Good article:
https://www.independent.co.uk/extras/indybest/gadgets-tech/computers-pcw-defies-silicon-snobs-roland-perry-designer-of-amstrads-million-selling-word-processor-1506799.html
Indeed!
But contrary to Mr. Perry's belief, they also created a great computer!
I'm pretty sure that he knew that Amstrad had created an excellent computer, probably just playing up the word processor angle for the article.
QuoteOthers may want one day to replace their PCW, even though they seem indestructible.
There's a few guys who might want to challenge that assertion round these parts (myself included)! :D
Here's another question: If it's so good and so many people love it, why don't we see more PCW forum action?
Quote from: JonB on 17:13, 20 September 18
There's a few guys who might want to challenge that assertion round these parts (myself included)! :D
Here's another question: If it's so good and so many people love it, why don't we see more PCW forum action?
I reckon it's because the CPC was bought for kids to play games, or atleast those kids came to take over the CPC like I did, and those kids grew up to love computers. The PCW was bought by the vicar to write his sermon and doesn't particularly care about computers and rarely became a true computer enthusiast, although I'm sure a few did, so the PCW ended up being a tool in the main.
I suppose you have to be a proper "old timer" to be interested in CP/M as I am.
I'm not an old timer myself, though. I grew up in the '80s listening to Duran Duran and Frankie goes to Hollywood like all these kids you mentioned. My first computer was a ZX81, but at college I had access to PETs and a CP/M computer. I loved the PET (have a couple here for old times sake) and wrote some of my first programs on it. However, I thought the CP/M was awful, having what to me were very arcane commands ("PIP A:=B:format.com" seemed counter intuitive to me, why not "copy [source] [destination]"?).
Now, of course, I am very fond of CP/M. There is something very elegant about the way it's been designed, and it's not hard to fully understand how it works or how to modify it.
In the mid to late eighties I used MS-Dos machines in the office - Anyone remember that Apricot PC with the tiny green screen?
No Windows or even GEM back then, so when I bought my first 6128 in 88 and ran across CPM for the first time I thought "this looks familiar", this probably made it easier for me to use than someone encountering it for the first time.
Having said that, I ditched most of my CPM programs as soon as the better Amsdos equivalents became available.
But!
CPM on Rom was/is wonderful, if only a little too late for me - I didn't get a copy to about 1990.
Amstrad should have used the CPM Rom option with the PCW, probably didn't due to the extra cost involved.
Are you referring to the |CPM command of the 6128?
I think that is just the initial bootstrap. CP/M itself is loaded from the floppy from the EMS file (correct me if I'm wrong...)
Hi JonB,
Sorry should have been clearer - CPM on Eprom from Graduate Software:
http://www.cpcwiki.eu/index.php/Graduate_Software (http://www.cpcwiki.eu/index.php/Graduate_Software)
Cheers,
Peter
Oh, right.. nice..