Amstrad PCW 8256

Launched in the United Kingdom in September 1985, the Amstrad PCW 8256 was a low-cost personal computer designed primarily for word processing. The complete £399 system combined a green-screen monitor containing the 4 MHz Zilog Z80A computer, a separate keyboard, a single 3-inch disk drive and a dot-matrix printer.

With 256KB of RAM and Locoscript word-processing software, the PCW offered an affordable alternative to electronic typewriters and dedicated office systems. It could also run CP/M Plus business software, but its unusual display arrangement and lack of built-in graphics hardware kept the emphasis firmly on productive work.

Notable Features

• Complete word-processing package with monitor, keyboard, printer and software
• 256KB of RAM, most of which could be used as a fast RAM disk under CP/M Plus
• Locoscript word processor used menus and required little prior computer experience
• Single built-in 3-inch disk drive with double-sided disks turned over manually
• High-resolution 90-column green-screen display well suited to text
• CP/M Plus support opened access to a large library of business software

Historical Significance

• Helped move word processing from specialist offices into homes and small businesses
• Sold 350,000 units in its first eight months according to Amstrad
• Its aggressive all-in-one price undercut dedicated word processors and many electronic typewriters
• Established the long-running and commercially successful PCW family
• Developed under the code name Joyce, after Alan Sugar’s secretary

Collectors Notes

• The computer electronics and power supply are housed in the monitor, so the keyboard alone is not usable
• The system boots from disk and needs a working system or Locoscript disk
• Three-inch drive belts commonly fail and original disks can be fragile
• The supplied printer draws power and control signals from the PCW and is not a standard standalone printer
• Complete systems are bulky, but examples with printer, keyboard, disks and manuals best represent the original package

Specifications

Technical Information
Name	Amstrad PCW 8256
Manufacturer	Amstrad
Launched	Sunday, September 1, 1985
Discontinued	1987
Launch Price	£399 plus VAT, including monitor, keyboard, printer and software
Country	United Kingdom
CPU	Zilog Z80A
Units Sold	350,000 in the first eight months; millions across the wider PCW range
Expansion	Optional CPS8256 serial and Centronics parallel interface
Printer	Included 9-pin dot-matrix printer with tractor and single-sheet feed
Storage	One built-in 3-inch single-sided floppy drive; about 180KB per side
Keyboard	Separate full-size keyboard with numeric keypad and dedicated function keys
Sound	Internal beeper
System Software	Locoscript word processor and CP/M Plus loaded from disk
RAM	256KB, including a large RAM disk under CP/M Plus
Graphics	Monochrome bitmapped display generated in software
Display	720 × 256 monochrome green-screen display; 90 columns × 32 lines for text
CPU Speed	4 MHz