website/content/museum/matra-hachette-alice.md

title, categories, types, origins, years, cpus, params

title	categories	types	origins	years	cpus	params
Matra Hachette ALICE	Computers	Home Computer	France	1983	Motorola 6803	name image logo company company_name specs tabs forum_thread photos adverts hardware connectors emulators links docs related oc_id source ALICE /media/museum/photos/matra_alice_top.jpg /media/museum/logos/alice_logo.gif /companies/matra-hachette Matra Hachette label value NAME ALICE label value MANUFACTURER Matra Hachette label value TYPE Home Computer label value ORIGIN France label value YEAR 1983 label value END OF PRODUCTION Alice 4k : 1982\ Alice 32 : end of 1985 label value BUILT IN LANGUAGE Basic Microsoft 1.0 (1982) label value KEYBOARD AZERTY, chicklet keyboard\ 47 keys (1 SHIFT, 1 CONTROL, BREAK, ENTER)\ Basic statements written above each key label value CPU Motorola 6803 (a cross between 6800 and 6809) label value SPEED 0.89 MHz label value CO-PROCESSOR MC-6847 Video Generator label value RAM Alice 4k : 4 kb, 3 kb left for user\ Alice 32 : 16 kb, 8 kb left for user label value ROM Alice 4k : 8 kb\ Alice 32 : 16 kb label value TEXT MODES Alice 4k : 32 x 16\ Alice 32 : 32 x 16, 40 x 25, 80 x 25 label value GRAPHIC MODES Alice 4k : 64 x 32\ Alice 32 : 64 x 32, 160 x 125, 320 x 250 label value COLORS Alice 4k : 9\ Alice 32 : 9 with Basic, 32 with machine code label value SOUND 1 channel label value SIZE / WEIGHT 51 x 216 x 178 / 850gt label value I/O PORTS Expansion port (18 pins)\ Tape-recorder (1500 bauds)\ TV (7 pins DIN plug)\ I/O serial port (4 pins DIN plug) label value POWER SUPPLY 10v - 1,3A label value PERIPHERALS Printer, 16k RAM expansion label value PRICE 182 (France, dec. 83)\ 118 (France, july 85)\ 53 (France, april 87) photos adverts hardware connectors emulators links docs 76 title subtitle text image FRONT VIEW /media/museum/photos/matra_alice_front.jpg title subtitle text image UNDER THE THING /media/museum/photos/matra_alice_below.jpg title subtitle text image SIDE VIEW 1 /media/museum/photos/matra_alice_side1.jpg title subtitle text image SIDE VIEW 2 You can spot here the on/off switch. /media/museum/photos/matra_alice_side2.jpg title subtitle text image REAR VIEW Power in | TV plug | Expansion bus | Red RESET button | Serial DIN plug | Tape recorder DIN plug /media/museum/photos/matra_alice_rear.jpg title subtitle text image INSIDE THE ALICE /media/museum/photos/matra_alice_inside.jpg title subtitle text image KEYBOARD (LEFT) We can see here the only CONTROL key and the other keys with their basic statements and graphical characters associated. /media/museum/photos/matra_alice_kbd1.jpg title subtitle text image KEYBOARD (RIGHT) Here is the only SHIFT key. Note also the BREAK key... /media/museum/photos/matra_alice_kbd2.jpg title subtitle text image ALICE 4K MOTHERBOARD **(1)** 8 bits 6803 microprocessor running (slowly) at 890 Khz.\ **(2)** Cassette recorder connector. Data transfer rate is of 150 char./second.\ **(3)** Serial connector, mainly used for printers. Data tranfer rate is of 60 char./second.\ **(4)** System init button (Reset).\ **(5)** Extensions connector mainly for used the 16 Kb. RAM expansion pack.\ **(6)** 8 Kb. Rom chip. Holds the Microsoft Basic interpreter.\ **(7)** 6847 Video chip.\ **(8)** RGB video output connector.\ **(9)** Power connector. Power is supplied by an external unit.\ **(10)** Heat cooler.\ **(11)** 4 Kb. Ram chips (2 x 4016 of 2 Kb. each). /media/museum/photos/matra_alice_inside_1.jpg title subtitle text image ALICE 32 MOTHERBOARD This is the new version of the Alice : Alice 32 (codenamed "Alice 2" on the mother board). "32" because it has 16k RAM + 16k ROM. It also has a better video generator (9345). /media/museum/photos/matra_alice32_mobo.jpg title subtitle text image THE ALICE CASE This was how the Alice 32 was sold as an initiation package. It includes the Alice 32 + 16k RAM expansion + a tape recorder + Basic and Assembler documentation + tapes. The whole package was sold for 2495fr in 1984. /media/museum/photos/matra_alice_valise_opened.jpg title subtitle text image THE ALICE HANDBOOK The Alice handbook, illustrated by Moëbus, is a true success. It summarizes perfectly the objectives set by Matra-Hachette for the Alice : demystify computers and make it usable by the youngest. The content of this handbook is also neat, progressive, didactic and strewn with humour. /media/museum/photos/matra_alice_manual_1.jpg title subtitle text image FRENCH ADVERT "Alice, a computer for all levels" /media/museum/pubs/matra_alice32_pub1.jpg title subtitle text image FRENCH ADVERT #2 "With the Alice, change the level without changing the computer" /media/museum/pubs/matra_alice32_pub2.jpg title subtitle text image FRENCH ADVERT #3 "With a cool teacher, computers is a child game" "Alice, the Basic teacher" /media/museum/pubs/matra_alice_adv_3.jpg title subtitle text image FRENCH ADVERT #4 "Learn computers with a cool teacher" "Alice, the Basic teacher" /media/museum/pubs/matra_alice_adv_4.jpg title subtitle text image THE ALICE THERMIC PRINTER This small printer can print on 32 colons for normal characters, use double width and print semi-graphic characters. It has a transfer rate of 600 bps and can print at a speed of 30 cps. It was shipped with its Alice RS232 cable and cost 995 fr in october 84. /media/museum/hardware/matra_alice_thermic-printer_2.jpg title subtitle text image DISK-DRIVE AND JOYSTICK INTERFACE Vaporware !!! 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. /media/museum/hardware/matra_alice32_disk_1.jpg title subtitle text image JOYSTICK EXPANSION 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 /media/museum/hardware/matra-hachette_alice_extension-joystick_1.jpg title subtitle text image 16 KB RAM ADD-ON This little thing adds up 16 kb RAM to the Alice and also enables high resolution possibilities through the use of machine code. It was shipped with the documentation "Allez plus loin avec Alice". It cost 595 fr (October 84). Thanks to [www.mapetitecollection.com](http://www.mapetitecollection.com/) for the picture /media/museum/hardware/matra-hachette_alice_16kb_2.jpg title subtitle text image TAPE RECORDER This small tape recorder was all red. The Exelvision computer used the same one, but it was black (good point Silicium ;-) ) This little thing cost 595fr in October 84. Thanks to [www.mapetitecollection.com](http://www.mapetitecollection.com/) for the picture /media/museum/hardware/matra-hachette_alice_magneto_2.jpg title subtitle text image RF TV VIDEO ADAPTER This thing was used when your TV had no scart/peritel video connector. The Alice could then be connected via the RF TV cord, but the display was only black & white. Thanks to [www.mapetitecollection.com](http://www.mapetitecollection.com/) for the picture /media/museum/hardware/matra-hachette_alice_adaptateur-antenne_1.jpg title subtitle text image SERIAL INTERFACE 1 - CD (Carrier Detection)\ 2 - RD (Receive Data)\ 3 - GND (Ground)\ 4 - TD (Transmit Data) /media/museum/connectors/tandy_mc10_serial-port_d.jpg title subtitle text image TAPE INTERFACE 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. /media/museum/connectors/tandy_mc10_tape_d.jpg title subtitle text image RGB VIDEO / AUDIO OUTPUT 1 - Commutation\ 2 - Ground\ 3 - Red\ 4 - Video\ 5 - Green\ 6 - Audio\ 7 - Blue /media/museum/connectors/tandy_mc10_rgb-video_d.jpg title subtitle text image EXPANSION PORT 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) /media/museum/connectors/tandy_mc10_expansion-port_d.jpg title url platform text DCAlice http://alice32.free.fr/index.html Windows Excellent working Alice emulator title url platform text Emucompboy's Alice emulator http://www.geocities.com/emucompboy/ Windows This is the first real Alice emulator !! (MC-10 emulators do not emulate Alice) title url platform text Emucompboy's MC-10 Emulator http://www.geocities.com/emucompboy/ Windows Nice Windows emulator title url platform text The MC-10 Emulation project http://www.student.cs.uwaterloo.ca/~camennie/mc10/ Unix / Linux Still active ? title url platform text The MESS project http://www.mess.org/ Multiplatform This multi-platform emulator can emulate the MC-10 title url text Alice FAQ http://membres.lycos.fr/romualdl/alice/alice_faq.txt Useful source of information about the Alice systems title url text Alice page http://membres.lycos.fr/romualdl/alice/alice.html Excellent dedicated pages full of info by Romuald Line, includes a FAQ title url text Inside the Radio Shack MC-10 http://www.slowcomputing.org/ssouth/mc10/ Simon South's excellent and useful page. Lot of hardware info. title url text My MC10 Home Page http://mymc10.tripod.com/ Lot of stuff here, especially software. Cool. title url text The MC-10 archive http://mc10archive.com Small dedicated site with extended Basic available + utilities, games and documents to download ! title url text TRS-80 MC10 Club (Yahoo club) http://clubs.yahoo.com/clubs/trs80mc10club The heart of the MC-10 community. Quite active. title url cover text DECOUVREZ LE BASIC http://alice32.free.fr/doc/index.html /media/museum/docs/couvs/alice_decouvrez-le-basic.jpg [**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 url cover text RÉSUMÉ DES COMMANDES ET FONCTIONS BASIC http://alice32.free.fr/doc/index.html /media/museum/docs/couvs/alice_resume-commandes-basic.jpg [**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 url cover text GUIDE D'INSTRUCTIONS DE L'ÉDITEUR ASSEMBLEUR http://alice32.free.fr/doc/index.html /media/museum/docs/couvs/alice_assembleur.jpg [**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 url cover text ALLER PLUS LOIN AVEC ALICE http://alice32.free.fr/doc/index.html /media/museum/docs/couvs/alice_aller-plus-loin.jpg [**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 url cover text MC-10 SERVICE MANUAL /media/museum/docs/tandy_mc10_service-manual.zip /media/museum/docs/couvs/tandy_mc10_service-manual.jpg [**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 url cover text EXTENSION JOYSTICK http://alice32.free.fr/doc/index.html /media/museum/docs/couvs/alice_joysticks.jpg [**EXTENSION JOYSTICK**](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 url cover text LECTEUR ENREGISTREUR DE CASSETTE http://alice32.free.fr/doc/index.html /media/museum/docs/couvs/alice_lecteur-cassette.jpg [**LECTEUR ENREGISTREUR DE CASSETTE**](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 url cover text TP-10 OPERATION MANUAL http://themc10archive.com/node/44 /media/museum/docs/couvs/tandy_mc10_tp10-manual.gif [**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) /museum/matra-hachette-alice-90 /museum/sysdata-eletronica-microcolor /museum/tandy-radio-shack-mc-10 60 url date https://web.archive.org/web/20230604043238/http://www.old-computers.com/museum/computer.asp?c=60 2023-06-04

As the Sinclair ZX-81, the Alice was clearly marketed as an initiation machine.

In 1981, Matra signed a deal with Tandy/RadioShack to develop a MC-10 clone for 1983 : the Alice. Matra then worked with Hachette (both were owned by the Lagardère group) to produce the documentation and to organize the distribution. Last but not least, the well known and excellent french illustrator Moebius drew a beautiful illustration for the docs and the box of the Alice.

Alice is quite limited in its possibilities but is also quite pleasant to use. Its case is whole red and the computer really looks like a toy.

Several educational programs were developed for this computer.

Then in 1984, Matra presents a new version : The Alice 32 with 16 kb RAM and improved graphical possibilities.

But this computer was, like the MC 10, a flop in the marketplace. It was replaced one year later by the Alice 90.