website/content/museum/amstrad-pcw-9512.md

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

title	categories	types	origins	years	cpus	params
Amstrad PCW 9512	Computers	Professional Computer	United Kingdom	1987	Zilog Z80 A	name image company company_name specs tabs forum_thread photos adverts hardware emulators links docs related oc_id source PCW 9512 /media/museum/photos/amstrad_9512_system_s3.jpg /companies/amstrad Amstrad label value NAME PCW 9512 label value MANUFACTURER Amstrad label value TYPE Professional Computer label value ORIGIN United Kingdom label value YEAR 1987 label value END OF PRODUCTION 1994 label value KEYBOARD Full-stroke 82 key with function keys, numeric keypad and special editing keys (COPY, CUT, PASTE, PRINT,etc.) label value CPU Zilog Z80 A label value SPEED 4 MHz label value RAM 512 KB label value ROM No ROM chip. Bootstrap loader is masked onto a custom chip. label value TEXT MODES 90 xchars. x 35 lines label value GRAPHIC MODES 720 x 256 dots label value COLORS Monochrome (black & white) label value SOUND Beeper, 1 channel label value SIZE / WEIGHT 34.5 (W) x 34.5 (D) x 42 (H) cm label value I/O PORTS Z80 Bus, Parallel label value BUILT IN MEDIA One Hitachi 3'' disk-drive (720k) label value OS CP/M, CP/M+ label value POWER SUPPLY Built-in power supply unit label value PERIPHERALS Printer, RAM an serial expansion units label value PRICE £499 photos adverts hardware emulators links docs 200 title subtitle text image PCW-9512 /media/museum/photos/amstrad_9512_system_s2.jpg title subtitle text image RUNNING The PCW-9512 is running the LocoScript word processing program. /media/museum/photos/amstrad_9512_running_s1.jpg title subtitle text image TOP VIEW /media/museum/photos/amstrad_9512_topview_s1.jpg title subtitle text image PROFILE #1 /media/museum/photos/amstrad_9512_side_s1.jpg title subtitle text image PROFILE #2 /media/museum/photos/amstrad_9512_side_s2.jpg title subtitle text image OPENED 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. /media/museum/photos/amstrad_9512_opened_s1.jpg title subtitle text image LOGIC BOARD **(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 /media/museum/photos/amstrad_9512_mainboard_s1.jpg title subtitle text image INSIDE THE PRINTER A simple but reliable daisywheel mechanism. A small card manages the printing head. Power and logic functions are provided by the main unit. /media/museum/photos/amstrad_9512_printer_s1.jpg title subtitle text image 9512 MANUALS /media/museum/photos/amstrad_9512_manuals_s1.jpg title subtitle text image THE BOX /media/museum/photos/amstrad_9512_box_s1.jpg title subtitle text image FIRST U.K. AD (OCT. 87) 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. /media/museum/pubs/amstrad_9512_pub_1.jpg title subtitle text image SERIAL / PARALLEL INTERFACE /media/museum/hardware/amstrad_8512_serialinterf_1.jpg title subtitle text image SERIAL INTERFACE AND MOUSE A standard serial mouse could be used thrue a serial interface expansion and a specific connector. /media/museum/hardware/amstrad_8512_serialmouse_s1.jpg title subtitle text image RAMPAC 1.5 MB memory expansion This memory expansion was used by some programs as a fast virtual floppy disk drive. /media/museum/hardware/amstrad_9512_rampac_s1.jpg title url platform text Joyce http://www.seasip.demon.co.uk/Unix/Joyce/index.html Multiplatform JOYCE emulates the Amstrad PCW on Unix, Windows and Mac OS X title url text Amstrad PCW http://ciberia.ya.com/tuamstradpcw/ Nice spanish PCW dedicated page with screenshots, software to download and much more! title url text Amstrad PCW products from Pineboard Computers http://www.btinternet.com/~pinboardcomputers/pcws/indexa.htm title url text AMSTRAD PCW SPARES http://www.pcwking1.netfirms.com title url text Ian Macdonald's PCW pages http://www.caliban.org/PCW.html title url text Kathleen's General Interest PCW Site http://pcwgallery.cjb.net Information about the Amstrad PCW range of computers with photographs and links title url text MB Schneider PCW Seite http://www.3pro.de/mb/pcw8256.htm (in german) title url text SD Microsystems http://members.aol.com/sdmicro/index.htm Company supporting CPC, PCW and Amstrad PC title url cover text PCW 9512 - MANUEL UTILISATEUR (FRENCH MANUAL) http://amstrad.cpc.free.fr/article.php?sid=23 /media/museum/docs/couvs/amstrad_pcw-9512_user-manual.jpg [**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/) /museum/amstrad-pcw-8256-8512 190 url date https://web.archive.org/web/20230608080417/http://www.old-computers.com/museum/computer.asp?c=190 2023-06-08

The Amstrad PCW 9512 was a dedicated word processing computer. It was the successor to the Amstrad PCW 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.