Frequently Asked Question (FAQ) of the comp.sys.amstrad.8bit newsgroup

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The creation of the comp.sys.amstrad.8bit newsgroup was an idea of Marco Vieth and David Long on the 25th March 1994 :

From: dave kechb.demon.co.uk (David Long)
Newsgroups: news.announce.newgroups,news.groups,comp.os.cpm
Subject: Amstrad CPC newsgroup
Followup-To: news.groups
Date: 25 Mar 1994 11:15:59 -0500
Organization: KECHB School
Lines: 20
Sender: tale uunet.uu.net
Approved: tale uunet.uu.net
Message-ID: <comp.sys.cpc-RFD1 uunet.uu.net>
NNTP-Posting-Host: rodan.uu.net

Due to a considerable increase in interest in the Amstrad CPC series of machines, Marco Vieth (author of CPCEMU - a CPC emulator for the PC) and myself are interested in setting up a newsgroup devoted to this topic.

The proposed name is "comp.sys.cpc". This will cover every subject related to the CPC and will not be moderated.

I would appreciate a response from anyone with comments on this matter. Send follow-ups to "news.announce.newgroups" and "comp.os.cpm".

The CPC is an 8-bit machine, three models of which were produced by the British company Amstrad. It is based around a Z80 processor and has 64k of directly accessible memory, which can be expanded to 576k. The CPC Emulator is available in the Emulators directory of the Simtel20 archives/mirrors as CPCEMU09.ZIP. It requires a 386 or above with VGA to run.

--
+---------------------------------------------+
| Those were some words of wisdom (?) from... |
| David Long: dave kechb.demon.co.uk |
+---------------------------------------------+

This unmoderated newsgroup comp.sys.amstrad.8bit is open to discussions about the Z80 Amstrad computers : CPC (464, 664, 6128, 464+, 6128+), GX4000, PCW (8256, 8512, 9256, 9512, 9512+, 10, 16), NC100/150/200 and PDA600.

Some newsgroups have a FAQ (Frequently Asked Questions). It's the answers to the most asked questions by people coming for the first time on the newsgroup, so usual readers dont have to answer every time. You will find below the FAQ of this newgroups in several languages, in text and HTML.

The result of the creation (see below) was posted on the 28th July 1994 after a procedure wich consisted of a discussion (RFD : Request For Discussion) and a vote (CFV : Call For Vote) from the 21th June to 21th July 1994. It was created the 4th August 1994.

From: rdippold qualcomm.com (Ron "Asbestos" Dippold)
Newsgroups: news.announce.newgroups,news.groups,comp.os.cpm,comp.sys.sinclair,comp.sys.misc,comp.emulators.misc,alt.folklore.computers
Subject: RESULT: comp.sys.amstrad.8bit passes 148:36
Supersedes: <comp.sys.amstrad.8bit-CFV2 uunet.uu.net>
Followup-To: news.groups
Date: 28 Jul 1994 16:37:08 -0400
Organization: Usenet Volunteer Votetakers
Lines: 272
Sender: tale uunet.uu.net
Approved: tale uunet.uu.net
Message-ID: <comp.sys.amstrad.8bit-RESULT uunet.uu.net>
References: <comp.sys.amstrad.8bit-RFD1 uunet.uu.net> <comp.sys.amstrad.8bit-CFV1 uunet.uu.net> <comp.sys.amstrad.8bit-CFV2 uunet.uu.net>
NNTP-Posting-Host: rodan.uu.net

RESULT
unmoderated group comp.sys.amstrad.8bit passes 148:36

There were 148 YES votes and 36 NO votes, for a total of 184 valid votes.

For group passage, YES votes must be at least 2/3 of all valid (YES and NO) votes. There also must be at least 100 more YES votes than NO votes.

There is a five day discussion period after these results are posted. If no serious allegations of voting irregularities are raised, the moderator of news.announce.newgroups will create the group shortly thereafter.

Newsgroups line:
comp.sys.amstrad.8bit Amstrad CPC/PcW/GX4000 software/hardware.

This vote is being conducted by a neutral third party. For voting questions only contact rdippold qualcomm.com. For questions about the proposed group contact Emmanuel Roussin <roussin frmug.fr.net>

CHARTER (Proponent)

The proposed unmoderated newsgroup comp.sys.amstrad.8bit will be open to discussions about the Amstrad CPC (464, 664, 6128, 464+, 6128+), PcW (8256, 8512, 9256, 9512, 9512+, QUibble) and GX4000.

Appropriate topics would include, but not be limited to :

• CPC/PcW/GX4000 hardware, software,
• CPCEMU, the CPC emulator from Marco Vieth, currently v1.0 at oak.oakland.edu in /SimTel/msdos/emulator/CPCEMU10.ZIP
  In the future, if they are too many message about it, we will discuss about a comp.emulators.cpc newsgroup,
• specific Amstrad CP/M files, overlays...

etc...

The only topic that is excluded is:

discussion of Amstrad PC-compatible (1512, 1640, 2x86, 3x86 and others Amstrad compatible I don't know) because these computers are really compatible, so comp.sys.ibm.pc.* newsgroups must be used.

In the future, the newsgroup could be reorganized in comp.sys.amstrad.8bit.cpc and comp.sys.amstrad.8bit.pcw if really needed.

The newsgroup, if created, will be relayed on BBS as not everybody can read newsgroups, they will have also files for CPC/PcW :

• genesis : the 8bit generation, FIDO 2:320/220 this french BBS will open this summer,
• Aspects BBS, FIDO 2:250/107 in U.K.

Expect other BBS in the future, we are looking for a BBS in Germany. The BBS will take care to post valid messages, not to post dupes, etc...

FTP sites with CPC files :

• ftp.demon.co.uk in /pub/cpm, specific Amstrad CP/M files, thanks to Paul Martin
• ftp.nvg.unit.no (soon), thanks to Arnt Gulbrandsen

And perhaps a coming french site.

Sinclair and Commodore 8bit users have their own newsgroup, the CPC/PcW were widely sold in U.K., France and Germany, also in other countries. It's time to have now our own newsgroup to discuss about these good computers. Nostalgia, when you hold me...

comp.sys.amstrad.8bit Final Vote Ack

Voted Yes
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Nik Holmes
John Miller [100022,1300]
A.E.Wright
Luis Miguel Carmona
Fernando Carvajal
Arnt Gulbrandsen
Richard L. Ahrens
Marco Vieth
Alexis Nunes
Radoslav Smiljanic
Per Abrahamsen
Austin Donnelly
Andrew.Leaver
Leif Andrew Rump
David Langford
Antonio Ortiz
Arden Aspinall
Attila Altan
Bales_N
bock mimi
Borge Noest
brian wandle
briang bgserv
Bernard Schmitz
Werner Cirsovius
Chris Stamper
Concurrent Osiam Team
Kip Crosby
Craig Sutherland
cui stan
D.L.Mountain
DARIOL[Strandh]
DEREK TIDMAN
Detlev Ahlgrimm
Dan O'Brien
Don Maslin
doug mansell
David Wragg
Fernando J. Echevarrieta Fernandez
Michael Begley
W.Ahmed
eglarsen
esser
Francesco Devitt
Francois Lourbet
Gilles Blanchard
Frank Geider
Ralf Geiger
Georg Wittig
Gernot Lucks
Greg Tan
Michael Gruber
Stefan Noehammer
Wolfgang Hesseler
etudiant
holgi
Arno Hollosi
hp48adm
Markus W. Islinger
Ian Watters
J.Cowan
james.sage
Jean-Francois Weber
Jens Kerle
Jean-Luc SIMONI Thesard GITD Fluhr
Jan Peters (CIP 92)
Joe Cotroneo
John Washington
Jean Pierre Ley
Dr J. West
SillyWiz
Peter Kauffner
Thomas Naumann

Lloyd Wood
Martin Schroeder
LMCCLURE
Lothar Wirbeleit
Margolis & Co
Mark Haigh-Hutchinson
Jose Pio Martinez Nu\qez
michel martini
Dr M.H. Evans
Michel Pinquier
Nieminen Mika Petteri
Marjorie R. Stamper
Michael Stroucken
natsuko
Neil R. Marsh
Nick Gibbs
Noel Llopis
TI1 Christof Odenthal
Oeyvind Krosby
Ollivier Civiol
HOLLY E ORDWAY
Jacques Ovion
Ivan Pattedoie
Pierre Beyssac
Christian Perrier
Peter Sullivan
Palli
Lyndon Watson
Paul Martin
Pochol Pascal
Michael
Michael J. Quinn
Russell Alphey
r.lane
Mr R Ahmad
Roger D Bucks
Rene COUGNENC
Robert Morgan
Ollivier Robert
Robert Klein
romuald
Ross
Bruno ROSSI
Emmanuel Roussin
Rhinman Rotz
rufinus
Rufus Cable
Christian SCHERER
Roman Schreiber
Anders Spliid Hansen
srt1
Stuart Foster
syre
Erik Trulsson
Thomas Quinot
Thomas Varsamidis (SH)
tommy
Todd Parker
Timothy Roddis
uen2702
Ulrich Hoffmann
Bernd Strehhuber
Veronique Prevet
Alex Hornby
Juergen Weber
WEBER Vincent
Bernhard Weininger
Wolf Paul
Xavier.Redon
Yavuz Batmaz
ycrnl13
Erwann Gaudal
Martin Zacho
zcapk55
Jesus Rafael Lee

Voted No
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Stefan Antersberger
Jim Ault
Jan Brittenson
Simon. Laule
crouchkp
Christopher Ward
Edward Bertsch
Ed Taychert
EOIN
Sean P. Ryan
Greg Woodbury
John Grohol
Herve Schauer
mary-frances jagod
JACOBS DRU THOMAS
Joseph Fortt
Jean-Michel Launay
John R. MacWilliamson
Julian Macassey
Axl
Kari E. Hurtta
Kjetil Torgrim Homme
Fazal Majid
Michael Grubb
Maxime Taksar KC6ZPS
Neil Bowers
Peter G. Berger
Richard H. Miller
Walter Roberson
Ryan Bayne
Siamak Ansari
Smarasderagd
srogers
Dwight Brown
Timothy VanFosson
Ward F. Bush