Amstrad NC100 Notepad

Released in September 1992, the Amstrad NC100 Notepad was a portable writing computer designed to be useful within minutes of switching on. Its 4.6 MHz Z80 processor, 64KB of RAM, full-size keyboard and wide 80-column LCD supported built-in word processing, diary, address book, calculator and terminal software.

The A4-sized machine stored documents in battery-backed memory or on a PCMCIA memory card and could exchange files through serial and parallel ports. Four colour-coded shortcut keys gave immediate access to its main applications, reflecting Amstrad’s focus on simplicity rather than technical complexity.

Notable Features

• Instant-access word processor, diary, address book and calculator
• Full-size keyboard with four colour-coded application keys
• PCMCIA memory-card slot supporting cards up to 1MB
• BBC BASIC and serial-terminal software built in
• Long battery life from four AA cells

Historical Significance

• Designed around ease of use rather than specification marketing
• Became a respected distraction-free portable writing machine
• Made file transfer and printing practical without a disk drive

Collectors Notes

• Inspect the battery compartments for corrosion
• Original PCMCIA SRAM cards require their own backup battery
• LCD contrast and keyboard operation should be checked
• A suitable serial cable or modern adapter simplifies file transfer

Specifications

Technical Information
Name	Amstrad NC100 Notepad
Manufacturer	Amstrad
Launched	Tuesday, September 1, 1992
Discontinued	1993
Launch Price	£199.99 including VAT
Country	United Kingdom
CPU	Zilog Z80-compatible
Units Sold
Power	Four AA batteries or 6V mains adapter
Expansion	RS-232 serial, Centronics parallel and PCMCIA memory-card slot
Storage	Internal battery-backed memory and PCMCIA SRAM cards up to 1MB
Keyboard	Full-size QWERTY keyboard with four colour-coded shortcut keys
Software	Word processor, diary, address book, calculator, terminal and BBC BASIC
ROM	256KB containing applications and BBC BASIC
RAM	64KB battery-backed RAM
Graphics	Monochrome bitmapped LCD
Display	480 × 64 monochrome LCD; 80 columns × 8 lines
CPU Speed	Approximately 4.6 MHz