Amstrad PCW 9512 Microcomputer

Made:: 1987 in Korea

Amstrad PCW 9512 microcomputer, 1987.
Science Museum Group Collection
© The Board of Trustees of the Science Museum

Amstrad PCW 9512 microcomputer, with daisywheel printer, printer ribbons, dustcovers, and archival material.

The Amstrad PCW (Personal Computer Word Processor) was a series of computers designed to be mainly used as word processors.

In the 1980s many people were still unfamiliar with computers, so the PCW was marketed as a dedicated word processor that could replace a typewriter, rather as a general purpose computer. The PCW was designed to be user friendly and affordable. Its design was optimised to make it easy to use for typing and printing documents, though it could be used for other things too.

The first model PCW, the PCW8256, was launched in 1985 and became a huge success, particularly amongst writers and many people who may not have thought about owning a computer before. The PCW 9512 was an improved model, launched in 1987 and priced at £499 plus VAT. It was sold complete with a keyboard, monitor, built in floppy disc drive, word processor software and a daisy wheel printer.

Details

Category:: Computing & Data Processing

Object Number:: Y2004.33

Materials:: metal (unknown), plastic (unidentified) and glass

Measurements:: printer: 147 mm x 470 mm x 290 mm,
computer: 411 mm x 349 mm x 350 mm,

type:: personal computer

credit:: Gift of John Downey

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Parts

Amstrad PCW 9512 Keyboard

Keyboard for Amstrad PCW 9512 computer.

This is the keyboard from an Amstrad PCW9512, a type of 1980 personal computer designed to be mainly used as a word processor. Reflecting the PCW’s main use for typing, the keyboard has special buttons to make it easy for people to use features of the word processing software, like cutting, copying and pasting text.