--- title: Amstrad PCW 9512 categories: - Computers types: - Professional Computer origins: - United Kingdom years: - '1987' cpus: - Zilog Z80 A params: name: PCW 9512 image: /media/museum/photos/amstrad_9512_system_s3.jpg company: /companies/amstrad company_name: Amstrad specs: - label: NAME value: PCW 9512 - label: MANUFACTURER value: Amstrad - label: TYPE value: Professional Computer - label: ORIGIN value: United Kingdom - label: YEAR value: '1987' - label: END OF PRODUCTION value: '1994' - label: KEYBOARD value: Full-stroke 82 key with function keys, numeric keypad and special editing keys (COPY, CUT, PASTE, PRINT,etc.) - label: CPU value: Zilog Z80 A - label: SPEED value: 4 MHz - label: RAM value: 512 KB - label: ROM value: No ROM chip. Bootstrap loader is masked onto a custom chip. - label: TEXT MODES value: 90 xchars. x 35 lines - label: GRAPHIC MODES value: 720 x 256 dots - label: COLORS value: Monochrome (black & white) - label: SOUND value: Beeper, 1 channel - label: SIZE / WEIGHT value: 34.5 (W) x 34.5 (D) x 42 (H) cm - label: I/O PORTS value: Z80 Bus, Parallel - label: BUILT IN MEDIA value: One Hitachi 3'' disk-drive (720k) - label: OS value: CP/M, CP/M+ - label: POWER SUPPLY value: Built-in power supply unit - label: PERIPHERALS value: Printer, RAM an serial expansion units - label: PRICE value: £499 tabs: - photos - adverts - hardware - emulators - links - docs forum_thread: 200 photos: - title: PCW-9512 subtitle: '' text: '' image: /media/museum/photos/amstrad_9512_system_s2.jpg - title: RUNNING subtitle: '' text: The PCW-9512 is running the LocoScript word processing program. image: /media/museum/photos/amstrad_9512_running_s1.jpg - title: TOP VIEW subtitle: '' text: '' image: /media/museum/photos/amstrad_9512_topview_s1.jpg - title: 'PROFILE #1' subtitle: '' text: '' image: /media/museum/photos/amstrad_9512_side_s1.jpg - title: 'PROFILE #2' subtitle: '' text: '' image: /media/museum/photos/amstrad_9512_side_s2.jpg - title: OPENED subtitle: '' text: |- The electronics is composed of two superimposed cards. The top one holds the power supply and video circuitry, the bottom one holds the logic circuitry.\ The electronics of the PCW series was very reliable. Most of the PCW machines one finds nowaday are still running well, except for the 3" drive belt which releases and have to be replaced regularly. image: /media/museum/photos/amstrad_9512_opened_s1.jpg - title: LOGIC BOARD subtitle: '' text: |- **(1)** Floppy drive(s) connector\ **(2)** Zilog Z80FDC, floppy drives controller\ **(3)** Power supply connector\ **(4)** Custom Amstrad chips, manage memory, all I/Os, graphics video, Amstrad and Parallel printers and hold the BIOS ROM\ **(5)** Z80A CPU, original Zilog version\ **(6)** Keyboard and video connectors\ **(7)** 512 KB RAM chips - 16x41256\ **(8)** Beeper image: /media/museum/photos/amstrad_9512_mainboard_s1.jpg - title: INSIDE THE PRINTER subtitle: '' text: A simple but reliable daisywheel mechanism. A small card manages the printing head. Power and logic functions are provided by the main unit. image: /media/museum/photos/amstrad_9512_printer_s1.jpg - title: 9512 MANUALS subtitle: '' text: '' image: /media/museum/photos/amstrad_9512_manuals_s1.jpg - title: THE BOX subtitle: '' text: '' image: /media/museum/photos/amstrad_9512_box_s1.jpg adverts: - title: FIRST U.K. AD (OCT. 87) subtitle: '' text: |- Advert said: The letters you send speak volumes for your company's image. Scrappy typing, untidy layouts and poor spelling announce that you're less than professional outfit.\ Whereas beautifully presented correspondence shows quite clearly that you're a company to be reckoned with.\ Now Amstrad's new wordprocessor with daisywhell printer and spellcheck facility means that any company can produce superb quality letters, reports and documents.\ With the minimum of effort and for a minimal outlay. image: /media/museum/pubs/amstrad_9512_pub_1.jpg hardware: - title: SERIAL / PARALLEL INTERFACE subtitle: '' text: '' image: /media/museum/hardware/amstrad_8512_serialinterf_1.jpg - title: SERIAL INTERFACE AND MOUSE subtitle: '' text: A standard serial mouse could be used thrue a serial interface expansion and a specific connector. image: /media/museum/hardware/amstrad_8512_serialmouse_s1.jpg - title: RAMPAC subtitle: 1.5 MB memory expansion text: This memory expansion was used by some programs as a fast virtual floppy disk drive. image: /media/museum/hardware/amstrad_9512_rampac_s1.jpg emulators: - title: Joyce url: http://www.seasip.demon.co.uk/Unix/Joyce/index.html platform: Multiplatform text: JOYCE emulates the Amstrad PCW on Unix, Windows and Mac OS X links: - title: Amstrad PCW url: http://ciberia.ya.com/tuamstradpcw/ text: Nice spanish PCW dedicated page with screenshots, software to download and much more! - title: Amstrad PCW products from Pineboard Computers url: http://www.btinternet.com/~pinboardcomputers/pcws/indexa.htm text: '' - title: AMSTRAD PCW SPARES url: http://www.pcwking1.netfirms.com text: '' - title: Ian Macdonald's PCW pages url: http://www.caliban.org/PCW.html text: '' - title: Kathleen's General Interest PCW Site url: http://pcwgallery.cjb.net text: Information about the Amstrad PCW range of computers with photographs and links - title: MB Schneider PCW Seite url: http://www.3pro.de/mb/pcw8256.htm text: (in german) - title: SD Microsystems url: http://members.aol.com/sdmicro/index.htm text: Company supporting CPC, PCW and Amstrad PC docs: - title: PCW 9512 - MANUEL UTILISATEUR (FRENCH MANUAL) url: http://amstrad.cpc.free.fr/article.php?sid=23 cover: /media/museum/docs/couvs/amstrad_pcw-9512_user-manual.jpg text: |- [**PCW 9512 - MANUEL UTILISATEUR (FRENCH MANUAL)**](http://amstrad.cpc.free.fr/article.php?sid=23)written by Amstrad  compiled/archived by Charles Da Silva\  type of document : PDF\  source : [Amstrad.CPC](http://amstrad.cpc.free.fr/) related: - /museum/amstrad-pcw-8256-8512 oc_id: 190 source: url: https://web.archive.org/web/20230608080417/http://www.old-computers.com/museum/computer.asp?c=190 date: '2023-06-08' --- The Amstrad PCW 9512 was a dedicated word processing computer. It was the successor to the [Amstrad PCW 8512](/museum/amstrad-pcw-8256-8512/) and had the same basic characteristics. However, it corrected two of the main criticisms of the 8512: the low quality of the printer and the machine's non-business-like styling. It had a paper-white monochrome screen (black on white) unlike the 8512, which had a green monochrome screen (green on black). It was equiped with a 3" 720k floppy disk drive (a second one could be added) and used a daisywheel printer instead of the dot matrix printer of the PCW 8256/8512. Like the previous models, it could run CP/M+ and was supplied with the Locoscript V2 word processor including LocoSpell and LocoMail, and Mallard Basic, both made by Locomotive software. DR Logo was also supplied as standard. In 1991, two new models were produced :\ \- A cut-down model called the **PcW 9256** (same characteristics, but only 256 KB RAM and a 3.5" disk-drive) which was a replacement in the PCW range for the PCW-8256.\ \- The **PcW-9512+** which replaced the PCW-9512. It was almost the same machine but with a 3.5" 720K drive. Finally in 1993, these models were replaced with the **PcW-10**.