Found this article as well where Bill tells the tale of the M100: https://americanhistory.si.edu/comphist/gates.htm#tc35
So Kazuhiko "Kay" Nishi, a personal computer pioneer in Japan (also cofounder of ASCII Cooperation) conceived the idea of this device, got Bill interested and partnered with ceramics and electronics manufacturer Kyocera to design and manufacture what would become Kyotronic 85. Kay was also president (or vice-president) of Microsoft Far East (Tokyo). Apparently Gates and Nishi had a fall out (1985/1986) after Nishi spent a few dollars too much (1 million) building a mechanical dino to be used for advertisement in Tokyo. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kazuhiko_Nishi https://microsoft.fandom.com/wiki/Kazuhiko_Nishi Kay was also the president of Microsoft Far East (32 minutes in), talks mostly about the idea behind MSX: https://archive.org/details/the-famous-computer-cafe-1984-11-17_Bill_Gates_and_Kazuhiko_Nishi?webamp=default *Kyoto Ceramic *acquired electronic equipment manufacturing and radio communication technologies in 1979 through an investment in Cybernet Electronics Corporation. In 1982, the company reorganized by merging Kyoto Ceramics with five of its subsidiaries to create *Kyocera Corporation*. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kyocera On Sun, Oct 11, 2026 at 5:39 PM Randall Kindig (Randy) < [email protected]> wrote: > Those are all great questions! Inquiring minds want to know! Would love > to be able to find out more about the history of these incredible machines. > > If there were someone we could interview….. > > Randy > > On Oct 11, 2026, at 11:33 AM, [email protected] wrote: > > In 2021 I emailed Kyocera to ask if they had any archival information > about the M100, etc. The following is the reply I got: > > “Mr.Jeffrey Birt > > Hello. > I have received your message in Japan. Thank you for your message. I am > very surprised to know that you are still using Tandy. Thank you very much. > As you know, Kyocera doesn't have a Tandy department. I looked for an old > employee who knew about Tandy, but I couldn't find him. > I'm asking them, but some people don't answer. > I will report to you when I find out new things. > I am sorry that I cannot help you and that the reply was late. > Best regards, > > ------------------------------------------------- > Nobuya Yamada > Administration Section > Corporate Communications Division > KYOCERA Corporation > -------------------------------------------------" > > *From:* M100 <[email protected]> *On Behalf Of *B9 > *Sent:* Saturday, October 10, 2026 3:04 PM > *To:* M100 <[email protected]> > *Subject:* [M100] Who was Cybernet Electronic Corporation? > > Most of us know the story that the Model T sisters were all licensed from > a single brilliant design from Kyocera. But I can't find much evidence of > Kyocera being in the computer business before or after. > > I had heard a rumour that Kyocera actually acquired the technology from > some other company, but a name was not given so I didn't give it much > credence. > > > This year, the Kyocera/Inamori Museum posted a photo (attached) of a NEC > PC-8201 with this label: > > NEC PC 8201 > ハンド・ヘルドコンピュータ > サイバネット工業上の合併によるシナ|ジーを活かして消典され > たハンドヘルドコンピュータ.プログラム到発には芸速日の > ピル・ゲイツ氏もかかわった。 > > > It says, > > The PC-8201computer, developed by Kyocera and sold by NEC, was developed > after Kyocera acquired the Cybernet Electronics Corporation. > Microsoft founder Bill Gates was involved in programming the computer. > > > So now I'm wondering, Who the heck was Cybernet? Does anybody know the > history? And how did they get Bill Gates on board? > > --b9 > > > -- mvh, Rune Devik
