Amstrad User Group
Amstrad User Group
PcW 9512+
The PcW 9512+ was put on the market along with the PcW 9256, in 1991. The same was true as for that model: the 3" disc drive was no longer available, so this machine is equipped with a 3.5" disc drive. Hence the 'c' in the designation PcW, to distinguish it from the PCW's.
There is not much to say about this model, when compared to the predecessor, the PCW 9512. Besides the 3.5" drive and a few internal differences that nobody will care about, this machine closely resembles the 9512. Except for the label and, curiously enough, there is no expansion port fitted! That is to say: there is one, but it is inside the casing and hidden behind a lid. A bit of a disappointment, I have to admit that: PcW 9512- would have been a better designation. Most Joyce computers contained enhancements when compared to the predecessors. In order to fit 8000-series add-ons to the newer expansion ports you already need an adapter. The 8256 and 8512 had the port mounted vertically: all later models had it horizontally and usually that low that the bigger add-ons hardly fit. Perhaps Amstrad hid the expansion port to avoid pollution (which sometime is a problem, especially when the owner is a smoker), but it was not a very good move... Definitely not meant to expand, this model.
Although the huge daisy wheel printer is identical to the one of the PCW 9512, yet another photograph of this monster. This picture shows an add-on that was marketed separately (not by Amstrad): a sheet feeder. A neat and useful accessory especially when you consider the slow speed of the daisy wheel printer, yet a bit expensive. The feeder allowed you to issue a print job of multiple pages and you could then leave the machine to it's work without having to attend the printer again and again.
This photo also demonstrates that you can print an A4 sheet in landscape mode. The application of a standard type of daisy wheel made it possible to build up a collection of wheels: LocoScript is able to use a lot of those and, with the LocoChar software, you are able to modify the printer driver and character set relatively easy to use wheels that are not normally known by LocoScript. When a character resides on a different daisy wheel, the PcW will hold the printing process and report that it requires a new daisy wheel, allows you to change it and then continue printing.
The same LocoChar software has been useful a lot of times to match the massive character set of LocoScript (over 600 characters) to the Laserjet printers that were a hype in The Netherlands: a few are still in use! This program allows you to create the new Euro symbol quite easily. With access to the command set and emulation of the printer, you have it print a capital C, perform a backspace and then print an equals sign = which works like a charm! This trick will work with a daisy wheel as well.
To the main PCW-page.
