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The Amstrad CPC (Colour Personal Computer) series was a series of 8-bit home / personal computers that was were manufactured by the british British company [[Amstrad]] between 1984 (launch of the CPC464: 21st June 1984) and 1993 (?). The CPC, like most contemporary home micros, had an integrated computer-in-a-keyboard design. Also incorporated in the keyboard was the [[Datacorder|tape recorder ]] or disk [[Disk drives|disc drive]].

In general what Amstrad aimed for was to offer a completely integrated solution at a low price. Just as with Amstrad's stereo towers before, A.[[Alan M.Sugar ]] wanted to provide a solution with as few separate components as possible, with as few cables as possible and at as low a price as possible - so as to make the product attractive to the layman who could theoretically buy it off the back of a track (TM of Amstrad's early practices). As a resultA truck driver, he chose ready off-the-shelf components and used low-cost production methods in an effort to bring manufacturing costs down. He also included a monitor to connect the computer to - a move which, while raising the priceunfamiliar with computers, was designed to free often cited as the home TV from little brats hogging it for a dose of Ikari Warriors while Eastenders was on. This concept appealed to users and proved to be a successCPC's target market.

The combination of low costAs a result, integrated design, good manufacturing quality and some impressive features like CP/M Amstrad chose ready off-the-shelf components and used low-cost production methods in an 80effort to bring manufacturing costs down. They also included a monitor to connect the computer to -column display mode (a move which , while raising the price, was lacking in designed to free the competition) home TV from little brats hogging it for a dose of Ikari Warriors while Eastenders was on. This concept appealed to users and proved to be a success both with home users and small businesses, and Amstrad went on to sell millions of CPCs.

HoweverThe combination of low cost, integrated design, because of its use good manufacturing quality and some impressive features like CP/M and an 80-column display mode (lacking in much of the Z80competition, which was also used in particularly the Sinclair models, many of the games found on the CPC were direct ports of the [[ZX Spectrum versions. As ]] and [[Commodore 64]]) proved to be a result, they failed to take advantage of the CPC's extra capabilities, leaving success both with home users and reviewers with a bad taste in their mouthsmall businesses, a situated that lasted for the entire life and Amstrad went on to sell millions of the machinesCPCs.

The CPC's operating system Because of its use of the Z80, which was called [[AMSDOS]] (Amstrad's Disk Operating System) and was included also used in the Sinclair models, some of the earliest games found on a ROM chip the CPC were fairly direct ports of 48KB. Also in ROM there was the Locomotive BASIC interpreter Spectrum versions which made failed to take advantage of the CPC very fast 's extra capabilities. The amount of Spectrum ports has often been overstated by those who wish to knock the machine, and in BASIC operationsfact formed a comparatively small number of largely unsuccessful games. Nonetheless, compared to other contemporary machinesthose that were published left users and reviewers with a bad taste in their mouth.

In all, there were three basic modelsAt its core, the CPC combined a standard 4MHz [[464Z80|Z80A]], with off-the-shelf components and a custom [[664Gate Array]] and chip. The [[6128firmware]], plus comprised two more [[Plus|advanced]] models16k ROMs (combined onto one 32k chip): one was effectively the operating system, the CPC464+ other the fast and the 6128+. A final iteration was the flexible [[Plus|GX4000Locomotive BASIC]] games machine based interpreter. All machines except the original 464 would also include a further 16k ROM (on a separate chip), the CPC+ computersAMSDOS disc operating system.

In all, there were three 'classic' models, the CPC [[464]], [[664]] and [[6128]]; plus two short-lived later [[Plus|advanced]] models, the 464 Plus and the 6128 Plus. A final iteration was the [[Plus|GX4000]] games machine based on the CPC+ computers. ''See also: [[CPC Prototypes]].''

First came the CPC464, the father of the CPC family, released during on the summer of 21st June 1984 (with production ceasing in 1990). This model used an integrated tape recorder and used offered 64KB or of RAM. It sold around 2 two million units in Europe and, technologicallytechnology-wise, was more impressive than the ZX Spectrum and on a similar level with the Commodore c64 (with the 64. One notable exception of was the sound chip; : while the c64 C64 employed the splendid custom SID chip, Amstrad opted for a generic sound chip - [[AY|AY-3-8912 ]] - with unremarkable features). At its core was a [[Z80]] clocked at 4MHz while That said, the display firmware of the CPC was managed by leagues ahead of the 6845 CRTC along with a gate-array chipC64.)

At its core was a [[Z80]] clocked at 4MHz - though screen display considerations, and the particular design of the [[Gate Array]] limited this to an effective 3.3MHz in practice - while the display was managed by the [[CRTC|6845 CRTC]] along with a gate-array chip. The CPC464 sported a palette of 27 colours and [[Video modes|three distinct resolutions]]: 160x200x16 colours (mode 0), 320x200x4 colours (mode 1) and 640x200x2 colours (mode 2, 80-column mode).

The [[472|CPC 472 ]] was a spanish Spanish version of the CPC 464 with an additional 8 KB , non-functional 8KB RAM. The reason Amstrad released a special version for the spanish market was a law that said that every computer Spain charged an import tax on home computers with up to 64kb should adhere to some rules - namely64K or less RAM, have extra keys for the spanish language otherwise an extra fake "72K" CPC version bypassed that tax would be levied. So Amstrad soldered The tax was invented in an extra 8kb which was notSeptember 1985, however, usable by the machine since it and was not connected to anything else. Later on Amstrad released dropped a 472 with a proper spanish keyboard and few months later (when Spain joined the 8 extra kB as wellEEC). After the rule changed there was also a Also in 1985, but independtly of that tax, Spain dictated that computers must have spanish keyboards, which resulted in two CPC 472 versions: Older models with english keys, newer ones with non-spanish keys available for a very short time. The CPC 472 with spanish or british keyboard is very very rare.

A few months later In June 1985, Amstrad took the initial design and, building upon the same idea, removed the tape recorder and replaced it with a disc drive, using the interface and mechanism of same hardware sold as the external Floppy Disk Drive it was selling up to then[[DDI-1]] add-on for 464 owners. The result: the CPC664. Sporting a less colourful and easier-to-type-on keyboard, the CPC664 appealed as a more serious machine and set off to become proved a success, especially due to its quite fast 3", 180KB/side drive.

== The 6128 ==[[Image:Cpc6128.jpg|right|thumb|200px|While the Amstrad CPC [[6128]] with colour monitor]]Plus computers were arguably one of the best 8-bit computers ever built for the mass market, they died an early death as the 16-bit era had well and truly begun.

Success never came, however, since a few months after its launch == The GX4000 ==[[Image:Gx4000.jpg|right|thumb|200px|The Amstrad GX4000 ]]By 1990 Amstrad presented had realised that the CPC6128 which home market was a 664 with redesigned keyboard (yet again) heading towards the 16-bit machines, on one hand, and double towards the amount new generation of memory - a great 128KB. This effectively killed off game consoles like the Sega Master System or the 664Nintendo Entertainment System, to its users' frustration, since it offered more at on the same priceother. The 6128 came bundled with CP/M 2.2Therefore, DR Logo just as they created the 464 Plus and CP/M+ (with 6128 Plus to compete against the GSX extension) ST and it was quite an appealing solution at the Amiga, they also created a low price. Though stripped-down variant called the 128KB of memory could not be accessed all at once (due to [[Z80Plus|GX4000]]'s limitation), the upper 64KB could still be used as a RAM disk and brought into view through memory banking. Even without this amount, however, Amstrad's efficient designed allowed for a TPA (Transient Program Area) of 42KB, more than enough to run all CP/M software.

== The Plus series ==* [[Image:cpc6128plus.jpg|left|thumb|200px|Amstrad [[Plus|CPC6128+]] with colour monitorAleste 520EX]]

The last models in the Amstrad 8bits range were the Amstrad 464+ and Amstrad 6128+, launched together in 1990. It couln't be called "CPC" because Amstrad were sued by another firm still using This clone also had some MSX like hardware which made it. Described as a solution of 'too little, too late', this was Amstrad's effort possible to prolong the life of its 8-bit computer series in the face of fierce competition from new 16-bit machines (notably, the Atari ST and the Commodore Amiga)run some modified MSX titles. The plus series were mostly (but not quite 100%) compatible with This clone also ran faster than the original CPC computers, and incorporated a list of new features, like a cartridge port for instant program loading, DMA for the AY soundchip (managed with another Z80), hardware scrolling, programmable interruptions, 16 hardware zoomable sprites (not vectorized) with 15 other colours than the bitmap palette, and a palette of 4096 colours all in a new, sleek case which reminded the higher-end machines. While the "Amstrad Plus" computers were arguably one of the best 8-bit computers ever built for the mass market, they died a natural death as the 16-bit era had trully and well set in.

     == The GX4000 ==*[[Image:Gx4000.jpg|right|thumb|200px|The Amstrad GX4000 ]]By 1990 Amstrad had realised that the home market was heading towards the 16-bit machines, one one hand, and towards the new generation of game consoles like the Sega Master System or the Nintendo Entertainment System, on the other. Therefore, just as they created the 464+/6128+ by upgrading the old machines, to compete against the ST and the Amiga, they also created a stripped-down variant called the GX4000. The GX4000 was, in essence, a 464+ motherboard in a new case, with no keyboard and with most entension ports gone - save for the cartridge port and two joypads. As was quite easy to predict, the GX4000 was a flop, and something of a 'way too little, quite a bit late' solution that could not penetrate the stronghold that Sega and Nintendo had in the market at the time. As a result, the GX4000 was soon to be found selling at ridiculously low prices as dealers were trying to offload their stock. It was a shame, because if Amstrad had realised the market potential and had marketed this console a few years earlier, it'd have made for a nice little machine. As it was, it had to suffer the same fate as the Commodore 64GS. == Outtro ==All in all, the CPC series met with great success. Although they would never achieve the status of the c64 or even the humble Spectrum series, the CPCs managed to sell very well and attain leader status in several countries. The CPCs were very popular in the UK, Spain, France, Greece, Germany and Australia, to name a few countries. Besides a lot of [[Emulators]] several old and modern hardware [[Clonestimeline]] have been produced up to now.