCD 308, and PCD 318. The family was associated with Philips' transition toward CD-ROM-equipped and multimedia-oriented personal-computer configurations, although not every listed model included a CD-ROM drive.

• Notebook computers

  Philips PCL series

  The PCL family comprised portable Philips computers, including the PCL 101, PCL 203, PCL 304, and PCL 320. These systems used successive 8086, 80286, and 80386 processors and were offered in compact gray portable enclosures typical of the notebook market in the late 1980s and early 1990s.

• MSX home computers · 1984

  Philips VG and NMS MSX systems

  Philips produced a substantial range of MSX1 and MSX2-compatible home computers. VG-branded systems included the VG-8000, VG-8010, VG-8020, VG-8230, and VG-8235, while NMS products included the NMS 800, NMS 801, NMS 8220, NMS 8245, NMS 8250/8255, and NMS 8280. Expansion products supported music, printing, mice, and video editing.

• North American and channel-branded personal computers

  Magnavox HeadStart and related systems

  Philips-origin or Philips-associated computers were sold in North America and other channels under names including Magnavox Headstart, MaxStation, Magnum, Metalis, and Professional. The portfolio covered 286, 386, and 486 desktops and notebooks, with some products corresponding to Philips internal reference designs. A related Vendex HeadStart range included XT, 286, and 386 systems, including CD-ROM configurations.

• Displays and computer accessories

  Philips computer monitors and peripherals

  Philips supplied monitors intended for use with its own and Magnavox-branded computers, ranging from 12-inch TTL displays to 14-, 15-, 17-, and 20-inch VGA CRT monitors. It also offered keyboards such as the P 2813 and P 2814, serial and NMS mice, diskettes, CDs, and other optical or computer accessories. These categories were commercially more durable for Philips than its branded PC business.

• Experimental personal computer

  Philips :YES

  The Philips :YES was an experimental computer based on Intel's 80186 processor. It represented Philips' effort to explore additional personal-computer formats, but the product did not achieve sustained market success.

• Handheld PC

  Philips Velo

  The Velo was a brief Philips entry in the handheld-PC category during the 2000s. It appeared after the main Philips Computers period and was a limited continuation of Philips-branded computing rather than a revival of the former desktop-computer business.

• 1992

  End of the dedicated computer businessStrategy

  Background

  Philips Computers had operated as a personal-computer subsidiary or business activity since 1963, but its computer business was discontinued after 1992.

  Action taken

  Philips ended the dedicated Philips Computers period and subsequently limited its branded-computing activity.

  Aftermath

  Philips retained stronger positions in monitors, peripherals, optical products, and media than in branded personal computers. Later Pentium PCs used generic components, and the company briefly introduced the Velo handheld PC.

  Source

• Development of CD-i multimedia standardProduct launch

  Background

  Philips pursued an optical multimedia platform that connected computing and consumer electronics through interactive CD media.

  Action taken

  The company helped develop the CD-i standard.

  Aftermath

  CD-i did not achieve lasting commercial success.

  Source

1. 1Philips Computersen.wikipedia.org