A 20MHz 80386 machine with 64Kb cache, 4Mb main memory, 65Mb Winchester, 1.44Mb floppy and screen with all the necessary software bundled, for UKP2,650 is the new standard for 80386-based business micros set by Amstrad Plc yesterday. The one bit of bad news is that the company is suffering so much from the memory chip shortage that the 80386 machines won’t be available until early next year. In the meantime, there are challenging new 80286 and 8086 models – and for the home market, an MS-DOS micro bearing the Sinclair badge for UKP400 including screen. After all the noise during the summer about Amstrad taking licences to all IBM patents including those for the Micro Channel, it turns out that Amstrad has wisely decided against doing a Micro Channel machine, at least until we all see which way the wind really is blowing on that: instead, the firm has endorsed the new Extended Industry Standard Architecture, EIAS, bus pushed by Compaq: Details, p2.
