--- title: Matra Hachette ALICE 90 categories: - Computers types: - Home Computer origins: - France years: - '1984' cpus: - Motorola 6803 params: name: ALICE 90 image: /media/museum/photos/matra_alice90_1_hr_s.jpg 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 forum_thread: 77 photos: - title: ALICE 90 subtitle: '' text: '' image: /media/museum/photos/matra_alice90_1_hr.jpg - title: SIDE subtitle: '' text: '' image: /media/museum/photos/matra_alice90_r-side_1.jpg - title: TOP subtitle: '' text: '' image: /media/museum/photos/matra_alice90_above_1.jpg - title: BELOW subtitle: '' text: '' image: /media/museum/photos/matra_alice90_under_1.jpg - title: 'LEFT SIDE #1' subtitle: '' text: '' image: /media/museum/photos/matra_alice90_l-side_1.jpg - title: 'LEFT SIDE #2' subtitle: '' text: '' image: /media/museum/photos/matra_alice90_l-side_2.jpg - title: FRONT subtitle: '' text: '' image: /media/museum/photos/matra_alice90_front_1.jpg - title: 'RIGHT SIDE #1' subtitle: '' text: '' image: /media/museum/photos/matra_alice90_r-side_2.jpg - title: 'RIGHT SIDE #2' subtitle: '' text: '' image: /media/museum/photos/matra_alice90_r-side_3.jpg - 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: /media/museum/photos/matra_alice90_rear_1.jpg - title: MOTHERBOARD (1) subtitle: '' text: Basicaly, the Alice 90 is an Alice 32 slightly modified (more RAM). image: /media/museum/photos/matra_alice90_mobo.jpg - 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: /media/museum/photos/matra_alice90_inside_1.jpg - title: COMPLETE SYSTEM subtitle: '' text: '' image: /media/museum/photos/matra_alice90_system_1.jpg - title: BOX subtitle: '' text: '' image: /media/museum/photos/matra_alice90_box_1.jpg adverts: - title: FRENCH ADVERT subtitle: '' text: '"With the Alice computer, you place the level where you want"' image: /media/museum/pubs/matra_alice90_pub1.jpg 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: /media/museum/hardware/matra_alice32_disk_1.jpg - 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: /media/museum/hardware/matra-hachette_alice_extension-joystick_1.jpg connectors: - title: SERIAL INTERFACE subtitle: '' text: |- 1 - CD (Carrier Detection)\ 2 - RD (Receive Data)\ 3 - GND (Ground)\ 4 - TD (Transmit Data) image: /media/museum/connectors/tandy_mc10_serial-port_d.jpg - 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: /media/museum/connectors/tandy_mc10_tape_d.jpg - title: RGB VIDEO / AUDIO OUTPUT subtitle: '' text: |- 1 - Commutation\ 2 - Ground\ 3 - Red\ 4 - Video\ 5 - Green\ 6 - Audio\ 7 - Blue image: /media/museum/connectors/tandy_mc10_rgb-video_d.jpg - 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: /media/museum/connectors/tandy_mc10_expansion-port_d.jpg 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: /media/museum/docs/couvs/alice_decouvrez-le-basic.jpg 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: /media/museum/docs/couvs/alice_resume-commandes-basic.jpg 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: /media/museum/docs/couvs/alice_assembleur.jpg 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: /media/museum/docs/couvs/alice_aller-plus-loin.jpg 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: /media/museum/docs/tandy_mc10_service-manual.zip cover: /media/museum/docs/couvs/tandy_mc10_service-manual.jpg text: |- [**MC-10 SERVICE MANUAL**](/media/museum/docs/tandy_mc10_service-manual.zip)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: /media/museum/docs/couvs/tandy_mc10_tp10-manual.gif 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) 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.