★ PEOPLES ★ AMSTRAD PLANS 16-BIT PORTABLE (POPULAR COMPUTING WEEKLY) ★ |
| Amstrad plans 16-bit portable (Popular Computing Weekly) |
AMSTRAD has begun preliminary work on a new 16-bit portable computer, likely to be launched in the first months of next year. The machine is a 256K Ram model based around the fast 16-bit version of the Z80 procesor, the Z800, and could offer a degree of IBM PC software compatibility. As well as the Z800 the machine apparently is to feature a built-in five-inch green-screen monitor, 3 inch Hitachi-format disc drive, modem and communications software. An Amstrad spokeswoman, however, denied that the company has any plans to develop a portable. The Z800 is a new chip from Zilog makers of the Z80 used in all previous Amstrad micros which is likely to be available in the first quarter of 1986. The first Z800 chips produced will be low-power consumption CMOS devices, ideal for use in a portable. The Z800 is software compatible with the Z80 so existing software on disc for the CPC664 and 6128 could be made to run on the machine. Amstrad has settled on pricing for its CPC 6128 disc-based micros, to be launched in the UK later this year. It is also likely that the new portable will be IBM PC compatible. Amstrad is thought to have licensed DOS-Plus, a new software product from Digital Research, from whom Amstrad has already licensed the CP/M disc operating system used by the CPC models. Digital Research has announced that it has signed a deal to supply the DOS-Plus operatmq system to one unnamed UK manufacturer. Using such an arrangement the Amstrad portable would be able to run - albeit possibly a little slower than the IBM PC - any of the huge catalogue of business packages so far developed for the IBM Another advantage of DOS-Plus for Amstrad is it is compact - only 64K and therefore can be implemented on a built-in Rom for the portable. Chris Hall of Locomotive, the systems house which wrote the Basic and operating systems for the Z80-based Amstrad micros denied knowledge of any Z800-based micro: ‘I don't know everything they do. 1 have never seen a real Z800 chip but it would certainly be of interest to anyone with a lot of Z80 code.” An Amstrad spokeswoman said, ‘‘We have no plans to launch a portable micro and there is no portable in development.” Popular Computing Weekly
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