The FM-7/77 machines laid the groundwork for Fujitsu's later hobby machines.
From the start, the FM-7/77 series emphasized high-resolution color graphics and Japanese language display, and this trend continued with AV (Audio Visual) personal computers (beginning with the subsequent FM77AV) and the FM TOWNS hypermedia personal computer. Later, it developed into the FM-NEW7, which used high-integration memory and gate array LSI to reduce price while maintaining FM-7 functionality, and a high-end machine called the FM-77. The FM-7 secured a position as a hobby machine by providing a wealth of sound capabilities (3-part harmony capability using synthesizer LSI) and a diverse range of software. The FM-7 aimed to pare down the features of the FM-8 (eliminating the bubble cassette), and thereby achieve greater compactness and a significantly lower price. In November 1982, Fujitsu announced a upper model of the FM-8 called the FM-11, and a mass-market model called the FM-7. Bubble memory did not catch on, however, and was eliminated from the standard features in the FM-7.) First use in a personal computer of bubble memory as external memory (At the time of announcement, the machine had a bubble cassette with a 32 kilobyte capacity.The provided operating systems (OS) included F-BASIC, as well as UCSD-PASCAL, FLEX and CP/M (required Z80 card option).High-resolution color graphics (640x200 dot, 8 colors selectable at each dot).Japanese language display using Chinese character (kanji) ROM (JIS level 1 2,965 characters, optional).(The world's first use of 64 kilobit DRAM (like that in large main frame computer) in a microcomputer (64 kilobyte main memory).Equipped with two Motorola 6809 8-bit CPUs (main and sub).The FM-8 was developed by employing innovative design and state-of-the-art semiconductor technology, and was designed for use in a variety of fields, ranging from high-level hobby use, to business applications and process control. After introducing the LKIT-8 (announced in March 1977) and the NEW LKIT-8 hobby microcomputers, Fujitsu announced the FUJITSU MICRO 8 (hereafter referred to as the "FM-8"), an 8-bit microcomputer in May 1981, as the first entry in its FM Series.
This was a Fujitsu's first 8-bit personal computer (at the time it was called a "microcomputer" rather than a "personal computer").