Amstrad NC200 Notebook

Released in October 1993, the Amstrad NC200 Notebook expanded the portable writing concept of the NC100 with 128KB of RAM, a larger backlit display and a built-in 720KB 3.5-inch floppy disk drive. It retained a Z80-compatible processor, full-size keyboard and instant access to writing and organizer applications.

The 80-column, 16-line screen showed twice as much text as the NC100, while MS-DOS-compatible disks simplified file exchange. A spreadsheet, games, BBC BASIC, serial terminal and PCMCIA card support made the NC200 a flexible portable tool despite its intentionally simple interface.

Notable Features

• Backlit 480 × 128 LCD displaying 80 columns by 16 lines
• Built-in 720KB 3.5-inch floppy drive
• 128KB RAM and PCMCIA memory-card support
• Word processor, spreadsheet, organizer applications, terminal and BBC BASIC
• Full-size keyboard and instant-access application keys

Historical Significance

• Developed the NC100 concept into a more capable portable notebook
• Standard DOS-format disks made document exchange much easier
• Retained the focused, quick-start design valued by writers

Collectors Notes

• The floppy-drive belt is a common age-related failure
• Check battery compartments for corrosion from the five C cells
• Backlight and LCD condition affect usability and value
• Original adapter, manuals and carrying case add completeness

Specifications

Technical Information
Name	Amstrad NC200 Notebook
Manufacturer	Amstrad
Launched	Friday, October 1, 1993
Discontinued	Mid-1990s
Launch Price	£349.99 including VAT
Country	United Kingdom
CPU	Zilog Z80-compatible
Units Sold
Power	Five C batteries or 7.5V mains adapter
Expansion	RS-232 serial, Centronics parallel and PCMCIA memory-card slot
Storage	Built-in 720KB 3.5-inch floppy drive; PCMCIA SRAM cards up to 1MB
Keyboard	Full-size QWERTY keyboard with colour-coded shortcut keys
Software	Word processor, spreadsheet, diary, address book, calculator, terminal, games and BBC BASIC
ROM	Built-in applications and BBC BASIC
RAM	128KB battery-backed RAM
Graphics	Monochrome bitmapped LCD
Display	480 × 128 backlit monochrome LCD; 80 columns × 16 lines
CPU Speed	Approximately 4.6 MHz