--- title: Matra Hachette ALICE 90 categories: - Computers types: - Home Computer origins: - France years: - '1984' cpus: - Motorola 6803 params: name: ALICE 90 company: /companies/matra-hachette company_name: Matra Hachette specs: - label: NAME value: ALICE 90 - label: MANUFACTURER value: Matra Hachette - label: TYPE value: Home Computer - label: ORIGIN value: France - label: YEAR value: '1984' - label: BUILT IN LANGUAGE value: Microsoft Color Basic 1.0 - label: KEYBOARD value: AZERTY full-stroke keyboard, arrow keys - label: CPU value: Motorola 6803 - label: SPEED value: 4 MHz - label: CO-PROCESSOR value: EF 9345 Video Generator - label: RAM value: 32 KB - label: VRAM value: 8 KB - label: ROM value: 16 KB - label: TEXT MODES value: 32 x 16 / 40 x 25 / 80 x 25 - label: GRAPHIC MODES value: 64 x 32 / 80 x 50 (8 colors) / 160 x 125 (3 colors) / 320 x 250 - label: COLORS value: '8' - label: SOUND value: 1 channel 3 octaves - label: SIZE / WEIGHT value: 365 x 205 x 70 mm / 1,1Kg - label: I/O PORTS value: RGB video out, Expansion port, Tape, Serial port - label: POWER SUPPLY value: 10v CA, 1.3A (MC-10 and Alice PSU can be used) - label: PERIPHERALS value: Printer - label: PRICE value: |- 380 (France, 1984)\ 120 (France, april 1987) tabs: - photos - adverts - hardware - connectors - emulators - links - docs photos: - title: ALICE 90 subtitle: '' text: '' image: null - title: SIDE subtitle: '' text: '' image: null - title: TOP subtitle: '' text: '' image: null - title: BELOW subtitle: '' text: '' image: null - title: 'LEFT SIDE #1' subtitle: '' text: '' image: null - title: 'LEFT SIDE #2' subtitle: '' text: '' image: null - title: FRONT subtitle: '' text: '' image: null - title: 'RIGHT SIDE #1' subtitle: '' text: '' image: null - title: 'RIGHT SIDE #2' subtitle: '' text: '' image: null - title: REAR subtitle: '' text: |- From left to right : \- ON/OFF switch\ \- Power IN\ \- RGB video out (Scart connector)\ \- Reset button\ \- Serial port\ \- Tape port image: null - title: MOTHERBOARD (1) subtitle: '' text: Basicaly, the Alice 90 is an Alice 32 slightly modified (more RAM). image: null - title: MOTHERBOARD (2) subtitle: '' text: |- It must be difficult to design a more compact and better arranged electronic board. The study was carefully undertaken, or maybe it was just designed by a ... computer ! **(1)** Serial port DIN connector, mainly intended for the Matra printer.\ **(2)** System init button (Reset).\ **(3)** Extensions connector intended for a never sold floppy-disc unit (vaporware).\ **(4)** Keyboard connector.\ **(5)** SCART (Péritel) RGB connector. A monochrome composite monitor can be used too.\ **(6)** Power plug. Power is supplied by an external transformer.\ **(7)** On / Off switch.\ **(8)** Voltage regulation circuit.\ **(9)** 8 Kb. RAM memory circuit, used for the video display in text and graphic modes.\ **(10)** Video superimposing chipset (computer video output combined with a T.V. display), only available through machine code language.\ **(11 - 12)** Chips handling the video display in text and graphic modes.\ **(13)** 6803 microprocessor.\ **(14)** ROM chip holding the Microsoft Basic interpreter and the editor/assembler.\ **(15)** Circuit managing inputs-outputs (keyboard, interfaces).\ **(16)** Circuit used to manage and 'refresh' the RAM memory.\ **(17)** RAM memory is holded into these 4 chips.\ **(18)** Imposing heat sink to avoid the excess heat generated by the system.\ **(19)** Cassette recorder DIN connector. image: null - title: COMPLETE SYSTEM subtitle: '' text: '' image: null - title: BOX subtitle: '' text: '' image: null adverts: - title: FRENCH ADVERT subtitle: '' text: '"With the Alice computer, you place the level where you want"' image: null hardware: - title: DISK-DRIVE AND JOYSTICK INTERFACE subtitle: Vaporware !!! text: |- This is the only known picture of the vaporware 3.5'' disk-drive and joystick interface for the Alice. They were presented at the Micro-Expo exhibition in Paris in february 1985, along with a modem (not pictured here). Only the disk-drive and modem are vaporware. The joystick interface was indeed released. image: null - title: JOYSTICK EXPANSION subtitle: '' text: |- With this add-on, you can use a joystick with the Alice. But you can't use a memory expansion at the same time :-( Thanks to [www.mapetitecollection.com](http://www.mapetitecollection.com/) for the picture image: null connectors: - title: SERIAL INTERFACE subtitle: '' text: |- 1 - CD (Carrier Detection)\ 2 - RD (Receive Data)\ 3 - GND (Ground)\ 4 - TD (Transmit Data) image: null - title: TAPE INTERFACE subtitle: '' text: |- 1 - Audio DATA out\ 2 - Ground\ 3 - Audio DATA in\ 4 - Not used\ 5 - Not used 4 & 5 were planned to be used for Remote control of the tape-recorder, but this function was not implemented into the MC-10 / Alice. image: null - title: RGB VIDEO / AUDIO OUTPUT subtitle: '' text: |- 1 - Commutation\ 2 - Ground\ 3 - Red\ 4 - Video\ 5 - Green\ 6 - Audio\ 7 - Blue image: null - title: EXPANSION PORT subtitle: '' text: |- The sketch represents the connector when you look at the back of the MC-10 / Alice (see Reset button on right). 1 - 2 = GND (Ground)\ 3 - 10 = D0..D7 (Data Buses)\ 11 = R/W (Read/Write signal)\ 12 - 27 = A0..A15 (Address buses)\ 28 = E (CPU clock, 1Mhz)\ 29 = SEL (peripherals invalidation entry)\ 30 = RESET (hard reset)\ 31 = NMI (non-maskable CPU interrupts)\ 32 = +5v (power in, 5v 300mA)\ 33 - 34 = GND (ground) image: null emulators: - title: DCAlice url: http://alice32.free.fr/index.html platform: Windows text: Excellent working Alice emulator - title: Emucompboy's MC-10 Emulator url: http://www.geocities.com/emucompboy/ platform: Windows text: Nice Windows emulator - title: The MC-10 Emulation project url: http://www.student.cs.uwaterloo.ca/~camennie/mc10/ platform: Unix / Linux text: Still active ? - title: The MESS project url: http://www.mess.org/ platform: Multiplatform text: This multi-platform emulator can emulate the MC-10 links: - title: Alice FAQ url: http://membres.lycos.fr/romualdl/alice/alice_faq.txt text: Useful source of information about the Alice systems - title: Alice page url: http://membres.lycos.fr/romualdl/alice/alice.html text: Excellent dedicated pages full of info by Romuald Line, includes a FAQ - title: Inside the Radio Shack MC-10 url: http://www.slowcomputing.org/ssouth/mc10/ text: Simon South's excellent and useful page. Lot of hardware info. - title: My MC10 Home Page url: http://mymc10.tripod.com/ text: Lot of stuff here, especially software. Cool. - title: The MC-10 archive url: http://mc10archive.com text: Small dedicated site with extended Basic available + utilities, games and documents to download ! - title: TRS-80 MC10 Club (Yahoo club) url: http://clubs.yahoo.com/clubs/trs80mc10club text: The heart of the MC-10 community. Quite active. docs: - title: DECOUVREZ LE BASIC url: http://alice32.free.fr/doc/index.html cover: null text: |- [**DECOUVREZ LE BASIC**](http://alice32.free.fr/doc/index.html)written by Matra & Hachette  compiled/archived by Daniel Coulom\  type of document : DJV\  source : [DCAlice website](http://alice32.free.fr/) - title: RÉSUMÉ DES COMMANDES ET FONCTIONS BASIC url: http://alice32.free.fr/doc/index.html cover: null text: |- [**RÉSUMÉ DES COMMANDES ET FONCTIONS BASIC**](http://alice32.free.fr/doc/index.html)written by Matra & Hachette  compiled/archived by Daniel Coulom\  type of document : DJV\  source : [DCAlice website](http://alice32.free.fr/) - title: GUIDE D'INSTRUCTIONS DE L'ÉDITEUR ASSEMBLEUR url: http://alice32.free.fr/doc/index.html cover: null text: |- [**GUIDE D'INSTRUCTIONS DE L'ÉDITEUR ASSEMBLEUR**](http://alice32.free.fr/doc/index.html)written by Matra & Hachette  compiled/archived by Daniel Coulom\  type of document : DJV\  source : [DCAlice website](http://alice32.free.fr/) - title: ALLER PLUS LOIN AVEC ALICE url: http://alice32.free.fr/doc/index.html cover: null text: |- [**ALLER PLUS LOIN AVEC ALICE**](http://alice32.free.fr/doc/index.html)written by Ediciel / Matra & Hachette  compiled/archived by Daniel Coulom\  type of document : DJV\  source : [DCAlice website](http://alice32.free.fr/) - title: MC-10 SERVICE MANUAL url: '#' cover: null text: |- **MC-10 SERVICE MANUAL**\ written by Radio Shack  compiled/archived by Jim Marek\  type of document : PDF - title: TP-10 OPERATION MANUAL url: http://themc10archive.com/node/44 cover: null text: |- [**TP-10 OPERATION MANUAL**](http://themc10archive.com/node/44)written by Tandy  compiled/archived by Gary (JaGF)\  type of document : PDF\  source : [The MC10 archive](http://themc10archive.com) comments: - author: Joe (USA) date: Sunday 18th July 2010 text: You can try your local ebay or the ebay of other countries but since it was a commercial failure that means not many were sold in the first place so finding one for sale is going to be extremely difficult and you''ll probably end up paying collectors (high) prices for them. Shipping will also be a consideration if buying from a long distance seller or outside one''s own country, and let''s also not forget the possibility of customs duty. - author: SATTIN PHILIPPE (pomerols france) date: Tuesday 12th October 2004 text: |- bonjour j ai un alice 90 ce petit ordinateur etait super dommage quil na pas beaucoup eu de logiciel\ actuelement je recherche des jeux sur cet ordinateur - author: gabriel (Holland) date: Monday 20th January 2003 text: |- Is there anyway to get such a wonderful machine?\ What would it cost these days? related: - /museum/matra-hachette-alice - /museum/sysdata-eletronica-microcolor - /museum/tandy-radio-shack-mc-10 oc_id: 61 source: url: https://web.archive.org/web/20230208064345/http://www.old-computers.com/museum/computer.asp?c=61 date: '2023-02-08' --- The Matra Alice 90 is the successor of the unsuccessful [Alice 32](/museum/matra-hachette-alice/) and is 100% compatible with this computer. This computer was designed, like its predecessor, to be used as a "first contact" computer. Genlocking allowed the user to use the computer and watch TV simultaneously. The ROM contains a version of the world famous Microsoft BASIC, but this version of BASIC can't access to the highest graphic mode (320x250), it could be accessed from the built-in assembler. Like its predecessor, this machine was also unsuccessful.