Amstrad
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 | |
| Industry | Electronics |
|---|---|
| Founded | 1968 |
| Founder(s) | Alan Michael Sugar |
| Headquarters | Brentwood, Essex, United Kingdom |
| Key people | Managing Director: Alun Webber |
| Website | http://www.amstrad.com/ |
Amstrad PLC is a British electronics company, now wholly owned by BSkyB. The name comes from the founder's initials and the word "Trading".
Computers
In the 1980's and early 1990's, Amstrad produced various low-cost computers:
- The Amstrad CPC 8-bit home computer range
- Several Sinclair ZX Spectrum 8-bit home computer models, after the purchase of the "Sinclair" product range and brand name in 1986.
- IBM-compatible Amstrad PCs, running MS-DOS, DR-DOS and GEM.
- Various "word processors" under the Amstrad PCW name, running CP/M.
All of Amstrad's computers came with a keyboard, either integrated or separate — but most often with a proprietary interface. Amstrad also had proprietary bus mouse and joystick interface pinouts.
Prong-over-membrane keyboard switches are sometimes called "Amstrad switches" because of how strongly that type of switch design is associated with low-cost Amstrad keyboards. At least one such type is known to have been made by Matsushita.
External links
- Amstrad on Wikipedia.
