Once upon a time (1989-2012) I had a monster PCW8256 with:
512Kb RAM onboard and 1.5Mb RAM external = 2Mb RAM
Parallel port for Epson 24pin dot matrix printer
180Kb 3″ drive
720Kb 3.5″ drive
Creative Technology handheld scanner
AMX Mouse
Software wise I had:
Locoscript 1, 2, 3, 4
Creative Technology MicroDesign 3, Tweak 3, The Network, Microdisplay
Stop Press
AMX Desktop
CBasic
CP/M Plus 1.4, 1.15 including Mallard BASIC and D.R. Logo
Mini Office Professional
and more
I was a fan of collecting computers in the 90s and got quite a collection at one point before I had to move and downsize.
1989 – 2012 Amstrad PCW 8256 + 3.5″ 2Mb RAM
1994 – 2006 Acorn BBC B
1995 – 1998 C64 + 1541 5.25″
1995 – 2012 Amstrad PCW 9512 + 3.5″
1996 – 2012 Amstrad PCW 8256 + 3.5″ 512Kb RAM
1996 – 2011 Amstrad PCW 8512 + 3.5″
1996/7 – 1998 Amstrad CPC 464 + DDI1 3″
1996/7 – 1998 Amstrad CPC 464
1996/7 – 1998 Spectrum +, Dragon 32, MSX, BBC Master x2, Amiga 500
1996/7 – 2000 Apple Mac Plus
Then a second wave in the 2010s:
2015- Amstrad PCW8512
2016- Amstrad PCW8512 + serial
2016- Amstrad PCW8256 + 3.5″ + serial
In my high school the room of PCs was next to a room of Amstrad PCWs. One day the English teacher had booked the PC room for 1 hour for us to type an essay, I asked her if I could go next door to use an Amstrad PCW so I could finish the work at home. As 1 hour wasn’t long enough and I had an Amstrad PCW at home. She said “no, because I have booked the PC room.” I wouldn’t have been far away in the room next door…
Instead everyone’s work was corrupted, random margins appeared the same time to many of us and we had to get the technical support guy to have a look. That was a waste of an hour using micro~1 word.
I had to start the work again at home with the Amstrad PCW, which saved and printed my work without a crash. So there was a happy ending with help from the Amstrad PCW.
