Retro Demo/Talk for local Men's Shed and humorous or odd Amstrad CPC facts

[Rabs]

I am planning on giving a talk and demo about 80s 8-bits to my local Men's Shed organisation.

I am looking for some humorous or odd Amstrad CPC facts.

Like the ZX81 was offered to the BBC for the schools computer programme or the Dragon 32 was part of a government backed scheme to computerise the farming industry.

I have the story of the CPC 472 but does anybody have anything else I could use?

[ZorrO]

I don't know if it's funny enough, but the 6128 model was created because American distributor was not happy with 664 model.
Early CPM machines had only semi-graphics and a separate 2K RAM buffer for FDD in controller, so in 64K was left for user 61K. But in CPC after 16K screen etc. there was only 39K left. So they added memory and used the newer CPM+ and there was 81K left (although welcome message shows 61K).
The shape and size of the casing, as well as the layout of keys, especially awkward placement of arrows and CTRL, were also questionable, so they changed them. And thats way a better model was created.

The first PCW prototype had a vertically oriented screen. So that it can accommodate the entire print page at once. But the difficulty of creating narrow pixels at such an angle meant that it was abandoned. Instead, it was given lines and columns of text.

Also PLUS was supposed to be something different. It was supposed to be the ultimate 8bit knockout, good enough to compete with 16bits. It was supposed to be backwards compatible with PCW with its LocoScript and easy memory bank switching, PLUS extra colors modes. And at same time backwards compatible with CPC, with added DMA audio, PLUS sprites, thousands of colors and a 2 or maybe 4 times faster processor. But it was more important to prepare second generation of PC first. Plus it wasn't finished yet, they needed maybe half or maybe a whole year of work, meanwhile CPC sales were falling and it was decided that it was necessary to refresh this series with what we already have now, not at next year. And as we know faster processor and PCW compatibility didn't work yet, but what was already available was released. And that's it, end of story.

I would also mention daughter company Amsoft, so that new computers do not suffer from a lack of software.

[Gryzor]

I don't know if it's funny enough, but the 6128 model was created because American distributor was not happy with 664 model.

I somehow doubt that... Source?

Amstrad was already preparing to launch the 6128 even as the 664 was getting out the door. 

[eto]

I don't know if it's funny enough, but the 6128 model was created because American distributor was not happy with 664 model.

I somehow doubt that... Source?

I think it's in AMS' autobiography in the CPC chapter.

[Gryzor]

I don't know if it's funny enough, but the 6128 model was created because American distributor was not happy with 664 model.

I somehow doubt that... Source?

I think it's in AMS' autobiography in the CPC chapter.

I wouldn't put much stock in it. I think it was in the June issue of AA after the 664 was released that AMS actually said the 6128 was coming the next January. 

[Rabs]

Is it true that the invite launch for the 464 at the Westminster school in London, promised you would also meet Einstein, Archimedes, William Shakespeare, Monet and Ravel?

[Rabs]

I would also mention daughter company Amsoft, so that new computers do not suffer from a lack of software.

Good idea.

[Rabs]

Did Locomotive create the BASIC for the BBC Micro?

[eto]

I wouldn't put much stock in it. I think it was in the June issue of AA after the 664 was released that AMS actually said the 6128 was coming the next January.

I just checked the autobiography and actually he explains that they launched the 6128 and THEN Indescomp came up with the idea to sell it in the US.

[andycadley]

Did Locomotive create the BASIC for the BBC Micro?

No, it was an in house creation at Acorn.

[andycadley]

Also PLUS was supposed to be something different. It was supposed to be the ultimate 8bit knockout, good enough to compete with 16bits. It was supposed to be backwards compatible with PCW with its LocoScript and easy memory bank switching, PLUS extra colors modes. And at same time backwards compatible with CPC, with added DMA audio, PLUS sprites, thousands of colors and a 2 or maybe 4 times faster processor. But it was more important to prepare second generation of PC first. Plus it wasn't finished yet, they needed maybe half or maybe a whole year of work, meanwhile CPC sales were falling and it was decided that it was necessary to refresh this series with what we already have now, not at next year. And as we know faster processor and PCW compatibility didn't work yet, but what was already available was released. And that's it, end of story.

I'm not sure about that, it sounds like a conflation of rumours about the Plus and PCW16. For one thing I doubt it's feasible to make a machine that's compatible with both the PCW and CPC at the hardware level. And conversations I had with Cliff Lawson suggested the Plus project was a fairly short timescale project driven primarily by the desire for an Amstrad games console - I suppose that could be a later project but if they'd done any design work involving a hybrid PCW/CPC you'd think they'd use that as the base.

[Rabs]

Did Locomotive create the BASIC for the BBC Micro?

No, it was an in house creation at Acorn.

Ah yes looks like it was linked to the Z80 for the BBC Micro according to Wikipedia, development was based on existing work recently undertaken writing Mallard BASIC for Acorn Computers Z80 addon for the BBC Micro.

[ZorrO]

And who made BBC Basic for Amstrad NC series?

Who has read both of Alan's books?
"The Amstrad Story" in 1991 - and - "What You See Is What You Get: My Autobiography" in 2010.
Because I read only first one a long time ago, I didn't know much English yet and I don't remember much.

[eto]

I wouldn't put much stock in it. I think it was in the June issue of AA after the 664 was released that AMS actually said the 6128 was coming the next January. 

Just (accidentally) found this interview with Roland Perry who tells the story that they have built the 6128 for the American market: 
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b1djQwz0zV8&t=836s

[eto]

I'm not sure about that, it sounds like a conflation of rumours about the Plus and PCW16. For one thing I doubt it's feasible to make a machine that's compatible with both the PCW and CPC at the hardware level.

Roland Perry talking about the Arnold 2 project, which was supposed to be an enhanced hybrid of PCW and CPC: 
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b1djQwz0zV8&t=1809s

[cwpab]

I wish Amstrad's history had more movie material like the 472 trick or, to name another of my favorite (semi) retro game system manufacturers, Sony's "just let me tale care of yet another thing" approach with the independent SNES-compatible Playstation with total control over games they almost snached a deal from Nintendo: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Super_NES_CD-ROM

Nintendo at one point realized they were the cartridge add-on of the Playstation, checked Sony's history trying to enter the movie market and panicked out.

[ZorrO]

Thank you ETO for finding this film, because I don't remember where I read this story I mentioned earlier, but I didn't make up anything like someone accused me of here.

[andycadley]

Thank you ETO for finding this film, because I don't remember where I read this story I mentioned earlier, but I didn't make up anything like someone accused me of here.

I didn't mean for it to sound like you made it up, just that memories get confused over time. We read articles where journalists have mixed up rumours they're hearing etc.

It sounds, from the video, that Arnold 2 was just a CPC464 and PCW in the same box. No real suggestion it had Plus features or a faster CPU etc. Though I haven't read the Retro Gamer feature so maybe it came from there (which may also be wrong for all I know!)

What I far more fascinating is the designation. The Plus documentation refers to it as Arnold V and that always seemed reasonable based on the assumption 1-4 are 464, 664, 6128 and the cost-down 6128. If there was an Arnold 2 project that was something else entirely though, were Arnold 3 and 4 actually something else?

[eto]

just that memories get confused over time.

and we have the perfect example:

AMS says in his autobiography the 6128 was made for Europe and then exported to the US. Roland Perry says, the 6128 was made for the US and then also introduced in Europe.

At least one of them has false memories.

[andycadley]

just that memories get confused over time.

and we have the perfect example:

AMS says in his autobiography the 6128 was made for Europe and then exported to the US. Roland Perry says, the 6128 was made for the US and then also introduced in Europe.

At least one of them has false memories.

Yeah. My suspicion is that it's Roland. The 472 was made to get around the Spanish tax rules for computers with 64K or less. It would seem  plausible that a more long term solution was to actually put usable RAM in it, before everyone else started doing the same thing and the law was tightened up and especially with Sinclair producing the Spectrum 128K+ for that market initially (well Investronica actually made it but you get the idea).

[Rabs]

Thanks all, this is my approach for the demo talk.

"80s 8 bit home computers a bit of R & R, Research & Repair"

"Revisit the revolution that was 80s 8 bit home computers, some humorous and interesting facts with hints and tips on repair. First up the Sinclair ZX81, ZX Specturm and one of the also-rans  at the time the Oric-1. To follow next time, Amstrad CPC, BBC Model B, Commodore 64 and Dragon 32"

Sorry about starting with ZX80 and Spectrum but they did come first.

[Rabs]

Looking for suggestions on tips for repair. These are mine.

Research. Find out as much as you can about the computer to be repaired. Get info on the common faults, get the circuit diagrams, watch as many YouTube videos as you can.

Inspect the computer. Look for damaged or changed components or damage/corrosion/cut tracks on the PCB.

Get help, there are lots of people willing to help but give as much info as possible, including pictures, it's really hard to remotely to work out what the problem is.

Get the tools necessary to repair. The right tools make life a lot easier. It may seem like a large expense but you can use them again and again.

Incorrect power, kills most computers. Don't be tempted to plug a computer in and try. Check the power supply first. If you can, get a bench power supply that limits current. Check power to all ICs first. If they don't get power they won't work.

Check known cyclic signals first, clock etc.


Any more top tips?