Pippin memory modules

**Memory expansion modules for Pippin** were manufactured by Bandai Digital Entertainment.

Bandai's Pippin Atmark and @WORLD consoles shipped with 6MB of built-in RAM, while the Katz Media Player 2000 shipped with at least 8MB. This memory was shared by the on-board video (which used 1MB as VRAM) and the Macintosh operating system (which itself took up about 2MB), leaving the remainder to be used by the application. Support for displaying Japanese and Kanji characters consumed about another 1MB of memory, 1.5MB if Japanese text input is required. Some Pippin titles required a memory upgrade to launch or enable additional features.

## Design

Sometimes referred to as "retention cards", the modules use a 68-pin Hirose FX-type mezzanine connector to add 2, 4, 8 or 16MB of RAM, mounted on a small board that was manufactured by ADTEC Corporation (アドテック) and housed in a plastic case. As high-capacity modules were very rare, hobbyists have been known to produce handcrafted units.

## Release

Because some software updates, such as *Internet Kit v.2.0*, required a memory upgrade, Bandai Digital Entertainment announced that the complete price (including installation fee) for a 2MB memory module would be discounted from JP¥ 15,000 to 9,800 from September 25 to December 10, 1996. The upgrade service began at the end of November 1996 and the complete installation price for a 8MB memory module was also discounted, from JP¥ 27,000 to 19,800. Memory cards could also be purchased directly in Japan by users who did not want to send in their consoles for the installation service. In Europe, Katz Media sold a 16MB memory module with their *SurfEZ!* web browser for US$ 149.

## Versions

\* Price does not include installation.
\*\* Rare specimens show makeshift labeling.

## Gallery

Pippin memory module prototype (unlabelled, with additional markings)Pre-release Pippin @ ATMARK EX-Memory 4MB for EVT-2 prototypePippin ATMARK ATMARK*(sic)* Memory Card 2MB in an antistatic bagA Pippin ATMARK 2MB Memory Card in a Katz Media Player 2000Pippin @ ATMARK EX-Memory 4MBPippin ATMARK ATMARK*(sic)* Memory Card 8MBPippin @WORLD 16MB Memory Module in prototype casingA Pippin @WORLD 16MB Memory Module in a Katz Media Player 2000A handmade 16MB module next to an official 8MB moduleCircuit diagram of a 16MB memory module.
## Titles that require a memory upgrade

The following upgrade requirements presume the 6MB default configuration of most consumer consoles from Bandai Digital Entertainment. Katz Media Player 2000 consoles have 8MB or at least 14MB of RAM in consumer and developer configurations, respectively.

## References

1. ↑ Useful Notes / Pippin, TV Tropes. Accessed 2017-04-20.
2. ↑ Pippin Developer Newsletter No. 3-1 (Japanese), Atmark Channel. 1995-10-25. Archived 1998-05-08.
3. ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 3.3 3.4 3.5 Adding Memory to the Pippin (French) by Pierre Dandumont, Journal du Lapin. 2016-07-30.
4. ↑ 試作RAM分解 (Japanese: Disassembly of prototype RAM) by MISUTHiKU (みすてぃく), PIPPINであそぼ～. 2001-08-11. Archived 2015-06-21.
5. ↑ Memory addition to Pippin (Japanese) by chemy cano, Pipp!n@Archive. Archived 2007-02-03.
6. ↑ 6.0 6.1 バンダイがピピンのバージョンアップサービス (Japanese), *PC Week / Japan*. 1996-09-25. Archived 1999-02-23.
7. ↑ 7.0 7.1 Developer News Letter No.8 (Japanese), Pippin ATMARK Developer Support Center. 1996-12-15.
8. ↑ Operation 1: Memory Card Expansion (Japanese) by MAISON PiPPiN, GeoCities. Archived 2000-01-22.
9. ↑ 9.0 9.1 Combien coûtait une Pippin de développement chez Katz Media ? (French) by Pierre Dandumont, *Le Journal du Lapin*. 2019-08-04.
10. ↑ PPIN PiPPiN AtMaRK Japan Video Game Console W/CD-ROM Apple System BANDAI Rare, eBay. 2017-04-05.
11. ↑ 11.0 11.1 11.2 Spec. (Japanese) by chemy cano, Pipp!n@Archive. Archived 2007-02-05.
12. ↑ 12.0 12.1 12.2 Pippin: 2, 4 ou 8 Mo de plus? (French) by Pierre Dandumont, Journal du Lapin. 2019-02-10.
13. ↑ 開発用PIPPIN (Japanese) by MISUTHiKU (みすてぃく), PIPPINであそぼ～. Archived 2002-11-07.
14. ↑ Bandai Pippin Image Archive, The Mac Geek. Accessed 2017-04-19.
15. ↑ The Apple Pippin, the unknown console by Pierre Dandumont. Le journal du Lapin. 2016-05-28.
16. ↑ Bandai Apple / Atmark Pippin 8MB RAM Memory Card in box - rare, eBay. 2017-04-05.
17. ↑ 16MB-RAM増設 (Japanese: 16MB-RAM expansion) by MISUTHiKU (みすてぃく). Let's play with Pippin. Archived 2006-06-21.
18. ↑ Pippin 8MB RAM modules (ATMARK and @ World) by defor, Twitter. Accessed 2019-08-20.
19. ↑ Bandai Electronics - Pippin @World, Old-Computers.com. Accessed 2017-04-19.
20. ↑ Pippin: 16mb Memory by Mark Johnson, Flickr. 2003-05-09.
21. ↑ Pippin Specifications, Katz Media SARL. Archived 1998-01-29.
22. ↑ Katz Media Begins Shipping Pippins in Europe, Katz Media SARL. Archived 1997-03-17.
23. ↑ ad.hoc, a program for the Pippin (French) by Pierre Dandumont, Journal du Lapin. 2018-01-10.
24. ↑ Let’s Play Apple Pippin: *Circus!* (French) by Pierre Dandumont, Journal du Lapin. 2018-03-18.
25. ↑ What's New? Internet Kitバージョンアップサービス (Japanese), Atmark Channel Home Page. Archived 1997-01-02.
26. ↑ An unreleased Pippin game: The Journeyman Project: Pegasus Prime (French) by Pierre Dandumont, Journal du Lapin. 2017-01-05.
27. ↑ Info - Older / unreleased versions, The Journeyman Project. Accessed 2017-05-11.
28. ↑ Let's Play Apple Pippin: Zion Dukedom Military-File (French) by Pierre Dandumont, Journal du Lapin. 2018-04-01.
29. ↑ パワーナゾラー動作環境 (Japanese: Power Nazoler operating environment), Infortech. Archived 1999-02-22.
30. ↑ Katz Media Apple Pippin Development Kit by aspect, AssemblerGames. 2015-06-02.
31. ↑ WebViewer (別名 NETCRUISER 3.0) (Japanese) by MAISON PiPPiN, GeoCities. Archived 2000-03-01.

## External links

* Hacking the Pippin at Vintage Mac World (archived 2017-08-17) (mirror)
* ピピンアットマーク: オプション (Pippin Atmark: Options) at Wikipedia (Japanese).
* Pippin @ Atmark memory card 2MB/8MB at the Atmark Channel (archived 1998-02-12)