--- title: Amstrad NC 100 categories: - Computers types: - Portable origins: - United Kingdom years: - '1992' cpus: - Z80 params: name: NC 100 image: /media/museum/photos/amstrad_nc100_system_2.jpg company: /companies/amstrad company_name: Amstrad specs: - label: NAME value: NC 100 - label: MANUFACTURER value: Amstrad - label: TYPE value: Portable - label: ORIGIN value: United Kingdom - label: YEAR value: August 1992 - label: BUILT IN LANGUAGE value: BBC Basic - label: KEYBOARD value: Full-stroke 64 keys - label: CPU value: Z80 - label: CO-PROCESSOR value: NEC custom chip (various I/O and memory management) - label: RAM value: 64 KB - label: ROM value: Unknown - label: TEXT MODES value: 80 char x 8 lines - label: GRAPHIC MODES value: 480 x 64 pixels - label: COLORS value: bluish grey LCD - label: SOUND value: Beeper - label: SIZE / WEIGHT value: 29,5(W) x 21(D) x 2,8(H) cm. / 1 Kg - label: I/O PORTS value: Parallel Centronics, Serial RS-232 - label: BUILT IN MEDIA value: 1 MB PCMCIA slot - label: OS value: BBC BASIC, word processor, diary, calculator, address book, serial terminal in ROM - label: POWER SUPPLY value: External 7.5V AC adaptor or batteries - label: PRICE value: £199 tabs: - photos - emulators - links - docs forum_thread: 736 photos: - title: NC-100 subtitle: '' text: Here a German version (QWERTZ keyboard) image: /media/museum/photos/amstrad_nc100_system_3.jpg - title: MAIN MENU subtitle: '' text: |- Each firmware application can be called by using a combination of coloured keys:\ • Word processor (Yellow + Red)\ • Calculator (Yellow + Green)\ • Calendar/Diary (Yellow + Blue)\ Or by Ctrl keys:\ • BBC BASIC (Ctrl-B)\ • Games (Ctrl-G) image: /media/museum/photos/amstrad_nc100_dispcloseup_s1.jpg - title: BOTH SIDES subtitle: '' text: |- On left side, LCD contrast adjustment,\ On right side, PCMCIA card slot. image: /media/museum/photos/amstrad_nc100_bothsides_s1.jpg - title: REAR CONNECTORS subtitle: '' text: |- From left to right:\ • Jack for a 6V external AC adaptor\ • Serial RS232 DB9 connector\ • Parallel printer DB25 connector. image: /media/museum/photos/amstrad_nc100_rearside_s1.jpg - title: UNDERNEATH subtitle: '' text: |- **(1)** RAM backup battery housing (CR-2032)\ **(2)** Main battery housing (4 x AA size)\ **(3)** Removable stands which allow the NC-100 to be used in tilted position\ **(4)** Firmware 256 KB ROM chip. Can be easily replaced. Normally covered with a plastic lid. image: /media/museum/photos/amstrad_nc100_bottomside_s1.jpg - title: INSIDE subtitle: '' text: |- The main board occupies one half of the case area, the keyboard occupies the second half. The board was made by Nakajima in Japan. The LCD display was made by Sanyo. **(1)** AA battery housing\ **(2)** PCMCIA card slot\ **(3)** CMOS, 6MHz version of the Zilog Z80 processor\ **(4)** Keyboard connectors\ **(5)** Real time clock chip\ **(6)** Custom chip, made by NEC, in charge of memory management, keyboard and various I/O\ **(7)** LCD display connector\ **(8)** I/O chip (Parallel to Serial converter)\ **(9)** 2 32K x 8-bit CMOS chips (43257) hold the 64 KB main RAM\ **(10)** Loudspeaker connector\ **(11)** The 256K ROM chip is mounted to face the bottom side of the case\ **(12)** External power supply jack and power push-button\ **(13)** Beeper\ **(14)** LCD Contrast knob image: /media/museum/photos/amstrad_nc100_inside_s1.jpg - title: NC-100, 150 BAG subtitle: '' text: '' image: /media/museum/photos/amstrad_nc100_bag_s1.jpg emulators: - title: nc100em url: http://rus.members.beeb.net/nc100em.html platform: Unix / Linux text: nc100em is an Amstrad NC100 emulator. It also has NC200 support, but this is less complete. - title: MESS url: http://www.mess.org platform: Multiplatform text: MESS emulates the NC100, among other things. links: - title: 8bit-micro.com - Amstrad NC100 Page url: http://www.8bit-micro.com/amstrad-nc100.htm text: Additional information on the Amstrad NC100 - Display Upgrade - title: Amstrad Computer Site / NC100/150/200 page url: http://web.ukonline.co.uk/cliff.lawson/notepad.htm text: Useful information there, to help you diagnose why your NC system doesn't work anymore - title: Amstrad NC200 Notebook Page url: http://www.cpmspectre.pwp.blueyonder.co.uk/nc200/nc200idx.htm text: Some software to download - title: NC100 Yahoo Group url: http://de.groups.yahoo.com/group/NC100/ text: Discussion group devoted to the Amstrad NC serie - title: Tim's Amstrad NC users' site url: http://www.ncus.org.uk/intro.htm text: Tech info, downloads, software and much more! - title: ZCN url: http://www.ibiblio.org/pub/packages/zcn/ text: ZCN is a free operating system for the Amstrad NC100 (Notepad) and NC200 (Notebook). docs: - title: AMSTRAD NC-100 - USER MANUAL url: null cover: /media/museum/docs/couvs/amstrad_nc100_user-manual.jpg text: |- **AMSTRAD NC-100 - USER MANUAL**\ written by Amstrad  compiled/archived by Charles Da Silva\  type of document : PDF\  source : [Amstrad.CPC](http://amstrad.cpc.free.fr/) oc_id: 753 source: url: https://web.archive.org/web/20230608212536/http://www.old-computers.com/museum/computer.asp?c=753 date: '2023-06-08' --- By 1992, once fast-growing Amstrad was struggling. Its reputation as a PC maker had been undermined by a batch of dodgy Seagate disk drives at the same time that bigger-name vendors were engaged in a price war, squeezing Amstrad out of the market. The NC 100, [NC 150](/museum/amstrad-nc-150/) and [NC 200](/museum/amstrad-nc-200/) were three products that its founder Alan Sugar was hoping would help revive the company's fortunes. Cutting edge, they were not. Both were based on old eight-bit Zilog Z80 microprocessors. Curiously, both machines came with a BBC Basic interpreter on which users could develop their own applications. The NC 100 was a £199 notebook computer the size of a piece of A4 paper, with a full size keyboard and a "letterbox" screen at the top, offering 80 columns by 8 lines. It had an RS232 serial port and a Centronics parallel port for printer and communications. Built-in were 64 kilobytes of memory, expandable to 1 megabyte with the addition of an add-on memory card. "If you can't use this new computer in five minutes, you'll get your money back," boasted the company in its launch advertising. For ease of use, it had four colour-coded keys giving instant access to a number of built-in applications, including a word processor, calculator, diary and address book. At a time when an entry-level lap-top computer cost more than £2,000 and the sub-notebook had not been invented, the NC100 and NC200 offered a good value alternative for those with basic computing needs, such as word processing on the move. All the NC computers were made in Japan by Nakajima. The company also sold its own version of the NC-100, called [ES-210](/museum/nakajima-es-210/). Thanks to **Graeme Burton** for information about NC series computers.