Amstrad User Group

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The Amstrad Notebook NC 100/150/200

These little notebooks are, again, recent additions to my collection so there is still a lot to be sorted out. The model 100, from 1992, is a simple Z80 compatible notebook with a clock speed of 6mHz. The software is in 256 kilobytes firmware ROM and comprises a decent word processor with spell check and mail merge features, the usual calculator, agenda and address book, alarm clock with various alert features, a terminal program for the exchange of data and a version of BBC Basic (better known from the Acorn's).

The system is designed for the novice user and can indeed be operated quite easy: 4 coloured keys in clearly defined combinations will get the user through the various steps in the process and the icons on the Liquid Crystal Display (LCD), with a size of 8 lines and 80 columns, are natural.

The various combinations have been displayed on the housing as well so that the operation of the NC, even without a manual, should be easy.

The software, all in all, looks at lot more modern than you would (could) expect running on a Z80 processor and compatible operating system and the user-operation is remarkably simple. That is fortunate because I do not have the user manual.

The capacity is (in total) 64 kilobytes of memory, of which some memory is used by the operating system too. Not really spacious when you consider that an A4-worth of text will take up some 4 kilobytes without a fuzz. This may be sufficient for a train journey by the average commuter but it will not be enough for a high-speed typist...

You can, of course, expand the capacity, using PCMCIA standard SRAM memory cards of up to 1 megabyte. Such a memory card is essential when you want to work for some time (otherwise you can only store a few pages). These cards have their own power supply built-in and require no power from the NC, the NC 100 itself has a battery compartment for 4 penlight AA batteries and also has a CR2032 lithium battery for back up purposes. The computer also comes with a 6-volt mains-adapter - I do not have the original one with mine, which is a pity because there is a rumour that an NC 100 with batteries would not be able to handle all normal tasks. Batteries would supply the NC with just a little less power than the adapter does: especially communication with the serial port would suffer from this. This connection would only be reliable at 9.600 baud per second, using the adapter. But a replacement-adapter can be arranged easily and I will definitely experiment with it: with the rest of the machine as well, for that matter.

The NC is a typical Amstrad, with typical features and design and the advantages and disadvantages that come with that... Most remarkable advantages are the astonishing simplicity and comfort of use, combined with the minimal weight. The disadvantages relate to the low capacity (the memory is too small) and the need to communicate with a PC.

The system has printer driver programs built-in for 9 and 24-pin dot matrix printers, Canon inkjet and HP laserjet printers. The computer has a market standard parallel Centronics and an RS232 serial (maximum 9.600 baud per second) port. These ports are fitted on the front, which is the best place for such ports.

The keyboard is of a reasonable size and can be used with comfort, although the touch takes a bit of getting used to. You can tilt the computer using foldable legs, although the angle of the LCD screen changes in the save elevation. Not really ideal but the NC has, after all, been designed as a portable computer and, with it's low weight, is ideally suited for that purpose. The legs will not have much use anyway when you work with it on your lap.

The NC 100 comes in a floppy (imitation?) leather bag that deforms pretty soon. If you take the manual with you or fit extra's (SRAM cards, a disc drive or a null modem) and take them with you, the bag will deform soon and start to bulge out permanently. Fortunately the computer itself is not a fragile machine, so the bag does not really have a protective function (beside the LCD display).

The next model in the NC-series is the NC 200 with 128 kilobytes memory and 512 kilobytes firmware memory, a foldable LCD screen of 16 lines (twice as much as with the NC 100) by 80 columns and a 3.5" disc drive for 720 kilobytes DOS-format discs. The last model was the NC 150, which was only marketed in Italy and France: it is basically an NC 200 in the shape of an NC 100, without the disc drive. The LCD makes an angle with the rest of the notebook in the NC 200. The NC 150 does have the required Ranger routines for hooking up a disc drive, though: the NC 100 has to do the job with parallel and serial data communication. Because I consider null modems to be a speciality of me anyway, I find that sufficient and more than acceptable.

To be continued. A few links in the meantime:

The first sequel: a few photographs of an NC 200, probably the only one in The Netherlands. The photo to the left shows the NC on the games menu and the peculiar construction of the foldable LCD screen, resembling the construction on a PPC 512/640.

Here under a close up of the regular main menu (the picture will allow for a zoom-in) with the main options: games, word processor, clock(s), agenda, spread sheet and address book.

 

 

 

 

 

The back with the parallel (left in the picture) and serial ports. Plus a snapshot of the side of the NC, demonstrating that the computer does have a 3.5" disc drive. Yet the NC 200 remains an ultra light computer as well, even with the power supply of five 1.5 volt C batteries

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Questions about the NC 100/150/200 via the contact formQuestions about the NC

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