Open main menu
Last modified on 15 October 2006, at 14:05

Plus

Revision as of 14:05, 15 October 2006 by Gryzor (Talk | contribs) (Moved the GX to the bottom, as a derivative of the Plus series)

  • CPC+/GX4000

  • Spanish Amstrad CPC 6128 Plus

  • Airbrushed CPC 6128 plus

  • The Amstrad GX4000


The CPC Plus

CPC Plus can use cartridges released for the GX4000, but specific software can be created using the extra features without the need of hardware (contrary as it was claimed by Amstrad in 1991). The extra features are not locked by an hardware mechanism but only by a special 17 bytes-lenght sequence send to the CRTC. So, it's possible for everyone to create his own software on the cpc plus, using the extra features available through a 16kb ASIC I/O page. See Programming ASIC Excepted the extra-features, the Cpc Plus is almost full compatible with the old generation. We can notice some minor differences in emulated components (PPI, CRTC, FDC) and in the interruption mechanism in vectorised mode.

Specific Software for Cpc Plus

Game creators

To complete

Non-cartridge games

Graphic

To complete

Desktop publishing
Graphic utilities

To complete... See Applications for exact words

Music software

To complete with software able to use dma sound playlist... See Applications for exact words

Other

To complete

Graphical user interfaces / Shells

To complete See Programming software for exact words

Operating Systems

To complete

Libraries

Demos

  • to complete

The GX4000 Games Console

The GX4000 is a game console based on a CPC 464+ without a floppy controller or keyboard (although it is actually possible to modify one, add a floppy controller and a keyboard and use it as a CPC+). It was delivered with two game paddles (as the ones delivered with the CPC+ models) and Burning Rubber on cartidge (without basic).

The GX400 was Amstrad's attempt to gain some share in the home game console market, then dominated by the likes of Nintendo and Sega. Like others before it, and like others after it, it failed abysmally in its goal. Despite the fact that the hardware was decent (after all the CPC+ series were some of the very best 8-bit computers ever designed), it was a case of 'too little, too late'. Lack of CPC+ specific software, lack of marketing effort and bad timing meant that Amstrad's adventure in the home market was about to end.

Cartridges released for the GX4000

Weblinks