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On This Day - 11th April

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Amstrad launches the CPC 464
1983

Amstrad launches the CPC 464

Amstrad launches its first home computer, the CPC 464, at the Great Hall of Westminster School in London.

Designed as a complete home-computer system, the CPC 464 combined the computer and keyboard with a built-in cassette recorder and could be supplied with either a green-screen or colour monitor. It was designed to compete directly with established machines such as the Sinclair ZX Spectrum and Commodore 64.

The CPC 464 used a Z80 processor, 64K of RAM and Amstrad's Locomotive BASIC, and became one of the most successful British 8-bit home computers.

The CPC 464 went on sale in the UK on 21 June 1984, initially through Rumbelows.


Image credit: Bill Bertram — CC BY-SA 2.5
Source: Amstrad; Centre for Computing History.
11 April 1984 is the date of the CPC 464's public launch at Westminster School. Amstrad records 21 June 1984 as the date the computer first went on sale in the UK.
Amstrad CPC 464 Amstrad Alan Sugar Z80 Locomotive BASIC 8-Bit Computers Home Computers British Computers ZX Spectrum Commodore 64 Computing History
Wikimedia Commons original-image page

Also in this month

Other historical information recorded for April.

Million Sinclair computers sold worldwide
1983

Million Sinclair computers sold worldwide

Sinclair Research announced that it had sold one million home computers worldwide, claiming to be the first company to reach that milestone. The total comprised around 130,000 ZX80s, 750,000 ZX81s and 200,000 ZX Spectrums. Sinclair also estimated that a further 600,000 Sinclair computers had been manufactured under licence by Timex for the North American market. The company said production in Dundee had reached approximately one computer every four seconds.
Source: Sinclair User April 1983
Sinclair User, issue 13, April 1983, reported Sinclair Research's claim that one million Sinclair home computers had been sold worldwide. The figures given were approximately 130,000 ZX80s, 750,000 ZX81s and 200,000 Spectrums. Sinclair additionally estimated that 600,000 computers had been manufactured under licence by Timex for North American sales. The article noted that Commodore disputed Sinclair's claim, saying that it had already passed one million sales several months earlier.
Sinclair Research ZX80 ZX81 ZX Spectrum Sinclair Sales Timex Timex Sinclair Dundee Sinclair Manufacturing Home Computers UK Home Computers
Sinclair User Issue 13
Timex Sinclair User magazine launched in the USA
1983

Timex Sinclair User magazine launched in the USA

ECC Publications launched Timex/Sinclair User, a new magazine aimed at owners of Timex/Sinclair computers in the United States. Based on the format of Britain's Sinclair User, the magazine covered reviews, projects, books and programming, with a first print run of 100,000 copies. ECC estimated that around 750,000 Timex/Sinclair machines were already in the United States and expected that figure to reach two million within a year.
Source: Sinclair User May 1983 Issue 14
Sinclair User Issue 14 reported that ECC Publications had launched Timex/Sinclair User in the United States during April 1983. The first issue had a print run of 100,000 copies and contained hardware and book reviews, projects including an EPROM blower, and a four-part BASIC programming series. The American edition had its own editorial and advertising staff, with members of the British Sinclair User team helping coordinate the launch. John Sterlicchi acted as editor-in-chief and John Ross as advertising manager.
Timex/Sinclair User Sinclair User Timex Sinclair Timex Sinclair Research ZX81 ZX Spectrum Sinclair Magazines Timex Sinclair Magazines USA American Computers Home Computers
Sinclair User Issue 14
Page Revised: 07/09/2026

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