{
    "id": "Amstrad NC-100 - Games",
    "name": "Amstrad NC-100 - Games",
    "altNames": [
        "Amstrad NC-100"
    ]
}

{
    "type_id": 1,
    "id": 753,
    "pages": {
        "photos": "photos.asp?t=1&c=753&st=1",
        "emulators": "emulator.asp?c=753&st=1",
        "links": "links.asp?c=753&st=1",
        "docs": "docs.asp?c=753&st=1",
        "comments": "forum.asp?c=753&st=1"
    },
    "image": "https://www.old-computers.com/museum/photos/Amstrad_NC100_System_2.jpg                             ",
    "company_link": "company.asp?st=1&m=6",
    "company_name": "Amstrad",
    "company_logo": "https://www.old-computers.com/museum/logos/Amstrad_logo.gif",
    "description": "By 1992, once fast-growing Amstrad was struggling. Its reputation as a PC maker\nhad been undermined by a batch of dodgy Seagate disk drives at the same time\nthat bigger-name vendors were engaged in a price war, squeezing Amstrad out of\nthe market.\nThe NC 100, <a href=\"computer.asp?c=1140\">NC 150</a> and <a href=\"computer.asp?c=1141\">NC 200</a> were three products that its founder Alan Sugar was hoping would help revive the company's fortunes.\nCutting edge, they were not. Both were based on old eight-bit Zilog Z80\nmicroprocessors. Curiously, both machines came with a BBC Basic interpreter on\nwhich users could develop their own applications.\nThe NC 100 was a ?199 notebook computer the size of a piece of A4 paper, with a full size keyboard and a \"letterbox\" screen at the top, offering 80 columns by 8 lines.\nIt had an RS232 serial port and a Centronics parallel port for printer and communications. Built-in were 64 kilobytes of memory, expandable to 1 megabyte with the addition of an add-on memory card.\n\"If you can't use this new computer in five minutes, you'll get your money\nback,\" boasted the company in its launch advertising. For ease of use, it had\nfour colour-coded keys giving instant access to a number of built-in\napplications, including a word processor, calculator, diary and address book.\nAt a time when an entry-level lap-top computer cost more than ?2,000 and the\nsub-notebook had not been invented, the NC100 and NC200 offered a good value\nalternative for those with basic computing needs, such as word processing on the move.\nAll the NC computers were made in Japan by Nakajima. The company also sold its own version of the NC-100, called <a href=\"computer.asp?c=1143\">ES-210</a>.\n<font color=\"#666666\">\nThanks to <b>Graeme Burton</b> for information about NC series computers.</font>",
    "name": "NC 100",
    "manufacturer": "Amstrad",
    "type": "Portable",
    "origin": "United Kingdom",
    "year": "August 1992",
    "built_in_language": "BBC Basic",
    "keyboard": "Full-stroke 64 keys",
    "cpu": "Z80",
    "co_processor": "NEC custom chip (various I/O and memory management)",
    "ram": "64 KB",
    "rom": "Unknown",
    "text_modes": "80 char x 8 lines",
    "graphic_modes": "480 x 64 pixels",
    "colors": "bluish grey LCD",
    "sound": "Beeper",
    "size_weight": "29,5(W) x 21(D) x 2,8(H) cm. / 1 Kg",
    "io_ports": "Parallel Centronics, Serial RS-232",
    "built_in_media": "1 MB PCMCIA slot",
    "os": "BBC BASIC, word processor, diary, calculator, address book, serial terminal in ROM",
    "power_supply": "External 7.5V AC adaptor or batteries",
    "price": "?199",
    "photos": [
        {
            "name": "NC-100 ",
            "image": "https://www.old-computers.com/museum/photos/Amstrad_NC100_System_3.jpg",
            "description": "Here a German version (QWERTZ keyboard)"
        },
        {
            "name": "Main menu ",
            "image": "https://www.old-computers.com/museum/photos/Amstrad_NC100_DispCloseup_s1.jpg",
            "description": "Each firmware application can be called by using a combination of coloured keys:<br>\r\n• Word processor (Yellow + Red)<br>\r\n• Calculator (Yellow + Green)<br>\r\n• Calendar/Diary (Yellow + Blue)<br>\r\nOr by Ctrl keys:<br>\r\n• BBC BASIC (Ctrl-B)<br>\r\n• Games (Ctrl-G)"
        },
        {
            "name": "Both sides ",
            "image": "https://www.old-computers.com/museum/photos/Amstrad_NC100_BothSides_s1.jpg",
            "description": "On left side, LCD contrast adjustment,<br>\r\nOn right side, PCMCIA card slot."
        },
        {
            "name": "Rear connectors ",
            "image": "https://www.old-computers.com/museum/photos/Amstrad_NC100_RearSide_s1.jpg",
            "description": "From left to right:<br>\r\n• Jack for a 6V external AC adaptor<br>\r\n• Serial RS232 DB9 connector<br>\r\n• Parallel printer DB25 connector.\r\n"
        },
        {
            "name": "Underneath ",
            "image": "https://www.old-computers.com/museum/photos/Amstrad_NC100_BottomSide_s1.jpg",
            "description": "<b><font color=\"blue\">(1)</font></b> RAM backup battery housing (CR-2032)<br>\r\n<b><font color=\"blue\">(2)</font></b> Main battery housing (4 x AA size)<br>\r\n<b><font color=\"blue\">(3)</font></b> Removable stands which allow the NC-100 to be used in tilted position<br>\r\n<b><font color=\"blue\">(4)</font></b> Firmware 256 KB ROM chip. Can be easily replaced. Normally covered with a plastic lid."
        },
        {
            "name": "Inside ",
            "image": "https://www.old-computers.com/museum/photos/Amstrad_NC100_Inside_s1.jpg",
            "description": "The main board occupies one half of the case area, the keyboard occupies the second half. The board was made by Nakajima in Japan. The LCD display was made by Sanyo.<br><br>\r\n<b><font color=\"blue\">(1)</font></b> AA battery housing<br>\r\n<b><font color=\"blue\">(2)</font></b> PCMCIA card slot<br>\r\n<b><font color=\"blue\">(3)</font></b> CMOS, 6MHz version of the Zilog Z80 processor<br>\r\n<b><font color=\"blue\">(4)</font></b> Keyboard connectors<br>\r\n<b><font color=\"blue\">(5)</font></b> Real time clock chip<br>\r\n<b><font color=\"blue\">(6)</font></b> Custom chip, made by NEC, in charge of memory management, keyboard and various I/O<br>\r\n<b><font color=\"blue\">(7)</font></b> LCD display connector<br>\r\n<b><font color=\"blue\">(8)</font></b> I/O chip (Parallel to Serial converter)<br>\r\n<b><font color=\"blue\">(9)</font></b> 2 32K x 8-bit CMOS chips (43257) hold the 64 KB main RAM<br>\r\n<b><font color=\"blue\">(10)</font></b> Loudspeaker connector<br>\r\n<b><font color=\"blue\">(11)</font></b> The 256K ROM chip is mounted to face the bottom side of the case<br>\r\n<b><font color=\"blue\">(12)</font></b> External power supply jack and power push-button<br>\r\n<b><font color=\"blue\">(13)</font></b> Beeper<br>\r\n<b><font color=\"blue\">(14)</font></b> LCD Contrast knob\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n"
        },
        {
            "name": "NC-100, 150 bag ",
            "image": "https://www.old-computers.com/museum/photos/Amstrad_NC100_Bag_s1.jpg",
            "description": ""
        }
    ],
    "emulators": [
        {
            "name": "nc100em",
            "url": "http://rus.members.beeb.net/nc100em.html",
            "platform": "Unix / Linux",
            "description": "nc100em is an Amstrad NC100 emulator. It also has NC200 support, but this is less complete."
        },
        {
            "name": "MESS",
            "url": "http://www.mess.org",
            "platform": "Multiplatform",
            "description": "MESS emulates the NC100, among other things."
        }
    ],
    "links": [
        {
            "url": "http://www.8bit-micro.com/amstrad-nc100.htm",
            "name": "8bit-micro.com - Amstrad NC100 Page",
            "description": "Additional information on the Amstrad NC100 - Display Upgrade"
        },
        {
            "url": "http://web.ukonline.co.uk/cliff.lawson/notepad.htm",
            "name": "Amstrad Computer Site / NC100/150/200 page",
            "description": "Useful information there, to help you diagnose why your NC system doesn't work anymore"
        },
        {
            "url": "http://www.cpmspectre.pwp.blueyonder.co.uk/nc200/nc200idx.htm",
            "name": "Amstrad NC200 Notebook Page",
            "description": "Some software to download"
        },
        {
            "url": "http://de.groups.yahoo.com/group/NC100/",
            "name": "NC100 Yahoo Group",
            "description": "Discussion group devoted to the Amstrad NC serie"
        },
        {
            "url": "http://www.ncus.org.uk/intro.htm",
            "name": "Tim's Amstrad NC users' site",
            "description": "Tech info, downloads, software and much more!"
        },
        {
            "url": "http://www.ibiblio.org/pub/packages/zcn/",
            "name": "ZCN",
            "description": "ZCN is a free operating system for the Amstrad NC100 (Notepad) and NC200 (Notebook)."
        }
    ]
}