News about Amstrad CPC, PCW, Notepad NC100 NC150 NC200, PDA600 and also Amstrad PC






Hardware test of the Amstrad NC100 Notepad Computer by ChinnyVision

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Another hardware test by ChinnyVision about the Amstrad NC100 Notepad Computer sold in 1992, an interesting portable computer, which existed also for the french and italian market as the Notepad NC150, and a later model the Notepad NC200 with a disk drive (1993).

The Amstrad Notepad NC100 has a Zilog Z80 processor like the Amstrad CPC and PCW, 64 Kb of RAM, a RS232C serial port, printer port, PCMCIA port to add a memory card (1 Mb maximum). The LCD screen has 8 rows of 80 characters (480 x 64 pixels). Used with 4 AA cell batteries, the NC100 can run for about 20 hours. The english manual of the Notepad NC100 is available for download.

Its features are :

  • Protext word processor (already on Amstrad CPC and Amstrad PCW)
  • spreadsheet (only on NC150 and NC200)
  • diary (word processing entries with a date)
  • address book
  • time manager (configurable alarm)
  • calculator
  • BBC BASIC interpreter
  • games (only on NC150 and NC200)

The Amstrad notepad NC100 can be used with the original interface/OS or with ZCN by Mark Russel wich is a native CP/M, or with Fuzix which is an unix (system 5) by Alan Cox.

You can emulate an Amstrad NC100 (and also NC150 and NC200) with nc100em (still by Mark Russel) for linux or ms-dos and a windows (port by Stefano Bodrato). The MESS emulator also supports the 3 Amstrad notepad NC. If you dont have the original NC100 ROM, you will need the ZCN.BIN file included in ZCN v1.3.

You will find more informations about the Amstrad Notepad NC on the excellent Tim's Amstrad NC users site where you will find programs for your NC100, see also the ZCN page.

Others youttube videos about Amstrad Notepad NC computers :



Test of the cartridge Amstrad CPC+ or GX4000 game Navy Seals (Ocean, 1990) by ChinnyVision

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A new video by ChinnyVision on Youtube about Navy Seals is available. This arcade game was out on Amstrad CPC+ and GX4000 in 1990 by Ocean.

He also tests it on Spectrum, C64, Atari ST and Amiga.



Test of the personal assistant Amstrad PenPad PDA600 by ChinnyVision

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For once ChinnyVision doesnt test an Amstrad CPC game, but some Amstrad hardware : the Amstrad PenPad PDA600, a personal assistant which was able to recognize hand made writing with his Z180 processor.

Tomorrow, he will test an Amstrad Notepad NC100.



Amstrad Eterno 2017, the 18th March 2017 in Barcelone (Spain)

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Amstrad Eterno 2017 es un evento de Amstrad CPC en Barcelona (España), el 18 de marzo de 2017.

Amstrad Eterno 2017 is an Amstrad CPC event in Barcelone (Spain) on the 18th March 2017.

See also the Amstrad Eterno Facebook page.

Amstrad Eterno event in Barcelone the 18th March 2017



Vasm v1.7h, a portable and retargetable assembler, can compile Z80 assembler, but not only

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Vasm v1.7h is a compilator for several platforms :

  • Unix
  • AmigaOS 68020
  • Atari MiNT 68020
  • MorphOS
  • AmigaOS4
  • PowerUp
  • Atari TOS 68000
  • WarpOS
  • Windows

And of course, it can compile Z80 assembler, but it's not the only processor it can manage.



RetroGaming Play 2017 at Meaux (77, France) on 18th and 19th FébruarY

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The RetroGaming Play 2017 will take place in France at Meaux (77) this week-end the 18th and 19th February 2017.

This event is all about video game culture, it will feature expositions, Freeplay, animations, arcade games, quizz contests, selling booth, conferences...

Will be present : Bertrand Brocard, AHL, Florent Gorges, Douglas Alves ou bien Abrial Da Costa (more guests normally expected) and also Youtubers : Keydee, AtOmium et Psychodélik.

RGP's Facebook page



Y'a pas que l'Amstrad dans la vie S2E10 : Gryzor / Contra

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Another Youtube channel : Khomenor, like ChinnyVision he tests games, but not only the Amstrad CPC version. For Contrat / Gryzor, it was written only on 8bit computers/consoles, no 16bit.



A speedrun of Barbarian by JB le Daron

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JB Le Daron is a french Youtube channel I just jumped on. In this fist episode, he is talking about speedrun : finish a game as fast as possible, often seen on other 8bit computers and consoles, but rarely (or never) on Amstrad CPC to my knowing. And it's Barbarian by Palace Software in 1987 which you will see done quickly.

After having seen the video, there should be on CPC-Power that you should know some SNR files which are played games (speedrun or not) which you can read with the emulator WinAPE.

Will you be able to beat the game Barbarian in less than 6 minutes and 12 seconds, the record made by Kukulcan (CPC-Power) ? The speedrun starts at 6 minutes in the video.