PC1512
The Amstrad PC1512 was Amstrad's mostly IBM PC-compatible computer system, first manufactured in 1986. It was later succeeded by the PC1640.
It launched for £499 and sold very well, as it was one of the first cheap PCs in Europe. It significantly helped open up the European PC market to consumers as well as businesses, and Amstrad's advertising of the PC1512 was aimed at homes rather than offices. The 1512's influence was such that the UK PC magazine PC Plus originally targeted itself at the "Amstrad PC 1512 and compatibles", since home ownership of other PCs at the time was rare.
The PC1512 shipped with 512 KB of RAM; it could be upgraded to 640 KB of RAM with an expansion pack commonly known as a "top hat". Video output was compatible with the CGA standard, with an extension allowing all 16 colours to be used in the 640×200 graphics mode. The CPU of both the PC1512 and the later PC1640 was an 8 MHz Intel 8086, which was sufficient for playing The Secret of Monkey Island, Maniac Mansion and Prince of Persia. The power supply was located in the monitor, which made upgrading difficult.
Podcasts:
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by Ani Difranco
Back Back Back
by: Ani DifrancoBack, back, back in the back of your mind
Are you learning an angry language?
Tell me boy, boy, boy are you tending to your joy
Or are you just letting it vanquish?
Back, back, back in the dark of your mind
Where the eyes of your demons are gleaming
Are you mad, mad, mad about the life you never had
Even when you are dreaming
Who are these old, old, old people in these nursing homes
Scowling away at nothing like big rag dolls
Just cursing at the walls and pulling out all of their stuffing
Every day is a door leading back to the core
Yes, old age will distill you
And if you're this, this, this full of bitterness now
Some day it will just fill you
When you sit right down in the middle of yourself
You're gonna wanna have a comfortable chair
So renovate your soul before you get too old
'Cuz you're gonna be housebound there
When you're old, you fold up like an envelope
And you mail yourself right inside
And there's nowhere to go except out real slow
Are you ready boy for that ride?
Your arrogance is gaining on you and so is eternity
You better practice happiness, you better practice humility
You took the air, you took the time
You were fed and you were free
Now you'd better put some beauty back
While you got the energy
You'd better put some beauty back, boy