[[Category:CPC History| ]]
[[Category:Hardware| ]][[Category:CPC Internal Components| ]][[Category:Amstrad Products| ]][[Category:CP/M]]
The Real meaning of this Wiki.
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. Besides AMSDOS, CPCs equipped with floppy drives also shipped with [[CP/M]], allowing access to its vast library of available software.
In all, there were three 'classic' models, the CPC [[464]], [[664]] and [[6128]]; plus two short-lived later [[Plus|advanced]] models, the 464 Plus and the 6128 Plus. A final iteration was the [[Plus|GX4000]] games machine based on the CPC+ computers.
It was just in time to shake things up with its unique all-in-one concept for the home market.
While earlier computers like the Commodore PET, Tandy TRS-80 Model III, Commodore PET, Commodore Educator 64, Apple Lisa and Apple Macintosh had pioneered the all-in-one design, they were primarily aimed at businesses and education.
By the end of 1985, all the big names were already established in both 8-bit and the newer 16-bit systems, leaving no room for newcomers.
464.png|Amstrad CPC [[464]] with colour monitor
CPC464 pre-production sample.jpg|Pre-production sample made by Orion Japan for Amstrad UK
Schneider-cpc-464-rechner-mit-bildschirmddi1.jpg|Schneider CPC [[464]] with monochrome monitorand [[Amstrad External Disk Drive|DDI-1]] extension
Amstrad CPC464 grey keys.jpg|Amstrad CPC464 with grey keys
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<gallery>
File:CPC464 english ad.jpg|English ad
File:CPC464 australian ad.jpg| Australian ad
File:CPC464 french ad.jpg|French ad
File:CPC464 spanish ad.jpg|Spanish ad
File:CPC464 danish ad.jpg|Danish ad
File:CPC464 greek ad.jpg|Greek ad
</gallery>
It sold around two million units in Europe and, technology-wise, was more impressive than the [[ZX Spectrum]] and on a similar level with the [[Commodore 64]]. The firmware of the CPC was also leagues ahead of the C64.
One notable exception was the sound chip: while the C64 employed the splendid custom [[SID]] chip, Amstrad opted for a generic sound chip - [[AY|AY-3-8912]] - with unremarkable features. It is no surprise though as there was not much choice in off-the-shelf sound chips in early 1984. The reason is that Yamaha had patented its hardware implementation of frequency modulation synthesis (FM) in the 1970s, allowing it to nearly monopolize the market for this technology until the mid-1990s [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Frequency_modulation_synthesis Source]. A good choice could have been to use the SAA1099 soundchip. It would have been [https://youtu.be/HeMdJmR0H48 About As SID As it's Going To Get]. But unfortunately, the chip was introduced on the market in late 1984, too late for being used in the CPC.
At its core was a [[Z80]] clocked at 4MHz - though screen display considerations, and the 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-array chip.
[[image:CPC_472_es.jpg|right|thumb|300px|Spanish Amstrad CPC 472]]
The [[472|CPC 472]] was a Spanish version of the CPC 464 with an additional, non-functional 8KB RAM. 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 September 1985, and was dropped a few months later (when Spain joined the EEC). Also in 1985, but independtly of that tax, Spain dictated that computers must have spanish keyboards, which resulted in two CPC 472 versions: Older models with english keys, newer ones with spanish keys. Another oddity is that the older CPC472 had BASIC 1.1 while the newer CPC472 had BASIC 1.0. The CPC 472 is very rare.
"''We had basically stuck two fingers in the air to the Spanish government, who were trying to screw our business, and there wasn’t much they could do about it''" — Alan Sugar
Read the full story behind the CPC 472 directly from the horse's mouth: https://amstrad.com/product/cpc472/
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=== The 664 ===
[[Image:<gallery>Amstrad-cpc-664.png|left|thumb|300px|Amstrad CPC [[664]]]]Schneider cpc 664.jpg|Schneider CPC 664</gallery>
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 same hardware sold as the [[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 proved a success, especially due to its quite fast 3", 180KB/side drive.
=== The 6128 ===
[[Image:<gallery>Amstrad CPC6128.jpg|right|thumb|300pxAmstrad CPC 6128File:Amstrad CPC 6128 white.jpg|Amstrad CPC [[6128]]]]with white sticker</gallery>
Shortly afterwards, Amstrad launched the CPC6128 for the American market only, through its distributor [[Indescomp]]. The new machine sported 128k of memory and a still more sober appearance, but was otherwise nearly identical to the 664. The height of the case was greatly reduced, and the cursor keys were arranged more comfortably, both making the keyboard more ergonomically than the 464/664. Internally, the keyboard consists of two foils, although such membrane foils are relative fragile, they were more robust and reliable than the single foil used in the 664.
A few of the PCW's design features which don't appear to make any sense on their own stem from this shared ancestry. But the project was dropped at a fairly early stage, and the CPC Classic lived on before eventually succumbing to the Plus. Only one prototype board is believed to survive, in the possession of ex-Locomotive Software engineer [[Richard Clayton]].
"''We did an Amstrad machine basically a [[PCW]] with hi-res colour and sound synth, called ANT (Arnold Number Two) but it never went anywhere as production. It was really nice, but by then [[Amiga]] did everything we wanted to do, 8-bit was meh, and [[Amstrad PC|PCs]] were more important.''" — Vik Olliver [https://x.com/VikOlliver/status/1191156134876311554 Source]
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cpc6128plus.jpg|Amstrad [[Plus|6128 Plus]] with colour monitor
Amstrad 464 Plus.jpg|Amstrad [[Plus|464 Plus]]
File:Amstrad-plus-ad.jpg|English advertisement
File:Amstrad-plus-french-ad.jpg|French advertisement
File:Amstrad-plus-spanish-ad.jpg|Spanish advertisement
</gallery>
The last models in the Amstrad CPC range were the [[Plus|Amstrad 464 Plus]] and [[Plus|Amstrad 6128 Plus]], launched together in 1990. The CPC name is said to have been dropped because of a legal dispute with a French firm, though it is also likely that "CPC 6128 Plus" was considered too unwieldy a name and one redolent of the machine's mid-80s heritage. However, the "CPC Plus" branding was used by Amstrad España in their advertising material.
The Plus series were quite (but not 100%) compatible with the original CPC computers. The compatibility issues came mostly from:
* The emulated [[8255|PPI]] chip, making the keyboard unresponsive* The emulated [[CRTC]], breaking CPC demos* Unlike the original model, the 464 Plus lacks a tape counter for tracking cassette positions. It also omits the distinctive loading sounds that were once audible through the speaker during tape operations on the original CPC 464* Unlike the original model, the 464 Plus features the BASIC 1.1 ROM* The new Amstrad ROMsAMSDOS ROM, breaking ROM access to the floppy drive ( ROM issues can be easily fixed by using a [[Plus System Cartridge|Downgrade System cartridge]]* The emulated PPI chip, making the keyboard unresponsive* The emulated CRTC, breaking CPC demos.
The Plus series incorporated a list of [[ASIC|new features]], like a cartridge port for instant program loading, DMA for the [[AY]] soundchip, enhanced hardware scrolling, programmable interrupts, 16 hardware zoomable sprites (not vectorized) with an independent palette of 15 colours, and a choice of 4096 colours all in a new, sleek case which mimicked the keyboard-computer design that was ''en vogue'' in the 16-bit market (ST, Amiga etc).
== The GX4000 ==
[[Image:Gx4000Amstrad-GX4000-Console.jpg|right|thumb|200px300px|The Amstrad GX4000 ]]By 1990 Amstrad had realised that the home market was heading towards the 16-bit machines, on one hand, and towards the new generation of game consoles like the Sega Master System or the Nintendo Entertainment System, on the other. Therefore, just as they created the 464 Plus and 6128 Plus to compete against the ST and the Amiga, they also created a stripped-down variant called the [[Plus|GX4000]].
The GX4000 was, in essence, an Amstrad 464+ motherboard in a new case, with no keyboard, cassette deck nor disc drive, and with most extension ports gone - save for the cartridge port and two joypads.
The GX4000 was officially announced along with the 464 plus and 6128 plus computers at the CNIT Centre in Paris in August 1990. The system was launched a month later in four countries: Britain, France, Spain, and Italy. It was priced at £99.99 in Britain and 990F in France; software was priced at £25 for most games. [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Amstrad_GX4000 Source] As expected, the GX4000 was a flop that could not break the stranglehold that Sega and Nintendo had on the market at the time. The Nintendo NES was a best seller and Sega released the Mega Drive in November 1990 in Europe. As a result, the GX4000 was soon to be found selling at ridiculously low prices - as little as £19.99 in the UK - as dealers tried to offload their stock. It was a shame, because if Amstrad had realised the market potential and produced this console a few years earlier, it could well have been a success.
As it was, the GX4000 joined the long list of failed attempts to repurpose computers as game consoles, alongside the Atari XEGS, the Commodore 64GS, the Amiga CDTV, the Amiga CD32, the FM Towns Marty and the Apple Pippin.
== Outro ==
All in all, the CPC series met with great success. Although they would never achieve the universal status of the [[Commodore 64]] or the humble [[ZX 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.
Besides a lot of [[emulators]]France was the sole market where the CPCs achieved the top position for years. Still, several old the CPCs were very popular in the UK, Spain, Greece, Germany and modern hardware [[clones]] have been produced up Australia, to nowname a few countries.
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*[[CPC timeline]]
*[https://youtu.be/yl_6IvSBdqE Over 100 Amstrad CPC games in under 1 hourMTsCiZ3ZBD4 Entrevista a ROLAND PERRY] by [[Las Cosas Retro]]*[https://youtu.be/ZOOwlWwlltM All bD_gBz2fwDM Amstrad CPC - Top 150 games(1984-2020)] Top 50 CPC games from [https://youtu.be/F3pVjc4tmCU 1984] [https://youtu.be/8w7Rx1dOmPs 1985] [https://youtu.be/c18muwWbVZc 1986] [https://youtu.be/NpL1uq0IAz4 1987] [https://youtu.be/0mnR3vTJXw8 1988]*[https://youtu.be/ZOOwlWwlltM All Amstrad CPC games ] from [https://youtu.be/Smpv8v1OP5A 1984] [https://youtu.be/_JJjHXNGEyY 1985] [https://youtu.be/5XRyZIW4c9s 1986] [https://youtu.be/V7yRLp-Xvfs 1987] [https://youtu.be/afn70FPDRoQ 1988] [https://youtu.be/tpQ1PhUWnYw 1989] [https://youtu.be/8_JvuGdumC4 1990] [https://youtu.be/yJsm1DeF7Pk 1991] [https://youtu.be/LQmDzkNs0P4 1992]
*[https://youtu.be/hBlHUWRlmug Amstrad CPC - Best of Music with Video (3 hours)]
*[https://youtu.be/BvramomEtSM Amstrad TV advertisementsadverts] [https://youtu.be/n7U6E7bDFlc Amstrad French TV advertisementsadverts]
*[https://youtu.be/8o1OTwFv7WQ Part 1] [https://youtu.be/f1KS7nSKnxE Part 2] Amstrad CPC Story by [[Nostalgia Nerd]]
*[https://youtu.be/fB9M6RMtMUE Partie 1] [https://youtu.be/F0CzNJjjkO4 Partie 2] [https://youtu.be/la5IhBbrqPc Partie 3] [https://youtu.be/uUR5oKBxRzA Partie 4] Histoire de l'Amstrad CPC by [[Generation Génération Micros]]*[https://youtu.be/mesZ1zbA654 Amstrad : La gamme CPC (1984/1985)] [https://youtu.be/Ijuqsz69Euk Amstrad 6128 Plus] by [[Rodrik Studio]]
*[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O0vvdDx4egk&list=PLIX9fyYxV0k9phQiqATmOe2OZJyeMuY0a C64 vs Amstrad CPC] [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JfZ77Ltkols&list=PLIX9fyYxV0k_VOgMOIxseJH1c91KKcxKB ZX Spectrum vs Amstrad CPC]