AlphaSmart Comparison

File Transfer Steps

File Transfer Issues

Further comparisons and conclusion

Back in 2023 I acquire this Amstrad Notepad NC100 for a reasonable price due to it supposedly having a faulty keyboard... but weirdly enough it has been working fine for me, more or less.

"The Amstrad NC100 Notepad is a portable Z80-based notebook computer, released by Amstrad in 1992. It features 64 KB of RAM, a word processor, various organiser-like facilities (diary, address book and time manager), a simple calculator, and a version of the BBC BASIC interpreter.

The computer's design, evocative of the TRS-80 Model 100, features a screen that is 80 character columns by eight rows, and while not backlit, the NC100 can run for up to 20 hours on four standard AA cell batteries. There is an RS-232 serial port for communication, a parallel port for connecting a printer, and a PC card socket, by means of which the computer's memory can be expanded up to 1 MB." - Adapted from the Wikipedia article on the device.

Initial AlphaSmart Bomparison:

File Transfer Steps:

I finally got round to transferring a file from the NC100 over Serial to an old laptop. The procedure I used is as follows (adapted from ncus.org.uk):

• Connect the NC100 with the serial cable to my Windows PC (98/XP) (I noticed on my second PC to try this on that within the Word processor on the NC100 with the serial cable connected it was receiving erroneous data that was messing up my document or flitting through menus as if keys were being pressed, so I needed to delay connecting it until ready to begin the transfer).
• In Windows open up HyperTerminal (Programs > Accessories > Communication)
• Setup the new connect there (it will be saved to the menu above for next time): COM1 (or 2, or whatever), 9600 baud, 8 data bits, 1 stop bit, no parity.

• From the Word processor menu on the NC100, choose to List Stored Documents
• Press Secret/Menu on highlighted document of choice
• Press T (for Transfer)
• In HyperTerminal go to Transfer > Receive File..., specify where you want to save the file, and the protocol as Xmodem. Click Receive.

• Choose your Filename (include .txt)
• Back on the NC100 immediately press X - for XModem send
• Note that the transfer will not actually start until the 3rd retry and the Error checking changes to Checksum (I wonder if there is a way to instigate this from the get-go, without having to wait).

File Transfer Issues:

I have found the transfer process to be error-prone and I'm not sure why. In the resulting document where I had typed notes from a book there are a number of eroneous "boxes" where I assume Notepad can't interpret the character. There are numerous spaces/tabs which I thing occured in the original as I typed. There are also Š characters at the at the beginning of many lines, and also the page formatting is transferred across so the new line appears as it did on the Amstrad making further formatting in the transferred file problematic.

Above all of this I do prefer typing on the Amstrad compared to my AlphaSmart 3000 though, they keys just function nicer, even if the end result isn't perfect.

Further comparisons and conclusion:

• Typing on my Amstrad compared to my AlphaSmart 3000 is nicer, although the AlphaSmart's screen is more visible outside (not a grave problem if you can effectively touch-type).
• There is a file length limitation on the AlphaSmart that I frequently run into, although continuing in a new file is not really an issue.
• The file transfer process is more of a hassle to set up on the Amstrad, but it is potentially quicker with the Amstrad if the document is lengthy.
• The Amstrad requires Serial cable transfer (i.e. my Windows 98/XP machine) whereas I can use any machine that accepts a USB keyboard with AlphaSmart.
• There might be multiple files that make up "one" to transfer from the AlphaSmart whereas a single document can be longer on the Amstrad.
• Transferring from the AlphaSmart means your "keyboard" is out of action for the duration of the transfer.