PCW

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Amstrad PCW8256 - The first PCW computer
Amstrad PCW9512
Amstrad PcW16

The PCW (Personal Computer for Writing) was another Amstrad computer. In Germany it's better known by its codename Joyce, which Schneider chose to keep for the final product.

The codename was the name of Alan M. Sugar's secretary.

The PCW was the Amstrad computer in production for the longest time(1985 - 1996). And the Amstrad computer with the most model revisions (Starting with the PCW8256 and ending with the PCW16). All models was based on the Z80 CPU.

The PCW was in some ways similar to the CPC range, but also different in many ways.

8 million units sold worldwide (over 200,000 in UK) Source. 700,000 units were sold within the first 2 years Source. By 1989, 1.5 million units had been sold Source. The Daily Telegraph estimated in 2000 that 100,000 were still in use in the UK.


Similarities to the CPC

  • Complete out-of-the-box system:
    • central unit
    • keyboard
    • monitor
    • disk drive
  • Z80 CPU
  • CP/M Plus operating system


Differences to the CPC

  • 90 columns, 720×256×2 graphics (actually possible on a CPC)
  • No sophisticated sound chip (Beeper only)
  • Joystick support through 3rd party extensions only (the keyboard controller includes support for two joysticks, as on the CPC, but no keyboard using this was ever built).
  • No AMSDOS or other DOS in ROM, only a bootloader for CP/M
  • No support for tape recorders
  • It has a dedicated printer microcontroller: NEC UPD8041AH datasheet Intel 8041A datasheet. It is disguised as Amstrad 40026 chip on the motherboard, but it is visible in the service manual for PCW 8256.


Peculiarities

  • The boot code in the PCW is stored in the printer controller.
  • There are two versions of the printer controller: one for the 9512 and 9512+ (daisywheel printer), and the other for all other machines (dot matrix printer).
  • The two controllers provide different boot code, making the boot disks NOT interchangeable between the machines.
  • 9512(+) runs versions 2.x of CP/M, other machines run 1.x. Don't worry, the only differences are the boot sector and the printer driver code.
  • The machines are otherwise entirely identical and use the same gate array.


The PCW was designed as a (back then) professional computing system. This was underlined by the built-in green monitor (no support for colour monitors at all), the bundling with a printer and a word-processing software and bigger RAM (256k or 512k).

Although the name might suggest it, the PCW was more than just a word-processing system. Unlike some other similar word-processing systems of its time, it came with a normal operating system, CP/M + GSX, and could run any software for this system, like spreadsheets, databases and so on.

The PCW had its biggest success in the UK, where it is even used up to today in some branches, e.g. small hotels.

In Germany, Schneider mainly marketed it as word-processing system, not outlining its usability for other purposes, so that professional users decided for IBM compatible PCs.


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Documentation


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