Path: utzoo!attcan!uunet!tektronix!reed!psu-cs!warren
From: warren@psu-cs.UUCP (Warren Harrison)
Newsgroups: comp.sys.ibm.pc
Subject: Re: anyone heard of "Amstrad" pc clone?
Message-ID: <1388@psu-cs.UUCP>
Date: 16 Dec 88 04:24:36 GMT
Organization: Dept. of Computer Science, Portland State University; Portland OR
Lines: 42

I don't know much about their dsktop system, but I have their "laptop"
model and couldn't be happier with it (at the price ...).  I paid about
1,000 for it and it has a 7Mhz 8x88 with dual 3.5" floppies, 640K AND a
built in 2400Baud modem.  The screen is small (but no smaller I expect than
most laptops) AND IS NOT BACKLIT (boo!).  The good/bad point is that it has
a full size 101 key keyboard, so when I use it at home (which is most the
time that it is used), I can plug a mono (it also accepts CGA) 12" monitor
to it an dit is a very comfortable dual floppy PC machine.  It fits under 
an airplane seat, but due to the non-backlit LCD, it is hard to see unless
you have light shining directly on it ... this is OK for hotel rooms, but
I wouldn't suggest trying a write  a movire review in real-time with it :-)

The thing I like most about it is that is is portable, so I can pick it up and 
move it around the house, to friends houses, etc by just picking it up by
the handle and thegrabbing the monitor.  The box weighs about the same as
the Zenith laptop (approx.  I have just compared them by holding one in
one hand and the other an the other hand at the same time).

For someone who is going to get a dual floppy system, and doesn't do alot of
big compiles I WOULD recommend the Amstrad ... it runs any software I've
tried on it (but to be fair I haven't tried to crash it, so have just run
Quattro, Turbo Pascal, Turbo PROLOG< etc on it).  For serious programming I
usually use my 286 (but I keep the Amstrad by the TV ...).  For $1000 plus
another $75 you have a decent "luggable" with a full size keyboard (this
is what turned me off to Zenith, et al.  The keyboards are too small if you
want to use them in a desktop mode) - if you want color change the $75 to wh
whatever - plus a 2400 baud dial up capability.

One thing though, you'll probably pay mor ethan $1000 at Macy's or whereever.
I have seen the Amstrad laptop for as low as $700 or so in a recent issue of
computr shopper ... be careful they don't try and sell you the 512K version
or the single floppy version however ... our local Silo was doing that when
I bought mine.  Doing a CHKDSK on the display model quickly brought this
fact to my (and eventually the store manager's) attention.

Warren
-- 
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Warren Harrison                 CSNET: warren@pdx.edu
Department of Computer Science  UUCP:  {ucbvax,decvax}!tektronix!psu-cs!warren
Portland State University       Internet: warren%pdx.edu@relay.cs.net
Portland, OR 97207-0751