Vault Entry
[📷 suggested: Amstrad CPC464 with built-in cassette deck and monitor]
Overview
The Amstrad CPC (Colour Personal Computer) launched in 1984 as a complete kit: computer, cassette deck, and colour or monochrome monitor in one package. It targeted users who wanted less tinkering and more productivity—or, more often, colourful games.
Fast facts
- CPU: Z80A at 4 MHz.
- Models: CPC464 (tape), CPC664 (disk), CPC6128 (128K RAM with disk).
- Graphics: three display modes balancing colour depth and resolution.
- Sound: AY-3-8912 PSG with three channels.
Why it mattered
- Ready out of the box: monitor included meant no fuzzy TV setup or shared living-room fights.
- Publishing scene: companies like Ocean, Hewson, and Gremlin supported the CPC heavily, porting hits from C64/Spectrum and crafting exclusives.
- Stability: reliable hardware made it popular in France, Spain, and Germany where clones and upgrades thrived.
Lesson connections
- BASIC Blocks mention the CPC when discussing cross-platform differences in colour and sound commands.
- Transition course uses the CPC’s firmware and AMSDOS as a comparison point for KERNAL routines.
- Assembly sections note CPC screen memory layout when teaching tile maps.
Modern legacy
- Emulators: WinAPE, Caprice Forever, and Retro Virtual Machine.
- Hardware add-ons: modern SD storage, RAM expansions, and FPGA remakes keep the platform lively.
- Demoscene: still active with productions showing off overscan graphics and sample playback.