Alice

NAME	ALICE
MANUFACTURER	Matra Hachette
TYPE	Home Computer
ORIGIN	France
YEAR	1983
END OF PRODUCTION	Alice 4k - 1982 Alice 32 - end of 1985
BUILT IN LANGUAGE	Basic Microsoft 1.0 (1982)
KEYBOARD	AZERTY, chicklet keyboard 47 keys (1 SHIFT, 1 CONTROL, BREAK, ENTER) Basic statements written above each key
CPU	Motorola 6803 (a cross between 6800 and 6809)
SPEED	0.89 MHz
RAM	Alice 4k : 4 kb, 3 kb left for user Alice 32 : 16 kb, 8 kb left for user
ROM	Alice 4k : 8 kb Alice 32 : 16 kb
TEXT MODES	Alice 4k : 32 x 16 Alice 32 : 32 x 16, 40 x 25, 80 x 25
GRAPHIC MODES	Alice 4k : 64 x 32 Alice 32 : 64 x 32, 160 x 125, 320 x 250
COLORS	Alice 4k : 9 Alice 32 : 9 with Basic, 32 with machine code
SOUND	1 channel
SIZE / WEIGHT	216 x 178 x 51 mm / 850 gr
I/O PORTS	Expansion port, Tape-recorder (1500 bauds), TV, I/O serial port
POWER SUPPLY	External PSU 10 VDC, 1.3A
PERIPHERALS	Printer, 16k RAM expansion
PRICE	Euro 182 (France, dec. 83)

As the Sinclair ZX-81, the Alice was clearly marketed as an initiation machine.

In 1981, Matra signed a deal with Tandy/RadioShack to develop an MC-10 clone for 1983 : the Alice. Matra then worked with Hachette (both were owned by the Lagardère group) to produce the documentation and to organize the distribution. Last but not least, the well known and excellent french illustrator Jean Giraud (Moebius) drew a beautiful illustration for the manual and the box of the compueter.

Alice is quite limited in its possibilities but is also quite pleasant to use. Its case is whole red and the computer really looks like a toy.

Several educational programs were developed for this computer.

In 1984 Matra presents a new version : The Alice 32 with 16 kb RAM and improved graphical possibilities. But like the MC 10 that computer was a flop on the market. It was replaced one year later by the Alice 90.