h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

Entry: Amstrad CPC Home Computers - A719408
Author: SchrEck Inc. - U120894

Some information on a popular home computer of the 1980's. It's not a lengthy piece, but I hope that the main points are covered. Any thoughts?

SchrEck Inc.

Ah, this takes me back...

I'd say this is basically good enough to go in as is. However, I'll make some comments anyway.

8 vs 16 bit computers - I wonder if it would be worth putting in a short footnote explaining the difference. Could be condensed down to "by 16-biti.e. faster computers". Picky I know..

Might want to define "AmDOS".

It's a bit unclear as to what the default storage hardware of each machine is (Hardware section, 2nd para). Maybe this could be written "The 464 had a built in tape recorder, and an external floppy drive was available. The 664 and the 6128 had internal floppy drives, and plugs for external tape recorders."

Personally, I thought the tape deck on the 464 was a fantastic feature - so much more reliable than external tape recorders. Nothing like waiting 10 minutes for something to load only for it to fail on the last block I got a 664 later, and the hassle trying to use tapes with that .

I've a feeling that there are several explanations for the design of the 3 inch disc. The one I remember at the moment is that the 3 1/2 inch disk was a little too big to fit in a standard Japanese air mail envelope. Not sure I believe that one though. Also, I'm pretty sure at the time the 3 1/2 inch design was pretty new as well, so the decision maybe wasn't as stupid at the time as it looks now with hindsight.

I think later on you could get external 3 1/2 inch disk drives to plug into the expansion port. Maybe 5 1/4 as well?

Software. Ah, AmDOS is defined here. See above.

I'm almost tempted to go digging in the attic now

Hi Jamie,

thank you for your review, I'm glad you liked the article. In fact, I was also tempted to get my 6128 out of the basement, after subbing the fabulous Elite entry at A711776.

To your points:

- I'll put in a footnote regarding the 8/16 bit issue.

- OK, it's no good style to use a word 'AmDOS' at the beginning and to define it only at the end of the entry. I'll reword it.

- Tape drive/floppy drive equipment will be added.

- As to the 3 inch floppies, I think the Japanese air mail envelope theory doesn't seem to apply here - the Amstrad is a British comp after all, and, the 3.5 inch floppy is from a Japanese company (Sony) just as well as the 3 inch one (Hitachi). The other point is worth mentioning, though: at that time, both formats were new and theoretically the 3" could have gotten the world's standard format (were it not for the Apple MacIntosh and the MSX comps already using 3.5").

- I remember that 5.25" and perhaps 3.5" drives for the expansion port were announced, but I've never seen one in reality or in a magazine - paperware? The point could be added, though.

SchrEck Inc.

The entry is now updated.

I never had one of these but now I know what I was missing

Nice entry

One point I'd like to make, when Amstrad bought Sinclair Research in the mid 1980s, the ZX Spectum +3 they released in 1987 also came with Alan Sugar's trademark "odd" 3inch drive. It was a lovely machine but unfortunately suffered from a lack of software on disk due to the weird format, so you ended up doing the old "hook up a tape player" routine you used to have to do with the old 48k speccys

Hi Bossel, Croz, thank you for your comments. Glad you liked the entry.

Croz, thanks for the speccy information. I'll enhance the third footnote a bit to add the 3" Spectrum.

SchrEck Inc.

I've got more good news. Your entry has been recommended for the Edited Guide

Congrats you can follow your entry's progress though the system on the ComingUp page, and will be emailed once it makes it onto the front page. Congrats again

Ah, this is definitely good news.

Cheers!

A few points...

The 3" floppy format was used by Hewlett Packard for professional data logging equipment, and I believe that they still manufacture machines which support it...

The Amstrad 464/664/6128 series were available *without* the Amstrad monitor, if you could find a dealer who had a source of the combined PSU/modulator box which allowed you to attach it to your TV set. The Amstrad Colour monitor was plug-compatible with the BBC micro, and BBC Microvitec Cub monitors could be used with Amstrads if you changed three links inside (to set each colour channel from TTL to Analogue)... I don't expect you to include the -talk, but you really ought to mention the modulator option.

A (possibly apocrophal) tale that went round the Amstrad dealerships... About the end of 1991, supplies of the 3" disks just ceased without warning. Back-orders built up for weeks, then months, then over a year. About a year-and-a-half later, they suddenly became freely available again, and everyone stocked up on them. People started commenting on the strange "iodine" smells in the stockrooms...

Apparently, the World's supply of 3" disks had been on one container ship, which sank just off Hong Kong. It was cheaper to salvage the waterlogged containers, soak the disks in distilled water and relabel them than it was to retool a factory to produce another batch. You could still smell the sea water when you piled lots of them in an enclosed space...

Hi Peet,

thanks for your comments.

Now that you said it, I remember that the CPC's were *theoretically* available without a monitor but with a 'modulator box' which provided power supply and TV connectivity. Didn't see it it reality, though, and I couldn't say if it was reasonably cheaper than with a monitor. The entry is currently in subedit, so I can't add the info myself, but the subbie can for sure (hint hint Ioreth ).

Nice info about the 3" disks - never heard that one before.

SchrEck Inc.

I was the only engineer in Aberdeen's only Amstrad dealership for about eight months...