website/content/museum/amstrad-nc-100.md

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

title	categories	types	origins	years	cpus	params
Amstrad NC 100	Computers	Portable	United Kingdom	1992	Z80	name image company company_name specs tabs forum_thread photos emulators links docs oc_id source NC 100 /media/museum/photos/amstrad_nc100_system_2.jpg /companies/amstrad Amstrad label value NAME NC 100 label value MANUFACTURER Amstrad label value TYPE Portable label value ORIGIN United Kingdom label value YEAR August 1992 label value BUILT IN LANGUAGE BBC Basic label value KEYBOARD Full-stroke 64 keys label value CPU Z80 label value CO-PROCESSOR NEC custom chip (various I/O and memory management) label value RAM 64 KB label value ROM Unknown label value TEXT MODES 80 char x 8 lines label value GRAPHIC MODES 480 x 64 pixels label value COLORS bluish grey LCD label value SOUND Beeper label value SIZE / WEIGHT 29,5(W) x 21(D) x 2,8(H) cm. / 1 Kg label value I/O PORTS Parallel Centronics, Serial RS-232 label value BUILT IN MEDIA 1 MB PCMCIA slot label value OS BBC BASIC, word processor, diary, calculator, address book, serial terminal in ROM label value POWER SUPPLY External 7.5V AC adaptor or batteries label value PRICE £199 photos emulators links docs 736 title subtitle text image NC-100 Here a German version (QWERTZ keyboard) /media/museum/photos/amstrad_nc100_system_3.jpg title subtitle text image MAIN MENU 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) /media/museum/photos/amstrad_nc100_dispcloseup_s1.jpg title subtitle text image BOTH SIDES On left side, LCD contrast adjustment,\ On right side, PCMCIA card slot. /media/museum/photos/amstrad_nc100_bothsides_s1.jpg title subtitle text image REAR CONNECTORS From left to right:\ • Jack for a 6V external AC adaptor\ • Serial RS232 DB9 connector\ • Parallel printer DB25 connector. /media/museum/photos/amstrad_nc100_rearside_s1.jpg title subtitle text image UNDERNEATH **(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. /media/museum/photos/amstrad_nc100_bottomside_s1.jpg title subtitle text image INSIDE 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 /media/museum/photos/amstrad_nc100_inside_s1.jpg title subtitle text image NC-100, 150 BAG /media/museum/photos/amstrad_nc100_bag_s1.jpg title url platform text nc100em http://rus.members.beeb.net/nc100em.html Unix / Linux nc100em is an Amstrad NC100 emulator. It also has NC200 support, but this is less complete. title url platform text MESS http://www.mess.org Multiplatform MESS emulates the NC100, among other things. title url text 8bit-micro.com - Amstrad NC100 Page http://www.8bit-micro.com/amstrad-nc100.htm Additional information on the Amstrad NC100 - Display Upgrade title url text Amstrad Computer Site / NC100/150/200 page http://web.ukonline.co.uk/cliff.lawson/notepad.htm Useful information there, to help you diagnose why your NC system doesn't work anymore title url text Amstrad NC200 Notebook Page http://www.cpmspectre.pwp.blueyonder.co.uk/nc200/nc200idx.htm Some software to download title url text NC100 Yahoo Group http://de.groups.yahoo.com/group/NC100/ Discussion group devoted to the Amstrad NC serie title url text Tim's Amstrad NC users' site http://www.ncus.org.uk/intro.htm Tech info, downloads, software and much more! title url text ZCN http://www.ibiblio.org/pub/packages/zcn/ ZCN is a free operating system for the Amstrad NC100 (Notepad) and NC200 (Notebook). title url cover text AMSTRAD NC-100 - USER MANUAL null /media/museum/docs/couvs/amstrad_nc100_user-manual.jpg **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/) 753 url date https://web.archive.org/web/20230608212536/http://www.old-computers.com/museum/computer.asp?c=753 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 and 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.

Thanks to Graeme Burton for information about NC series computers.