== Introduction to the Plus range ==
<gallery align="right">image:6128plus_es.jpg|Spanish Amstrad 6128 Plusimage:6128plus_fr_en_kanga.jpg|Custom Airbrushed 6128 Plus</gallery> In 1990 Amstrad introduced the "Plus" series range which tweaked the hardware in many ways and added a cartridge slot to all models. The Plus included the 464 Plus, 6128 Plus and a cut down Plus without the keyboard nor support for non-cartridge media was released simultaneously as the GX4000 video game console. All of the range included a cartridge slot and additional hardware improvements.
Most improvements were to the video display which saw an increase in palette to 4096 colours and gained the capability of hardware sprites. Splitting the display into two separate windows and pixel scrolling both became full supported hardware features although both were possible on the non-"Plus" hardware using clever programming of the existing Motorola 6845. An automatic DMA transfer system for feeding the sound chip was also added but the sound chip itself remained unchanged. Additionally, the BASIC command set for disc access was improved.
A cut down Plus without the keyboard nor support for non-cartridge media was released simultaneously as the GX4000 video game console.
These models did not do very well in the marketplace, failing to attract any substantial third party support. The 8-bit technology behind the Plus was starting to look a little out of date by 1990 and users resented the substantial price hike for cartridge games compared to their tape and disc counterparts. However, the Plus machines did sell well in France where Amstrad still had a large following due to the success of the classic CPC range there.
The range was officially titled as 'Amstrad 464 Plus', 'Amstrad 6128 Plus' and 'GX4000' and the 'CPC' (standing for Colour Personal Computer) abbreviation used in the older generation was dropped. However, many Amstrad users refer to the Plus range as 'CPC Plus' or 'CPC+' due to the inherent similarities of the two ranges.
== The GX4000 Games Console == <gallery captionalign="Plus/GX4000right">image:6128plus_es.jpg|Spanish Amstrad 6128 Plusimage:6128plus_fr_en_kanga.jpg|Custom Airbrushed 6128 Plus
Image:Gx4000.jpg|Amstrad GX4000
</gallery>
== Technical == For details about the CPC+/GX4000 features, see [[Arnold V Specs Revised]]. == 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 a hardware mechanism but only by a special 17 bytes-lenght sequence send to the CRTC. So, it's possible for everyone to create his/her own software on the cpc plus, using the extra features available through a 16kb [[ASIC]] I/O page(See [[Programming ASIC]].) Except the extra-features, the 464 & 6218 Plus machines are almost fully compatible with the old CPC generation. Some minor differences are noticable in emulated components ([[8255|PPI]], [[CRTC]], [[Gate Array]][[Gate Array]]) and in the interrupt mechanism in vectorised mode.'' == The GX4000 Games Console == The GX4000 is a game console based on a CPC 464+ 6128 Plus 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+Plus). It was delivered with two game paddles (as the ones delivered with the CPC+ Plus models) and Burning Burnin' Rubber on [[GX4000 cartridge|cartidgecartridge]] (without basicBASIC).
The GX4000 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.
<gallery caption="Amstrad GX4000">Image:GX4000 01.jpgImage:GX4000 02.jpgImage:GX4000 03.jpgImage:GX4000 04.jpgImage:GX4000 05.jpgImage:GX4000 06.jpgImage:GX4000 07.jpgImage:GX4000 08.jpgImage:GX4000 09.jpgImage:GX4000 10.jpgImage:GX4000 11.jpgImage:GX4000 12.jpgImage:GX4000_Top.jpg|GX4000 TopImage:GX4000_Bottom.jpg|GX4000 BottomImage:GX4000_PCB_Top.jpg|GX4000 Motherboard TopImage:GX4000_PCB_Bottom.jpg|GX4000 Motherboard BottomImage:GX4000_System_Cartridge_Inserted.jpg|GX4000 with Yellow system cartridge insertedImage:GX4000_System_Cartridge_Result.jpg|GX4000 with Yellow system cartridge inserted. Thi is the result.</gallery> == GX4000 Differences compared to 464 or 6128 Plus ===
* The master clock is 39.9Mhz (approx) instead of 40Mhz for the 464/6128 Plus. The Arnold V specification indicates this is to give a better picture. This means the GX4000 is 0.25% slower than a 464 or 6128 Plus but should have a better picture.
* When a system cartridge is inserted (this has been verified with a yellow and a green labelled system cartridge), the copyright message and a Ready prompt is displayed. If the fire buttons or directions are pressed on the first digital joystick you see X,Z and the arrows displayed, the same as if you had pressed these buttons on a 464/6128 Plus or CPC. Pressing Pause displays "P".
== Specific Software for CPC+/GX4000 Accessing the Plus hardware improvements ==
'''The Plus''' and GX4000 cartridges access the Plus hardware improvements, but specific software can be created using the extra features without the need of cartridge hardware (contrary as it was claimed by Amstrad in 1991). The extra features are not locked by a hardware mechanism but only by a special 17 bytes-length sequence send to the CRTC. So, it's possible for everyone to create his/her own software on the Plus, using the extra features available through a 16kb [[ASIC]] I/O page. Except the extra-features, the 464 and 6128 Plus machines are almost fully compatible with the classic CPC generation. Some minor differences are noticeable in emulated components ([[8255|PPI]], [[CRTC]], [[Gate Array]][[Gate Array]]) and in the interrupt mechanism in vectorised mode. For details about the Plus/GX4000 hardware features, see [[Arnold V Specs Revised]]. ==Software == = Graphic utilities ==System Cartridges === See [[Plus System Cartridge]]. === Demos ===[[:Category:Plus Demos]] === Slide Shows === * [[Fatal Beauties]] by ([[FaTaLiTy]], 2007)* [[Ghostbuster plus]] (fast-made slide-show by [[Ninxpe]] in 2007)* [[Models]] by [[Da Boxon Team]]* [[Sexy Slideshow]] by [[Demoniak]]* [[Samantha Fox Slideshow]] by [[Demoniak]]* [[The 7th guest slideshow]] by [[Snn]] === Graphic utilities ===
* [[Bmp Converter]] ([[Snn]] of [[Futur's]])
To complete... See [[Applications]] for exact words
==== Music software ====
* [[Soundtracker DMA]] by [[Zik]] of [[Futur's]]
To complete with software able to use dma sound playlist... See [[Applications]] for exact words
==== Libraries ====
* [[B-ASIC]] ([[Logon System]])
==== Operating Systems ====
* [[FutureOS]] (only in german)
== Demos =Games = === Pure CPC Plus demos === *[[4096 Preview|4096 Preview]] ([[Kevin Thacker|Kevin Thacker]]) *[[Allergy|Allergy]] by [[Semilanceata|Semilanceata]] *[[ASM Intro 1|ASM Intro 1]] by [[Roudoudou|Roudoudou]] of [[Flower corp|Flower corp]] *[[Basic Demo 3|Basic Demo 3]] by [[Roudoudou|Roudoudou]] of [[Flower corp|Flower corp]] *[[Black Sabbath|Black Sabbath]] by [[BDC-Iron|BDC-Iron]] *[[Blob Demo]] by [[Redbox]]*[[CPC+ Desktop|CPC+ Desktop]] by [[Odiesoft|Odiesoft]] *[[Demo Plus|Demo Plus]] ([[GPA|GPA]]) *[[Diamonds|Diamonds]] ([[ZilogMonkey|ZilogMonkey]]) *[[DMA music demo|DMA music demo]] ([[Cadjo Clan|Cadjo Clan]]) *[[Fantasy|Fantasy]] by [[Semilanceata|Semilanceata]] *[[Hate Beats|Hate Beats]] by [[Ukonx|Ukonx]] *[[It was so nice before the crash of the mir station|It was so nice before the crash of the mir station]] by [[Eliot|Eliot]] *[[Kill Max]] by [[OFE|OFE]]*[[Larsen|Larsen]] by [[OFE|OFE]] *[[LiquidSnake|LiquidSnake]] by [[Revival|Revival]] *[[Sappy|Sappy]] by [[Semilanceata|Semilanceata]] *[[Simply The Bests|Simply The Bests]] by [[Eliot|Eliot]] *[[Seminoisin|Seminoisin]] by [[Semilanceata|Semilanceata]] *[[Synergy|Synergy]] by [[Ast]] of [[Impact|Impact]] *[[Tragedy|Tragedy]] *[[Walking on a scroll|Walking on a scroll]] by [[BDC-Iron|BDC-Iron]] *[[XMas 2008]] Dentro by [[Ast]] of [[Impact|Impact]] *[[Wulf|Wulf]]/[[Ratz|Ratz]] unreleased part of [[Palatine|Palatine]] *[[Ze Meeting 2000 Demo|Ze Meeting 2000 Demo]] by [[BDC-Iron|BDC-Iron]] === Demos with Plus features === * [[20, 21,22 February 1999 meeting Demo]] by [[Benediction]]* [[A Step Beyond]] by [[Dirty Minds]]* [[Genesis demo]] (unreleased ? - [[STS]])* [[Heat Demo]] by [[Odiesoft]]* [[Fire Engine demo]] (attributed to [[Roo-dolph]] but unreleased?)* [[System Party 97]] by [[Eliot]]* [[Texture Mapping Plus]] by [[Odiesoft]]* [[Ze Meeting 96-97 Compilation]] by [[Condense]] (Contains a CPC+ part)* [[Ae2010 Final Exams]] by [[Impact]] (The last part contains some Cpc+ features !) * to complete ==== Slide Shows ==== * [[Fatal Beauties]] by ([[FaTaLiTy]], 2007)* [[Ghostbuster plus]] (fast-made slide-show by [[Ninxpe]] in 2007)* [[Models]] by [[Da Boxon Team]]* [[Sexy Slideshow]] by [[Demoniak]]* [[Samantha Fox Slideshow]] by [[Demoniak]]* [[The 7th guest slideshow]] by [[Snn]] == Games ==
=== Non-cartridge games ===
* [[World Of Sports ( Cartridge )|World Of Sports]]
===Vaporwares===
Said to have actually existed and even reviewed in some specialised press :
Lately (as of May 2007) several instances of bootleg cartridges have appeared. These are not original releases and, although they could run without any problems, caution should be exercised when buying. What is more, their collectible/historical value is doubtful. For more details, see [http://www.pcwking.netfirms.com/cartridge.html here]
== System Cartridges ==
See [[Plus System Cartridge]].
== Included in Delivery ==
=== 464plus 464 Plus ===
* The computer itself, incl. built-in Datacorder
* Either an [[Amstrad MM12 Monochrome Monitor]] or an [[Amstrad CM14 Colour Monitor]]
=== 6128plus 6128 Plus ===
* The computer itself, incl. built-in 3" disk drive
* Power supply 11v 500mA - -(o- +
* Optional: [[Amstrad MM12 Monochrome Monitor]] or [[Amstrad CM14 Colour Monitor]]
<gallery caption="Amstrad GX4000">
Image:GX4000 01.jpg
Image:GX4000 02.jpg
Image:GX4000 03.jpg
Image:GX4000 04.jpg
Image:GX4000 05.jpg
Image:GX4000 06.jpg
Image:GX4000 07.jpg
Image:GX4000 08.jpg
Image:GX4000 09.jpg
Image:GX4000 10.jpg
Image:GX4000 11.jpg
Image:GX4000 12.jpg
Image:GX4000_Top.jpg|GX4000 Top
Image:GX4000_Bottom.jpg|GX4000 Bottom
Image:GX4000_PCB_Top.jpg|GX4000 Motherboard Top
Image:GX4000_PCB_Bottom.jpg|GX4000 Motherboard Bottom
</gallery>
== Videos ==
Showing the GX4000 in action
{{#ev:youtube|T6oG7DRdBgI|300}}
== Emulators for CPC the Plus ==
* [[Arnold]]