Amstrad PC1640DD — Dual Floppy Desktop System
The Amstrad PC1640 was the successor to the hugely popular PC1512, launched in 1987 with 640KB RAM and an EGA-compatible graphics chipset from Paradise Systems integrated on the motherboard. The 1640DD variant shipped with two 360KB 5.25-inch floppy disk drives. Also marketed as the PC6400 in the United States and sold under the Schneider brand in Germany, it was one of the most successful IBM PC compatibles in Europe and helped open the consumer PC market.
- CPU
- Intel 8086 @ 8 MHz
- Co-processor Socket
- Intel 8087 math co-processor (optional)
- RAM
- 640 KB (on-board)
- Storage
- Dual 360 KB 5.25-inch floppy disk drives (DD model)
- Graphics
- EGA-compatible (Paradise Systems chipset), CGA and Hercules modes supported
- Display
- Colour (ECD) or monochrome monitor; ECD model supports full EGA modes
- Sound
- PC speaker with physical volume control
- Expansion
- Three full-length 8-bit PC/XT ISA expansion slots, supports optional VGA board
- I/O Ports
- RS-232C serial, Centronics parallel, light pen connector
- Input Devices
- Full QWERTY keyboard with Atari joystick port, two-button Amstrad mouse
- Dimensions
- 372 x 284 x 135 mm
- Weight
- 7.75 kg (DD model)
- Power Supply
- Integrated into monitor housing
- Operating System
- MS-DOS 3.2, Digital Research DOS Plus (CP/M compatible)
- Bundled Software
- GEM Desktop, GEM Paint, Locomotive BASIC 2
- Manufacturer
- Amstrad plc (Brentwood, Essex, UK)
- Released
- 1987
- Also Known As
- Schneider PC1640, Sinclair PC500, PC6400 (US)
Try Word Unperfect
Current binary
The main public test build is a Linux x86_64 host package. It starts in the WordPerfect-style full TUI by default and uses libc-hosted input/output paths rather than DOS calls. This build includes Edit-menu block commands, arrow-key submenu navigation, console mouse menu coverage, verified append/export behavior, and refreshed font attribute rendering.
Download Linux x86_64 packageLicense
Word Unperfect is distributed under the Word Unperfect XT-Emporium License. It is MIT-like for non-commercial personal, educational, preservation, and research use. Commercial use requires prior written permission from the XT-Emporium.com site owner.
Quick run
Download the package, extract it, then run it from a modern Linux terminal.
tar -xzf word-unperfect-linux-x86_64.tar.gz cd word-unperfect-linux-x86_64 ./word-unperfect