Amstrad PCW 256

The Amstrad PCW series is a range of personal computers produced by British company Amstrad from 1985 to 1998, and also sold under licence in Europe as the "Joyce" by the German electronics company Schneider in the early years of the series' life. The PCW, short for Personal Computer Word-processor, was targeted at the word processing and home office markets. When it was launched, the cost of a PCW system was under 25% of the cost of almost all PC compatibles in the UK, and as a result the machine was very popular both in the UK and in Europe. The series sold 8 million units. The last two models, introduced in the mid-1990s, were commercial failures, because of falling prices, greater capabilities, and wider range of software for PC compatibles.