website/content/museum/amstrad-pcw-16.md

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

title	categories	types	origins	years	cpus	params
Amstrad PCW 16	Computers	Professional Computer	United Kingdom	1994	Zilog Z80 A	name image company company_name specs tabs forum_thread photos screenshots emulators links oc_id source PCW 16 /media/museum/photos/amstrad_pcw16_running_s1.jpg /companies/amstrad Amstrad label value NAME PCW 16 label value MANUFACTURER Amstrad label value TYPE Professional Computer label value ORIGIN United Kingdom label value YEAR 1994 label value BUILT IN LANGUAGE None label value KEYBOARD Full-stroke keyboard, PC-AT type label value CPU Zilog Z80 A label value SPEED 16 MHz label value CO-PROCESSOR Winbond 83787 I/O chipset label value RAM 1 MB DRAM + 1 MB Flash RAM (holds Operating System and built-in software) label value ROM Unknown label value TEXT MODES Bitmapped characters label value GRAPHIC MODES 640 x 480 dots label value COLORS Monochrome built-in display label value SOUND 1 channel label value SIZE / WEIGHT 35.5 (H) x 30 (D) x 31 (W) cm (main unit) label value I/O PORTS Serial & Parallel Ports, Serial mouse, AT keyboard label value BUILT IN MEDIA One 1.44 MB 3.5'' disk-drive label value OS Roseanne + CP/M 2.2 label value POWER SUPPLY Power supply built-in label value PRICE £299 when it came out photos software emulators links 68 title subtitle text image LARGE VIEW When switched on the computer displays this main menu. /media/museum/photos/amstrad_pcw16_running_s2.jpg title subtitle text image SIDE VIEW /media/museum/photos/amstrad_pcw16_sideview_s1.jpg title subtitle text image TOP VIEW /media/museum/photos/amstrad_pcw16_topview_s1.jpg title subtitle text image BACK SIDE /media/museum/photos/amstrad_pcw16_rearside_s1.jpg title subtitle text image UNDERNEATH TRAP DOOR Among the numerous expansions planned by Amstrad, this trap door allowed a ROM chip and a connector to be added. /media/museum/photos/amstrad_pcw16_romtrap_s1.jpg title subtitle text image KEYBOARD CLOSE-UP The keyboard was a colored version of a standard PC-AT model. Each fuction key allowed a software module to be called. Four-color keys was used to manage system windows. /media/museum/photos/amstrad_pcw16_keyboard_s2.jpg title subtitle text image OPENED Like all other Amstrad PCW computers, the inside electronics is made up of two boards. The upper one **(1)** is the analog board, holding the power supply unit and the video circuitry. The logic board **(2)** is located under it. /media/museum/photos/amstrad_pcw16_inside_s1.jpg title subtitle text image MOTHERBOARD Only two chips provide all the internal functions of the PCW-16, a Winbond I/O chip and an Amstrad custom chip.\ Provision is made for additional RAM and Flash RAM as well as a possible hard disk interface. **(1)** 1 MB RAM chips. Provision is made for a second 1 MB RAM bank\ **(2)** A trap door, allowed to insert a ROM chip from underneath the computer. However, in this version, the location is empty, no socket is soldered\ **(3)** 1 MB Intel Flash RAM chip\ **(4)** Custom Amstrad chip. Holds a 16 MHz Z80 CPU, video interface, addresses and data bus management\ **(5)** Winbond 83787 I/O chip. One found this chip in numerous PC compatible I/O cards\ **(6)** Provision is made for additional Flash RAM chips\ **(7)** Provision is also made for either a second floppy drive, or an hard disk drive\ **(8)** Video output connector\ **(9)** FDD power connector\ **(10)** Power supply connector\ **(11)** Backup battery and buzzer. /media/museum/photos/amstrad_pcw16_mainboard_s1.jpg title subtitle text image USER'S MANUAL /media/museum/photos/amstrad_pcw16_manual_s1.jpg title subtitle text image MAIN SCREEN /media/museum/software/amstrad_pcw16_screenboot.jpg title subtitle text image WORD-PROCESSOR /media/museum/software/amstrad_pcw16_softwp_s1.jpg title subtitle text image SPREADSHEET /media/museum/software/amstrad_pcw16_softss_s1.jpg title subtitle text image DIARY/ALARM /media/museum/software/amstrad_pcw16_softdiary_s1.jpg title subtitle text image FILE MANAGER /media/museum/software/amstrad_pcw16_softfm_s1.jpg title url platform text Joyce http://www.seasip.demon.co.uk/pcw.html MS DOS Emulates PCW systems under DOS title url platform text Joyce http://www.seasip.demon.co.uk/Unix/Joyce/index.html Windows Emulates PCW systems on Windows platforms title url platform text Joyce http://www.bannister.org/software/joyce.htm Apple title url platform text Joyce http://www.seasip.demon.co.uk/Unix/Joyce/index.html Unix / Linux Emulates PCW systems title url text 16 Storm, the PCW-16 site http://www.aster.fsnet.co.uk/pcw16.htm Reviews, tutorials, news and links 52 url date https://web.archive.org/web/20230608075417/http://www.old-computers.com/museum/computer.asp?c=52 2023-06-08

The PCW 16 replaced the PCW 9512. Contrary to the previous models, which used a text-based interface, the PCW 16 used a graphical user interface called The Desktop. The computer didn't run CP/M like the old PCW computers, but had its own operating system called Roseanne. Even though CP/M wasn't supplied, it was adapted to this machine by independent developers.

Unlike the previous PCW models which came with only the Locoscript word-processor, the PCW16 came with a complete range of built-in software - word-processor, spreadsheet, address book, diary/alarm, calculator and file manager.

Luckily, Amstrad abandoned the Hitachi 3" floppy format and switched to the standard MSDOS 3.5" 1.44 MB double-density floppy disk. The Roseanne system could use long filenames (up to 31 characters). The display was also standard: 640 x 480 VGA mode.

Amstrad provided Several internal expansions for the PCW-16, 1 MB RAM, 2 MB Flash RAM, Application ROMs, second FDD drive; but it seems that none of them saw the light.

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Rob W. remembers:
Dixons UK were selling the PCW-16 as late as December 1997, bundled with a Citizen Dot-Matrix Printer for about £170, which seemed expensive, but up against the latest £1,999 P233-MMX Packard Bell at the time, it seemed somewhat cheap :)
Sadly, despite being taken in by its psychedelic keyboard colours and constant nagging, my dad didn't buy me this :(
But... the following year he bought me a P233-MMX for £600 and the rest is history.
Unfortunately, I have not seen one since. Wonder why...