N-Connect

Portable Solutions from 20-20 Software

The Amstrad NC100

The Amstrad NC100 is the ideal budget portable notepad computer. Costing less than Ł100 it includes an excellent word processor, spell checker, diary, address book, alarm, calculator, simple terminal and BBC BASIC interpreter. Powered from four AA batteries of practically any type its CMOS design gives an impressive length of use per charge; and when these batteries do run down an separate Lithium ensures no data is lost. The machine is the same size as an A4 page, and includes a full size keyboard, and weighs less than a kilogram.

N-Connect - Amstrad NC100 to RISC-OS Link

N-Connect is the most comprehensive system ever produced for linking this machine to Acorn ARM based computers.

It makes the NC100 an integral part of your RISC-OS desktop. Documents processed on the NC100 under ProText can be dropped into Impression with styles preserved, and similarly text can be dragged to the NConnect icon to send to the NC100.

For the programmer BASIC programs can be ported to and from the NC100 with the minimum of user intervention, full diagnostics are provided via the DDE throwback system if it is present. N-Connect can also detokenise both forms of BASIC into text.

Features

Matches the full NC100 transfer system.
Compatible with second serial cards.
Automatic listening.
Simple, intuitive drag and drop operation.
Verified transfer protocol.
Automatic file translation :
- Protext to Impression conversion (including styles).
- NC-BASIC to BBC Basic conversion & vice versa.
- Detokenisers for both NC100 and BBC Basic V.
Intelligent file recognition.
Status window.
Multitasking during transmit and receive.
Suspend option.
Full documentation supplied.

Screenshot of N-Connect in action (31k GIF, Mono)

Availability

N-Connect is be available as a free download from this site and is now unsupported.

nconnect.spk (193K spark archive)

A special cable is needed to connect the NC100 and RISC-OS machine, a wiring diagram is provided. The link attaches to the serial port, and so A3000 owners need to have had the appropriate hardware fitted. Contact your local Acorn dealer (not that they exist any more - just call up Joe down the road who's got a soldering iron) for details.