Old Hardware Emulated :MAME - The Amstrad NC100/NC200 Portable Computer
Welcome To The 90's!
Amstrad NC100 (Wikipedia)
Amstrad And Alan Sugar
As the 80's
continued, miniaturization of electrical components continued. Computers
were getting smaller and smaller, while they were becoming more
powerful and capable. The 80's started with the pocket computers with
the calculator form factor delivered by companies like Sharp and Casio.
As the decade continued, they were followed up by portable computers
like the Tandy TRS-80 Model 100 and the Cambridge Z88. The trend would
continue into the 90's with the Amstrad NC100 portable computer.
Like it's predecessors the computer was designed to be easy and simple to use. It was designed by Amstrad. Amstrad was a company that was known to deliver electronics at a affordable and budget price. Early in the company's existence, they sold consumer electronics centered around audio products. Turntables, cassette-tape decks, speakers and receivers. These products were much cheaper than the competition because they were imported from Japan and other places in the Far East. On one hand, there products were looked down upon by audiophiles. However, these products allowed people who were on a budget the ability to create a affordable audio setup. The technology became much more accessible. The company also made affordable TV's and VCR's in the 80's. YouTube Kim Justice has made a really awesome video centered around Amstrad and there computers that's highly recommended. It's linked in the description below.
The company was the brainchild of Alan Sugar, a venture capitalist looking for new financial opportunities. As the 80's, continued, they branched out into computers. They released the Amstrad 1512 and 1640 personal computers, which were the first widely used IBM Compatibles in Britain. They also created the Amstrad PCW 8256 and 9256 8-bit computers. These were affordable computers designed for word-processor in mind. The PCW's were very well received. The company released the CPC, a 8-bit color computer designed to compete with both the ZX-Spectrum and the Commodore C64. Later, Amstrad brought Sinclair Research's computer division and the ZX Spectrum was sold under the Amstrad name.
The company entered hard-times in the 90's. Revisions of there IBM Compatibles had faulty hard-disk drives in them. The company had a poor reputation with there products by this point. As a result, Amstrad decided to branch out into portable computing to revise there fortunes. Alan Sugar gave the directive that he didn't care what the specs of the machine were as long as these devices served there intended purpose. He even tested the computers himself in the field. According to the Wikipedia article covering this computer, it's noted that Alan Sugar himself wrote the first chapter in the NC100 manual!
Like it's predecessors the computer was designed to be easy and simple to use. It was designed by Amstrad. Amstrad was a company that was known to deliver electronics at a affordable and budget price. Early in the company's existence, they sold consumer electronics centered around audio products. Turntables, cassette-tape decks, speakers and receivers. These products were much cheaper than the competition because they were imported from Japan and other places in the Far East. On one hand, there products were looked down upon by audiophiles. However, these products allowed people who were on a budget the ability to create a affordable audio setup. The technology became much more accessible. The company also made affordable TV's and VCR's in the 80's. YouTube Kim Justice has made a really awesome video centered around Amstrad and there computers that's highly recommended. It's linked in the description below.
The company was the brainchild of Alan Sugar, a venture capitalist looking for new financial opportunities. As the 80's, continued, they branched out into computers. They released the Amstrad 1512 and 1640 personal computers, which were the first widely used IBM Compatibles in Britain. They also created the Amstrad PCW 8256 and 9256 8-bit computers. These were affordable computers designed for word-processor in mind. The PCW's were very well received. The company released the CPC, a 8-bit color computer designed to compete with both the ZX-Spectrum and the Commodore C64. Later, Amstrad brought Sinclair Research's computer division and the ZX Spectrum was sold under the Amstrad name.
The company entered hard-times in the 90's. Revisions of there IBM Compatibles had faulty hard-disk drives in them. The company had a poor reputation with there products by this point. As a result, Amstrad decided to branch out into portable computing to revise there fortunes. Alan Sugar gave the directive that he didn't care what the specs of the machine were as long as these devices served there intended purpose. He even tested the computers himself in the field. According to the Wikipedia article covering this computer, it's noted that Alan Sugar himself wrote the first chapter in the NC100 manual!
System Specs
Some could argue
that even by portable standards, the specs of the Amstrad NC100 were not
cutting edge. The computer was powered by a Zilog Z80 processor. The
Z80 CPU was a a-bit processor used in countless computers throughout the
70's and the 80's. Many could argue that by the early 90's, this
processor was really starting to show its age. However, Amstrad wasn't
done with them yet! The unit in the NC100 ran a faster variant of the
Z80 clocked at 4MHz. The NC100 also had a custom co-processor designed
by NEC that handled the I/O (Input/Output) of the various devices within
the computer.
The computer had a expansion bus in the form of a PCMCIA slot. These slots, and the cards that they used, were widely used in laptop computers throughout the 90's/early 2000's. Typically referred to as PC-Cards, these slots held very thin memory cards that could expand the functionality of a portable system. The portable computer shipped with 64KB of RAM, with a 256KB ROM chip used to hold the operating system and applications. This was deemed small by most at the same. Despite this though, the software on the system was very capable, and the machine was very affordable (£199according to www.old-computers.com).
The NC100 had a LCD display with a output of 80 columns by 8 roles and delivered a resolution of 464 by 64 pixels. The screen was not backlit. This allowed for longer use on batteries. Speaking of which, the NC100 provided up to 20 hours of use on 4 AA batteries. There was a RS-232 serial communications port that allowed the NCC to transfer data to and from a desktop computer. Like it's contemporaries, like the Cambridge Z88, it also featured BBC BASIC. The keyboard had 64 keys.
The computer had a expansion bus in the form of a PCMCIA slot. These slots, and the cards that they used, were widely used in laptop computers throughout the 90's/early 2000's. Typically referred to as PC-Cards, these slots held very thin memory cards that could expand the functionality of a portable system. The portable computer shipped with 64KB of RAM, with a 256KB ROM chip used to hold the operating system and applications. This was deemed small by most at the same. Despite this though, the software on the system was very capable, and the machine was very affordable (£199according to www.old-computers.com).
The NC100 had a LCD display with a output of 80 columns by 8 roles and delivered a resolution of 464 by 64 pixels. The screen was not backlit. This allowed for longer use on batteries. Speaking of which, the NC100 provided up to 20 hours of use on 4 AA batteries. There was a RS-232 serial communications port that allowed the NCC to transfer data to and from a desktop computer. Like it's contemporaries, like the Cambridge Z88, it also featured BBC BASIC. The keyboard had 64 keys.
Applications
As mentioned
in the previous article, BASIC usually shipped on a lot of the portable
microcomputers during this time. The dialect used was BBC BASIC, which
in the UK at least, was a strong competitor to Microsoft BASIC. This
dialect shipped on various computer systems over the years, including
the Cambridge Z88 and now, the Amstrad. The built-in BASIC allowed
programmers to write there own programs using the computer, like games
and simple applications. The common use of BBC BASIC allowed many to
port over programs from other microcomputers. As a result, a software
community sprung up distributing programs written in BASIC.
As noted, there was a calculator, diary, and address book as well. As with the Cambridge Z88, the most important piece of software on the computer was the word-processor, as it allowed documents to be created on the go.
As noted, there was a calculator, diary, and address book as well. As with the Cambridge Z88, the most important piece of software on the computer was the word-processor, as it allowed documents to be created on the go.
The very first thing one is greeted to when the machine is powered on
Emulation: MAME
MAME emulates the
Amstrad NC line of portable computers. The emulation can be a little
awkward at first. The reason for this is that applications were launched
with the combination of the color keys. These keys are mapped
differently on a typical keyboard. For example, the red key is mapped to
the left arrow key, the green key is mapped to the right arrow key, and
the blue key is mapped to the down arrow key. The Function key is
mapped to the "Alt" key. The "Stop" key on the NC100 is mapped to "ESC".
The combination of the arrow keys start the applications.
To launch the
word-processor on the computer, one would need to press [Function] + Red
(Word). On a PC keyboard, MAME would have mapped this to the "Alt" +
left arrow key. Calculator on the PC keyboard would be "Alt"+right arrow
key. To launch the diary/clock/address book, one would need to press
"Alt"+down arrow key. After this, one would need to press the approtiate
keys in order to select the options. With the word-processor, color
keys are assigned to whether one wants save, load, or starting a new
document. The diary, clock, and address book have there own specific
color keys as well. These combination could be a little confusing to
those trying the emulator out using a typical keyboard, as those keys
usually have one color.
The above
screenshot shows the emulated NC100 running the word-processor that came
with the computer. Again, this allowed those on the go to compose
documents on the road or away from the desktop. To launch the emulator, I
have a script file that launches the system with the following command:
mame64 nc100 -w -nomax
Now, I have the artwork for this computer. By default, MAME would only show the only emulated system itself. The artwork provides a "look-and-feel" of how interaction with this system would have felt, with the logos, keyboard, and the look of the machine itself. The artwork for the emulated system goes into the /artwork folder in the MAME root directory. For some systems, the artworks is clickable. One can click the buttons, and they perform the same actions as if using the real machine. On the NC100 though, this is not the case, and only serve a purely decorative role. It's still cool to look at though, and gives the emulator a personality. As noted, the system boot ROMS goes into the ROMS folder. At the current moment though, there doesn't appear to be a software list for the NC100.
As noted in the Old Hardware Emulated: Tandy TRS-80 Model 100 article, MAME, by default, doesn't come with the system ROMS for the computers covered within the article. ROMS that are needed to use the emulated system. The needed ROMS for this system can be extracted from the computer or found with a Internet search. Technically, the software and ROMS are still intellectual property of there respective owner. However, this platform has long since abandoned, and there is a real chance that these programs could be lost to time if not preserved. Software preservation is essential to show the evolution of software over the decades, especially for platforms that seem obscure now. Important history could be lost if not preserved.
mame64 nc100 -w -nomax
Now, I have the artwork for this computer. By default, MAME would only show the only emulated system itself. The artwork provides a "look-and-feel" of how interaction with this system would have felt, with the logos, keyboard, and the look of the machine itself. The artwork for the emulated system goes into the /artwork folder in the MAME root directory. For some systems, the artworks is clickable. One can click the buttons, and they perform the same actions as if using the real machine. On the NC100 though, this is not the case, and only serve a purely decorative role. It's still cool to look at though, and gives the emulator a personality. As noted, the system boot ROMS goes into the ROMS folder. At the current moment though, there doesn't appear to be a software list for the NC100.
As noted in the Old Hardware Emulated: Tandy TRS-80 Model 100 article, MAME, by default, doesn't come with the system ROMS for the computers covered within the article. ROMS that are needed to use the emulated system. The needed ROMS for this system can be extracted from the computer or found with a Internet search. Technically, the software and ROMS are still intellectual property of there respective owner. However, this platform has long since abandoned, and there is a real chance that these programs could be lost to time if not preserved. Software preservation is essential to show the evolution of software over the decades, especially for platforms that seem obscure now. Important history could be lost if not preserved.
The NC200
In late 1993,
Amstrad released a followup to the NC100 called the NC200. This
computer had more software built into the ROM. This included Tetris-like
games. Like it predecessor, these applications were launched with the
combination of the color keys. According to the Wikipedia article, the
NC200 had a built-in 3-1/2 inch floppy drive which could read 720KB
MS-DOS formatted disk. The screen had double the height compared to the
previous model, with a resolution of 480 by 128 pixels. Like its
predecessor the Amstrad NC200 had a word-processor. Unlike that previous
model though, the NC200 also included a spreadsheet program. The
computer used the same processor as the NC100. The NC200 is emulated by
MAME as well.
One major disadvantage of this system was that it consumed a lot more juice. The use of the floppy drive used a lot more of this energy alone. The NC200 required 5 C-Cell batteries. The screen was back-lit in this model, which could be turned off manually to save energy.
To launch the system in MAME, I had a batch file that executed the following command:
mame64 nc200 -w -nomax
The key mapping with the emulated NC200 are the same with the NC100.
One major disadvantage of this system was that it consumed a lot more juice. The use of the floppy drive used a lot more of this energy alone. The NC200 required 5 C-Cell batteries. The screen was back-lit in this model, which could be turned off manually to save energy.
To launch the system in MAME, I had a batch file that executed the following command:
mame64 nc200 -w -nomax
The key mapping with the emulated NC200 are the same with the NC100.
The Application Menu for the Amstrad NC200
Super Blockade, a Tetris clone. They were two other games, but they identical.
The calendar program for the NC200
The word-processor that shipped with the Amstrad NC200
The spreadsheet program for the NC200
The help system for the NC200 spreadsheet program.
Final Thoughts
These
computers were from a different time and era. Throughout the 80's and
90's, portable and handheld computers didn't have the horsepower for
multimedia applications, like video watching and music/mp3 playback. As
such, those who used these computers back in the day didn't have those
expectations. They knew that such systems couldn't handle those
capabilities, therefore such features weren't expected from them. Also,
these computers were much more geared towards those who used such
systems for productivity.
Even now, many could argue that tablets and phones now aren't fully capable of replacing desktop computers, as tablets and smartphones are poor in the areas of professional content creation. Even now, many see tablets and phones as complements of computers, not replacements. This was much more the case during the 80's and 90's, where portable computers were often times no match for the desktops. Those who purchased these systems back in the day knew this. However, they also realized that they could now do field work with a portable computer when it wasn't possible previously.
These portable systems weren't geared towards recreational tasks. The tasks in this field that was possible was very limited in scope, like the inclusion of the Tetris-like games on the Amstrad NC200. As such those who might encounter such a system now would feel out as place. How portable systems would be used over the years depended on both those who used such computers and the capabilities introduced by advances in hardware.
Even now, many could argue that tablets and phones now aren't fully capable of replacing desktop computers, as tablets and smartphones are poor in the areas of professional content creation. Even now, many see tablets and phones as complements of computers, not replacements. This was much more the case during the 80's and 90's, where portable computers were often times no match for the desktops. Those who purchased these systems back in the day knew this. However, they also realized that they could now do field work with a portable computer when it wasn't possible previously.
These portable systems weren't geared towards recreational tasks. The tasks in this field that was possible was very limited in scope, like the inclusion of the Tetris-like games on the Amstrad NC200. As such those who might encounter such a system now would feel out as place. How portable systems would be used over the years depended on both those who used such computers and the capabilities introduced by advances in hardware.
These portable computers would play a role in the development of
the recreational technology of our smartphones and tablets that we so
know and love today. The iPhones and Android tablets just didn't come
from nowhere. That tech had to come from somewhere, right!
Articles of Interest:
Wikipedia - Amstrad NC100: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Amstrad_NC100
Old Computers - Amstrad NC100: http://www.old-computers.com/museum/computer.asp?c=753
Wikipedia-PCMCIA: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Personal_Computer_Memory_Card_International_Association
MAME: https://www.mamedev.org
Project MESS: http://www.progettoemma.net/mess/
MAME Documentation - MAME Commandline Usage and OS-Specfic Configuration:
https://web.archive.org/web/20180619152212/https://docs.mamedev.org/commandline/commandline-all.html
MESS Artwork Project: http://mess.redump.net/artwork
The Kixmiller Pigeon -Old Hardware Emulated :OZvm - The Cambridge Z88 Portable Computer
https://rkixmiller.dudaone.com/old-hardware-emulated-ozvm-the-cambridge-z88-portable-computer
MAME: https://www.mamedev.org
Project MESS: http://www.progettoemma.net/mess/
MAME Documentation - MAME Commandline Usage and OS-Specfic Configuration:
https://web.archive.org/web/20180619152212/https://docs.mamedev.org/commandline/commandline-all.html
MESS Artwork Project: http://mess.redump.net/artwork
The Kixmiller Pigeon -Old Hardware Emulated :OZvm - The Cambridge Z88 Portable Computer
https://rkixmiller.dudaone.com/old-hardware-emulated-ozvm-the-cambridge-z88-portable-computer
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