Canon Computer Systems
Company typeSubsidiary
IndustryComputers
FoundedApril 1992; 31 years ago (1992-04)
DefunctJanuary 2001; 23 years ago (2001-01)
FateRestructured
SuccessorCanon Digital Home and Personal Systems
Headquarters
Costa Mesa, California
,
United States
Products
ParentCanon Inc.

Canon Computer Systems, Inc. (CCSI), sometimes shortened to Canon Computer, was an American subsidiary of Canon Inc. formed in 1992 to develop and market the parent company's personal computers and workstations. The subsidiary also assumed the responsibility of marketing Canon's printers and photocopiers, which were formerly sold by other Canon divisions. It went defunct in January 2001.

History

Canon entered the computer industry in the 1970s,[1] starting with the AX-1 in October 1978. It sported the form factor of a desktop calculator and was fully programmable.[2][3] This was followed up with the AS-100 in 1982, which was a more-traditional albeit heavier personal computer that ran a Intel 8088 and ran MS-DOS.[4][3] Canon entered the home computer market in 1984 with the V-20 and V-10 in 1984 and 1985 respectively.[3] In 1987, the company released the Canon Cat—the brainchild of Jef Raskin who pioneered Apple's original Macintosh.[5] In 1989, the company took a large stake in NeXT, a computer hardware company founded by Steve Jobs in 1987 after he resigned as CEO of Apple in the mid-1980s.[6]

In April 1992, Canon spun off their computer manufacturing into Canon Computer Systems, a new subsidiary that also assumed the responsibility of marketing their parent company's printers and photocopiers. The subsidiary initially comprised 100 employees in October 1992, 50 based in Costa Mesa, California. Yasuhiro Tsubota, who founded Epson America in 1978, was named president. Several other higher-ups came from Epson America;[7] Tsubota left Epson for NeXT 1990, to serve as a consultant for Jobs.[8] The subsidiary's first offerings were a line of desktop computers and notebooks, branded as the Innova and Innova Book respectively. The company expected $125 million in revenue by October 1993.[7] They allocated $10 million of their initial budget on advertising, hiring the newly formed Hajjar/Kaufman (a spinoff of Dentsu) as their advertising agency.[9]

Most if not all of the notebooks in the Innova Book line were produced offshore by Taiwanese OEMs. Canon repeatedly turned to Chicony of Taipei, who lent their designs to Canon for their Innova Book 10 and Innova Book 200LS.[10][11] The former, released in 1994, was a subnotebook four pounds in weight,[12] while the latter, released in 1995, sported the largest screen of any laptop up to that point, at 11.3 inches diagonal.[13][14] Canon Computer collaborated with IBM's Japanese subsidiary to produce the Canon NoteJet, a notebook computer with a built-in inkjet printer, introduced to market in 1993.[15] In March 1994, Canon Computer took the reins of the NeXTstation after NeXT ceased manufacturing hardware in 1993.[16] They later released the Object.Station, an x86-based workstation based on the NeXTstation design.[17]

Although Canon Computer set a goal of $1 billion sales by 1997 in 1994, they were considered late newcomers to the market of personal computers.[18] Innovas and Innova Books continued to be sold until January 1997, when the company quietly left the desktop and notebook market, citing poor sales.[19] The subsidiary shifted its focus to silicon-on-insulator manufacturing, spending ¥3 billion (US$25.8 million in 1997) to open up a clean room facility at Canon's plant in Hiratsuka, Tokyo. As part of this refocusing, Canon sold its existing shares of NeXT to Apple, who were in the process of acquiring that company after Jobs re-entered Apple in 1997.[1] Canon Computer continued to sell printers, scanners and digital cameras until January 2001, when the subsidiary was restructured and renamed to Canon Digital Home and Personal Systems. Tsubota was replaced by Ryoichi Bamba.[20]

Computers

Desktops[edit]

Name Processor Clock speed
(MHz) 		Date
Innova 386SX/33 386SX 33 October 1992[21]
Innova 486 486SX 25 October 1992[21]
Innova 486SX/33 486SX 33 August 1993[22]
Innova 486e 486SX 25 August 1993[22]
Innova 486v 486DX2 33–66 August 1993[22]
Innova Vision L33/210 486SX 33 March 1994[23]
Innova Vision L50/340 486DX2 50 March 1994[23]
Innova Media MT4900 486DX4 100 March 1995[24]
Innova Media MT7010 Pentium 75 March 1995[24]
Innova Media MT9110 Pentium 100 March 1995[24]
Innova Media MT7000 Pentium 75 March 1995[24]
Innova Media MT9100 Pentium 90 March 1995[24]
Innova Media MT4610 486DX2 66 June 1995[25]
Innova Media MT9010 Pentium 90 June 1995[25]
Innova Media MT7030 Pentium 75 August 1995[26]
Innova Media MT7040 Pentium 75 August 1995[26]
Innova Media MT9120 Pentium 100 August 1995[26]
Innova Media MT9130 Pentium 100 August 1995[26]
Innova Media MT9300 Pentium 100 August 1995[26]
Innova Media MT9310 Pentium 100 August 1995[26]
Innova Media MT9320 Pentium 133 August 1995[26]
Innova Media MT9600 Pentium 166 June 1996[27]
Innova Pro 5100SD Pentium 100 May 1996[28]
Innova Pro 5400ST Pentium 166 May 1996[28]
Innova Media MT9210 Pentium 120 November 1996[29]
Innova Media MT9340 Pentium 133 November 1996[29]
Innova Media MT9350 Pentium 133 November 1996[29]
Innova Media MT9620 Pentium 166 November 1996[29]
Innova Media MT9630 Pentium 166 November 1996[29]
Innova Media MT9800 Pentium 200 November 1996[29]

Notebooks[edit]

Innova[edit]

Name Processor Clock speed
(MHz) 		Date
Innova 386NX Am386SX 33 October 1992[30]
Innova 486NX 486SX 25 October 1992[30]
Innova Book 150C 486DX2 50 August 1994[31]
Innova Book 150CT 486DX2 50 August 1994[31]
Innova Book 1110 P75 Pentium 75 November 1995[32]
Innova Book 1100 P75T Pentium 75 November 1995[32]
Innova Book 1100 P90 Pentium 90 November 1995[32]
Innova Book 1100 P90T Pentium 90 November 1995[32]
Innova Book 1100 P120T Pentium 120 November 1995[32]
Innova Book 175C Cx486 100 November 1995[33]
Innova Book 200LS 486DX4 100 February 1995[14]
Innova Book 300P Pentium 75 November 1995[33]
Innova Book 350CD Cx5x86 100 November 1995[33]
Innova Book 360CD Am5x86 133 April 1996[34]
Innova Book 475CDS Pentium 100 May 1996[35]
Innova Book 475CDT Pentium 100 May 1996[35]
Innova Book 620CDT Pentium 133 June 1996[35]
Innova Book 480CDS Pentium 100 November 1996[29]
Innova Book 480CDT Pentium 100 November 1996[29]
Innova Book 490CDS Pentium 133 November 1996[29]
Innova Book 490CDT Pentium 133 November 1996[29]

Subnotebooks[edit]

Name Processor Clock speed
(MHz) 		Date
Innova Book 10 486SL 33 May 1994[12]
Innova Book 10C 486SL 33 May 1994[12]

NoteJet[edit]

Main article: Canon NoteJet

Other[edit]

Name Processor Clock speed
(MHz) 		Stock
RAM 		LCD technology Date
PN-100 PowerPC 603e 100 16 Active-matrix color July 1995[36]
Power Notebook PowerPC 603e 100 32 Active-matrix color August 1995[37]

Workstations[edit]

Name Processor Clock speed
(MHz) 		Hard drive
interface 		Date
Object.Station 31 Pentium 100 IDE February 1995[38]
Object.Station 41 Pentium 100 SCSI February 1995[38]
Object.Station 50 Pentium 100 SCSI June 1995[39]
Object.Station 52 Pentium 120 SCSI June 1995[39]
Power Workstation PowerPC 604 (single or dual) 100, 120, or 133 SCSI June 1995[40]

References

  1. ^ a b Staff writer (January 7, 1997). "Canon Bows Out of PC Market And Instead Will Produce Wafers". Asian Wall Street Journal. Dow Jones & Company: 7 – via ProQuest.
  2. ^ Staff writer (April 15, 2011). "Canon AX-1". IPSJ Computer Museum. Archived from the original on July 3, 2014.
  3. ^ a b c Wiltshire, Alex; John Short (2020). Home Computers: 100 Icons that Defined a Digital Generation. MIT Press. ISBN 9780262044011 – via Google Books. Excerpt in Leonard, Marie-Anne (2020). "The Canon V-20, home computing icon". Canon Inc. Archived from the original on November 27, 2021.
  4. ^ Staff writer (n.d.). "Canon AS-100". Old-Computers.com. Archived from the original on August 2, 2021.
  5. ^ Rubin, Ross (July 27, 2019). "Meet the Canon Cat, the forgotten 1987 alternate-reality Mac". Fast Company. Archived from the original on July 27, 2019.
  6. ^ Staff writer (March 2, 1994). "Canon Computer to Ship NextStation". Los Angeles Times. Bloomberg Business News. Archived from the original on November 27, 2021.
  7. ^ a b Vranizan, Michelle (October 24, 1992). "Canon Computer Joins PC Wars". The Orange County Register: C1 – via ProQuest.
  8. ^ Levin, Dan (January 1994). "Canon nabs Epson execs". NextWorld Extra. Archived from the original on March 11, 2010 – via Simson.net.
  9. ^ Elliott, Stuart (November 16, 1992). "Dentsu Americ Forms a Spinoff". The New York Times: D7 – via ProQuest.
  10. ^ Zimmerman, Michael R. (June 27, 1994). "Chicony sows crop of portables". PC Week. Ziff-Davis. 11 (25): 61 – via Gale OneFile.
  11. ^ DiCarlo, Lisa (March 27, 1995). "IPC releases slim notebook, big-screen unit". PC Week. Ziff-Davis. 12 (12): 45 – via Gale OneFile.
  12. ^ a b c Lee, Yvonne L. (May 9, 1994). "Canon ships color notebooks, ink-jet printers". InfoWorld. IDG Communications. 16 (19): 36 – via Google Books.
  13. ^ Somers, Ana (May 30, 1995). "Innova Book: If Screen Size Matters More than Performance". PC Magazine. Ziff-Davis. 14 (10): 40 – via Google Books.
  14. ^ a b Lee, Yvonne L. (February 13, 1995). "Innova Book 200LS line sports largest screen". InfoWorld. IDG Communications. 17 (7): 40 – via Google Books.
  15. ^ Lewis, Peter H. (April 18, 1993). "The Executive Computer; Canon's New Laptop Packs a Nice Printer Inside". The New York Times. Archived from the original on December 14, 2009. Retrieved November 27, 2021.
  16. ^ Staff writer (March 10, 1994). "Canon Computer Systems Forms Advanced Technology Unit in the US for NeXTstation, PowerHouse Boxes". Computer Business Review. New Statesman Media Group. Archived from the original on November 27, 2021.
  17. ^ Staff writer (n.d.). "Canon Object.Station". Old-Computers.com. Archived from the original on August 3, 2021.
  18. ^ Takahashi, Dean (March 29, 1994). "Canon Computer a Latecomer to PC Movement". Los Angeles Times. Archived from the original on November 27, 2021.
  19. ^ Kirchner, Jake (July 1997). "The PC Magazine 100". PC Magazine. Ziff-Davis. 16 (13): 213–245 – via Google Books.
  20. ^ "Canon U.S.A. Makes Strategic Move to Serve Digital Marketplace". Business Wire. January 5, 2001 – via ProQuest.
  21. ^ a b Staff writer (October 1992). "New Canon desktops, notebooks, printers". Home Furnishings Daily. BridgeTower Media. 66 (43): 115 – via Gale OneFile.
  22. ^ a b c Zimmerman, Michael R. (September 27, 1993). "Canon makes a major push into PC arena". PC World. Ziff-Davis. 10 (38): 29 – via Gale OneFile.
  23. ^ a b Staff writer (March 1994). "Canon adds 2 feature-laden PCs". Home Furnishings Daily. BridgeTower Media. 68 (21): 80 – via Gale OneFile.
  24. ^ a b c d e Staff writer (March 13, 1995). "Canon introduces Internet-ready computers for instant infobahn cruising". EDGE. EDGE Publishing. 6 (251): 5 – via Gale OneFile.
  25. ^ a b Staff writer (June 21, 1995). "Multimedia system from Canon touted as plug-and-go". Computing Canada. CEDROM-SNi. 21 (13): 47 – via Gale OneFile.
  26. ^ a b c d e f g Hernandez, Alejandro; Sherri Snelling (August 30, 1995). "Canon Multimedia Systems Among First to Ship with Windows 95; Six New Next-Generation Innova Media Tower Models in Stores Now". PR Newswire – via Gale OneFile.
  27. ^ Spiwak, Marc (June 1996). "Loaded Canon is on target". Windows Magazine. UBM LLC. 7 (6): 104 – via Gale OneFile.
  28. ^ a b Staff writer (May 6, 1996). "Pipeline: Shipping". InfoWorld. IDG Communications. 18 (19): 29 – via Google Books.
  29. ^ a b c d e f g h i j Staff writer (November 25, 1996). "PC price cuts: Canon cuts prices on new multimedia computers and notebooks". EDGE. EDGE Publishing. 7: 4 – via Gale OneFile.
  30. ^ a b Staff writer (December 22, 1992). "Briefs: Portables, Palmtops, and Peripherals". PC Magazine. Ziff-Davis: 59.
  31. ^ a b Lee, Yvonne L. (August 15, 1994). "Canon notebooks offer built-in sound, accelerated graphics". InfoWorld. IDG Communications. 16 (33): 31 – via Google Books.
  32. ^ a b c d e Lee, Yvonne L. (November 6, 1995). "Canon portables add punch with Pentium". InfoWorld. IDG Communications. 17 (45): 43 – via Google Books.
  33. ^ a b c Harrington, Mark (November 13, 1995). "Key notebooks refreshed". Computer Retail Week. UBM LLC. 5 (119): 6 – via Gale OneFile.
  34. ^ DiCarlo, Lisa (April 1, 1996). "Dell makes Latitude change; Canon aims for multimedia". PC Week. Ziff-Davis. 13 (13): 43 – via Gale OneFile.
  35. ^ a b c DiCarlo, Lisa (April 1, 1996). "Dell makes Latitude change; Canon aims for multimedia". PC Week. Ziff-Davis. 13 (13): 43 – via Gale OneFile.
  36. ^ Staff writer (July 10, 1995). "Canon debuts PowerPC line". Computerworld. IDG Communications. 29 (28): 42 – via Google Books.
  37. ^ Clyman, John (August 1995). "Power Notebook: PowerPC Goes Mobile". PC Magazine. Ziff-Davis. 14 (14): 40 – via Google Books.
  38. ^ a b Kahn, Scott (February 27, 1995). "Canon object.station takes NextStep to Intel-based systems: Pentium-class action meets 486s". PC Week. Ziff-Davis. 12 (8): N3 – via Gale OneFile.
  39. ^ a b Staff writer (June 5, 1995). "Canon Preps Pentiums". CommunicationsWeek. CMP Publications: 26 – via ProQuest.
  40. ^ Quinlan, Tom (June 19, 1995). "Canon unveils PowerPC desktop, notebook systems". InfoWorld. IDG Communications. 17 (25): 40 – via Google Books.

External links

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