Sega AI Game Computer

I got a chance to play with this mysterious machine tonight. First, the name is "Sega AI Computer". It was made in late 1986. The manual is in Japanese, but Geek is universal: 128KB OS, SEGA PROLOG; 256K ROM; 128KB ROM carts (JIS standard, similar to PCMCIA 1.0); 128K RAM; 64K <some other kind, maybe video> RAM; V20 (8088) CPU; RF, composite, and RGB outputs; optional floppy drive; built-in cassette drive; full qwerty/kanji detachable keyboard; touch pad; cursor pad with left/right buttons. (I'll have web-pics of it eventually.) It has several prototype game carts with it, and I could only get a few to work (most have exposed UV-erasable EPROMs). So, what do you get when you cross a Prolog-based AI machine with a game machine? Mind-numbingly dull games! Man, Eliza is exciting compared to this software. But I still can't get over the concept. I'd be floored if marketing ever let this thing see the day of light, but the hardware is definitely production quality. From the software and the general presentation in the manual, I'd guess they were aiming for the educational market. -- Doug