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The Amstrad CPC (Colour Personal Computer) series was a series of 8-bit home / personal computers that was were manufactured by the british British company [[Amstrad]] between 1984 (launch of the CPC464: 21st June 1984) and 1993 (?). The CPC, like most of its contemporary home micros, had an integrated computer-in-a-keyboard design. Also incorporated to in the keyboard was the [[Datacorder|tape recorder of disk ]] or [[Disk drives|disc drive]].

In general what Amstrad aimed for was to offer a completely integrated solution at a low price. Just as with Amstrad's stereo towers before, A.[[Alan M.Sugar ]] wanted to provide a solution with as few separate components as possible, with as few cables as possible and at as low a price as possible - so as to make the product attractive to the layman who could theoretically buy it off the back of a track (TM of Amstrad's early practices). As a resultA truck driver, he chose ready off-the-shelf components and used low-cost production methods in an effort to bring manufacturing costs down. He also included a monitor to connect the computer to - a move which, while raising the priceunfamiliar with computers, was designed to free often cited as the home TV from little brats hogging it for a dose of Ikari Warriors while Eastenders was on. This concept appealed to users and proved to be a successCPC's target market.

The combination of low costAs a result, integrated design, good manufacturing quality and some impressive features like CP/M Amstrad chose ready off-the-shelf components and used low-cost production methods in an 80effort to bring manufacturing costs down. They also included a monitor to connect the computer to -column display mode (a move which , while raising the price, was lacking in designed to free the competition) home TV from little brats hogging it for a dose of Ikari Warriors while Eastenders was on. This concept appealed to users and proved to be a success both with home users and small businesses, and Amstrad went on to sell millions of CPCs.

The combination of low cost, integrated design, good manufacturing quality and some impressive features like CP/M and an 80-column display mode (lacking in much of the competition, particularly the Sinclair [[ZX Spectrum]] and [[Commodore 64]]) proved to be a success both with home users and small businesses, and Amstrad went on to sell millions of CPCs. Because of its use of the Z80, which was also used in the Sinclair models, some of the earliest games found on the CPC were fairly direct ports of the Spectrum versions which failed to take advantage of the CPC's extra capabilities. The amount of Spectrum ports has often been overstated by those who wish to knock the machine, and in fact formed a comparatively small number of largely unsuccessful games. Nonetheless, those that were published left users and reviewers with a bad taste in their mouth. At its core, the CPC combined a standard 4MHz [[Z80|Z80A]] with off-the-shelf components and a custom [[Gate Array]] chip. The [[firmware]] comprised two 16k ROMs (combined onto one 32k chip): one was effectively the operating system, the other the fast and flexible [[Locomotive BASIC]] interpreter. All machines except the original 464 would also include a further 16k ROM (on a separate chip), the AMSDOS disc operating system. In all, there were three basic 'classic' models, the CPC [[464]], [[664]] and [[6128]], ; plus two more short-lived later [[Plus|advanced]] models, the CPC464+ 464 Plus and the 6128+Plus. A final iteration was the [[Plus|GX4000]] games machine based on the CPC+ computers. ''See also: [[CPC Prototypes]].''

First came the CPC464, during the summer father of the CPC family, released on the 21st June 1984 (with production ceasing in 1990). This model used an integrated tape recorder and used offered 64KB or of RAM. It sold around 2 two million units in Europe and, technologicallytechnology-wise, was quite higher more impressive than the ZX Spectrum and on a similar level with the Commodore c64 (with the 64. One notable exception of was the sound chip; : while the c64 C64 employed the splendid custom SID chip, Amstrad opted for a generic sound chip - [[AY|AY-3-8912 ]] - with unremarkable features). At its core one would find a [[Z80]] clocked at 4MHz while That said, the display firmware of the CPC was managed by leagues ahead of the 6845 CRTC along with a gate-array chipC64.)

The CPC464sported At its core was a palette of 27 colours and three distinct resolutions: 160x200x16 colours (mode 0)[[Z80]] clocked at 4MHz - though screen display considerations, 320x200x4 colours (mode 1) and 640x200x2 colours (mode 2, 80the particular design of the [[Gate Array]] limited this to an effective 3.3MHz in practice - while the display was managed by the [[CRTC|6845 CRTC]] along with a gate-column mode)array chip.

Because of its use of the Z80, which was also used in the Sinclair models, many of the games found on the CPC were direct ports of the Spectrum version. As The CPC464 sported a result, they failed to take advantage palette of the CPC's extra capabilities27 colours and [[Video modes|three distinct resolutions]]: 160x200x16 colours (mode 0), leaving users 320x200x4 colours (mode 1) and reviewers with a bad taste in their mouth640x200x2 colours (mode 2, a fact that was going to last for the entire life of the machines80-column mode).

== The 472 ==[[image:CPC_472_es.jpg|right|thumb|200px|Spanish Amstrad CPC's operating system was called 472]]The [[AmsDOS472|CPC 472]] (Amstrad's Disk Operating System) and was included on a ROM chip Spanish version of 48KBthe CPC 464 with an additional, non-functional 8KB RAM. Also The reason was that Spain charged an import tax on home computers with 64K or less RAM, the fake "72K" CPC version bypassed that tax. The tax was invented in ROM there September 1985, and was dropped a few months later (when Spain joined the Locomotive BASIC interpreter EEC). Also in 1985, but independtly of that tax, Spain dictated that computers must have spanish keyboards, which made the CPC very fast resulted in BASIC operationstwo CPC 472 versions: Older models with english keys, compared to other contemporary machinesnewer ones with spanish keys. The CPC 472 is very rare.

A few months later In June 1985, Amstrad took the initial design and, building upon the same idea, removed the tape recorder and replaced it with a disc drive, using the interface and mechanism of same hardware sold as the external Floppy Disk Drive it was selling up to then[[DDI-1]] add-on for 464 owners. The result: the CPC664. Sporting a less colourful and easier-to-type-on keyboard, the CPC664 appealed as a more serious machine and set off to become proved a success, especially due to its quite fast 3", 180KB/side drive.

== The 6128 ==[[Image:Cpc6128.jpg|right|thumb|200px|While the Amstrad CPC [[6128]] with colour monitor]]Plus computers were arguably one of the best 8-bit computers ever built for the mass market, they died an early death as the 16-bit era had well and truly begun.

Success never came, however, since a few months after its launch == The GX4000 ==[[Image:Gx4000.jpg|right|thumb|200px|The Amstrad GX4000 ]]By 1990 Amstrad presented had realised that the CPC6128 which home market was a 664 with redesigned keyboard (yet again) heading towards the 16-bit machines, on one hand, and double towards the amount new generation of memory - a great 128KB. This effectively killed off game consoles like the Sega Master System or the 664Nintendo Entertainment System, to its users' frustration, since it offered more at on the same priceother. The 6128 came bundled with CP/M 2.2Therefore, DR Logo just as they created the 464 Plus and CP/M+ (with 6128 Plus to compete against the GSX extension) ST and it was quite an appealing solution at the Amiga, they also created a low price. Though stripped-down variant called the 128KB of memory could not be accessed all at once (due to [[Z80Plus|GX4000]]'s limitation), the upper 64KB could still be used as a RAM disk and brought into view through memory banking. Even without this amount, however, Amstrad's efficient designed allowed for a TPA (Transient Program Area) of 42KB, more than enough to run all CP/M software.

== The Plus series ==* [[Image:cpc6128plus.jpg|left|thumb|200px|Amstrad [[Plus|CPC6128+]] with colour monitorAleste 520EX]]

The last models in the CPC range were the CPC464+ and CPC6128+, launched together in 1990. Described as a solution of 'too little, too late', this was Amstrad's effort to prolong the life of its 8-bit computer series in the face of fierce competition from new 16-bit machines (notably, the Atari ST and the Commodore Amiga). The CPC+ were mostly (but not quite 100%) compatible with the original CPC computers, and incorporated a list of new features, This clone also had some MSX like a cartridge port for instant program loading, a better sound chip, DMA, hardware scrolling, 64 (?) hardware sprites of 32 colours each, and a palette of 4096 colours all in a new, sleek case which reminded the higher-end machinesmade it possible to run some modified MSX titles. While This clone also ran faster than the original CPC+ computers were arguably one of the best 8-bit computers ever built for the mass market, they died a natural death as the 16-bit era had trully and well set in.

== The GX4000 ==* [[Image:Gx4000.jpg|right|thumb|200px|The Amstrad [[GX4000]] XiAleste]]By 1990 Amstrad had realised that This expanded clone is the home market was heading towards successor of the 16-bit machinesAleste. Currently under development. == Outro == All in all, one one hand, and towards the new generation CPC series met with great success. Although they would never achieve the universal status of game consoles like the Sega Master System Commodore 64 or the Nintendo Entertainment Systemhumble Spectrum series, on the other. Therefore, just as they created the CPC+ by upgrading the old machines, CPCs managed to compete against the ST sell very well and the Amiga, they also created a stripped-down variant called the GX4000attain leader status in several countries. The GX4000 was, CPCs were very popular in essencethe UK, a CPC+ motherboard in a new caseSpain, with no keyboard France, Greece, Germany and with most entension ports gone - save for the cartridge port and two joypadsAustralia, to name a few countries.

As was quite easy to predict, the GX4000 was Besides a flop, and something lot of a 'way too little[[emulators]], quite a bit late' solution that could not penetrate the stronghold that Sega several old and Nintendo had in the market at the time. As a result, the GX4000 was soon to be found selling at ridiculously low prices as dealers were trying to offload their stock. It was a shame, because if Amstrad had realised the market potential and had marketed this console a few years earlier, it'd modern hardware [[clones]] have made for a nice little machine. As it was, it had been produced up to suffer the same fate as the Commodore 64GSnow.

== Outtro ==All in all, the *[[CPC series met with great success. Although they would never achieve the status of the c64 or even the humble Spectrum series, the CPCs managed to sell very well and attain leader status in several countries. The CPCs were very popular in the UK, Spain, France, Greece, Germany and Australia, to name a few countries.timeline]]