Editing Matra Alice

{{infobox computer
| name = Matra & Hachette Ordinateur Alice
| logo = 
| image = [[File:Matra Alice.jpg|280px]]
| caption = The Matra Alice<!-- include if image is not a logo -->
| developer = 
| manufacturer = [[Matra]] and [[Hachette (publishing)|Hachette]]
| carrier = 
| family = 
| type = [[Home computer]]
| generation = 
| releasedate = {{Start date and age|1983}}
| lifespan = 
| price = 
| discontinued = {{End date|1983}}
| unitssold = 
| unitsshipped = 
| media = 
| os = [[Microsoft]] [[BASIC programming language|BASIC]]<!-- operating system -->
| power = 
| cpu = [[Motorola 6800|Motorola 6803]]
| storage = 
| memory = 4 [[kilobyte|KiB]] on-board
| display = [[Péritel]] video output; 32 × 16 or 64 × 32 with 8 colors, 160 × 125 with 4 colors (with expanded RAM)
| graphics = [[Motorola 6847]]
| sound = 1 channel, 5 octaves
| input = Cassette interface
| location = <!-- GPS or Wi-Fi based -->
| controllers = 
| output = 
| camera = 
| touchpad = 
| connectivity = [[RS-232]]C serial interface
| service = <!-- online service/s offered -->
| dimensions = 
| weight = 
| topgame = 
| compatibility = [[TRS-80 MC-10]]
| predecessor = 
| successor = 
| related = 
| website = 
| CPUspeed = 0.89 MHz
}}
[[Image:Alice Cassette Deck MP3H0659 Rotated.jpg|thumb|The colour-coordinated data recorder for the Alice]]
The '''Matra & Hachette Ordinateur Alice''' is a [[home computer]] sold in [[France]] beginning in 1983.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Matra-Hachette Alice |url=https://www.obsolete-tears.com/matra-hachette-alice-machine-17.html |access-date=2022-12-25 |website=www.obsolete-tears.com}}</ref><ref name=":0">{{Cite web |title=ALICE Matra Hachette |url=https://www.old-computers.com/museum/computer.asp?st=1&c=60 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231002154135/https://old-computers.com/MUSEUM/computer.asp?st=1&c=60|archive-date=2023-10-02|access-date=2022-12-26 |website=www.old-computers.com}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=Matra Alice |archive-date=2009-11-02 |url=http://www.silicium.org/oldskool/france/matra/alice.htm |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20091102041044/http://www.silicium.org/oldskool/france/matra/alice.htm|access-date=2022-12-26 |website=www.silicium.org}}</ref><ref name=":1">{{Cite web |title=MO5.COM : Musée des Machines : Ordinateur : Le Matra-Hachette Alice |url=http://mo5.com/musee-machines-alice.html |access-date=2022-12-26 |website=mo5.com}}</ref>  It was a clone of the [[TRS-80 MC-10]], produced through a collaboration between [[Matra]] and [[Hachette (publishing)|Hachette]] in France and [[Tandy Corporation]] in the [[United States]].<ref name=":2">{{Cite web |title=ALICE |url=http://msx.fab.free.fr/mpc/alice/alice.htm |access-date=2022-12-26 |website=msx.fab.free.fr}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=Matra Alice |url=https://www.system-cfg.com/detail.php?ident=291 |access-date=2022-12-26 |website=www.system-cfg.com}}</ref>

[[Image:Alice-IMG 0319.JPG|thumb|Alice 32 and cassette deck]]

The Alice is distinguished by its bright red casing.  Functionally, it is equivalent to the MC-10, with a [[Péritel]] ([[SCART]]) connector replacing the [[RF modulator]] for video output.

The Alice never became a popular computer in its home country. It tried to invade schools by being part of the country's ''[[Computing for All|Plan Informatique pour Tous]]'' ("Information technology for everyone") programme, but [[Thomson computers|Thomson]] won the whole deal.<ref name=":2" /> Fewer than 50 games were released for the system.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Listing of all Matra-hachette / Tandy Alice (MC-10) games - Page 1 |url=https://www.video-games-museum.com/en/sys/127-alice-(mc-10)/3/all |access-date=2023-01-01 |website=The Video Games Museum |language=en}}</ref>

The original model had 4&nbsp;KB of RAM and used a [[Motorola 6847]] video display generator chip, as used in the [[Dragon 32]] and [[Acorn Atom]] among others.

At least three emulators for the system exist.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Emulation Matra-Hachette Alice32 - Liste des Emulateurs Matra-Hachette Alice32 |url=http://www.emu-france.com/emulateurs/10-ordinateurs/244-matra-hachette-alice32/ |access-date=2022-12-26 |website=Emu-France |language=fr-FR}}</ref>

==Specifications==
The machine is similar to the TRS-80 MC-10, with the following specifications:<ref name=":2" />
* CPU: [[Motorola 6800|Motorola 6803]] at 0.89 MHz
* RAM: 4 [[kilobytes|KiB]] on-board, expandable to 20 KiB with a plug-in memory module
* ROM: 8 KiB ([[Microsoft]] [[BASIC programming language|BASIC]])
* I/O Ports:
** [[RS-232]]C serial interface
** Cassette interface
** [[Péritel]] video output
** Expansion interface
* [[AZERTY]] keyboard layout
* Display: [[Motorola 6847]], 32 × 16 or 64 × 32 with 8 colors, 160 × 125 with 4 colors (with expanded RAM) 
* Sound: 1 channel, 5 octaves

==Successor Models==
[[File:Matra Alice all.jpg|thumb|Matra Alice, Matra Alice 32, Matra Alice 90]]

Matra later released two successor models:
* The '''Matra Alice 32''' released in 1983 shared the case style of the original, but was a different computer inside, due to using the [[Thomson EF9345|EF9345]] video chip.<ref name=":0" /><ref>{{Cite web |title=Matra Alice 32 |url=http://www.silicium.org/oldskool/france/matra/alice32.htm |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20091114081536/http://www.silicium.org/oldskool/france/matra/alice32.htm |archive-date=2009-11-14|access-date=2022-12-26 |website=www.silicium.org}}</ref><ref name=":3">{{Cite web |title=Alice |url=http://www.ordinosaures.fr/page14.html |access-date=2022-12-26 |website=www.ordinosaures.fr}}</ref><ref name=":1" /> The Alice 32 had 8 [[kilobyte]]s of main [[RAM]], 8 kilobytes of dedicated video [[RAM]], and 16 kilobytes [[Read-only memory|ROM]] (the ROM incorporated an [[Assembly language#Assembler|assembler]]). The CPU was clocked at 1 MHz.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Matra Alice 32 |url=https://www.system-cfg.com/detail.php?ident=292 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20061118211923/http://www.system-cfg.com/detail.php?ident=292 |archive-date=2006-11-18 |access-date=2022-12-26 |website=www.system-cfg.com}}</ref> Higher resolution graphic modes included 320 × 192 with 16 colors from a 256 color palette.<ref name=":2" />
* The '''Matra Alice 90''' released in late 1984<ref>{{Cite journal |date=November 1984 |title=Essai Complet - Alice 90 |url=https://www.auditsi.eu/?wpfb_dl=63 |journal=Science et Vie Micro |issue=11 |pages=65}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=Matra-Hachette Alice 90 |url=https://www.obsolete-tears.com/matra-hachette-alice-90-machine-16.html |access-date=2022-12-25 |website=www.obsolete-tears.com}}</ref> was an upgrade to the Alice 32, which featured 32 kilobytes of RAM and a full-size case and keyboard.<ref>{{Cite web |title=ALICE 90 Matra Hachette |url=https://www.old-computers.com/museum/computer.asp?st=1&c=61 |access-date=2022-12-26 |website=www.old-computers.com}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=Matra Alice 90 |url=http://www.silicium.org/oldskool/france/matra/alice90.htm |access-date=2022-12-26 |website=www.silicium.org}}</ref><ref name=":3" /><ref name=":1" />  Its video cable included video-in, so EF9345 graphics could be overlaid onto the input video.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Matra Alice 90 |url=https://www.system-cfg.com/detail.php?ident=293 |access-date=2022-12-26 |website=www.system-cfg.com}}</ref>
* The '''Matra Alice 8000''' released in 1985<ref name=":2" /><ref>{{Cite web |last=Lunil |date=2018-10-08 |title=Alice Matra |url=http://www.lunil.com/ordinateur-alice-matra/ |access-date=2022-12-26 |website=LUNIL - L'innovation dans le monde |language=fr-FR}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=HCM: The Home Computer Museum ... |url=http://www.homecomputer.de/pages/f_info.html?Matra_Alice_8000.html |access-date=2022-12-26 |website=www.homecomputer.de}}</ref> was a more powerful machine with two CPUs, a 6803 at 4,9152MHz and a [[Intel 8088]]. It had 64 × of RAM.<ref>{{Cite web |title=MATRA ALICE 8000 |url=http://bmi56287.chez.com/id98.htm |access-date=2022-12-26 |website=bmi56287.chez.com}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=Matra Alice 8000 |url=https://www.system-cfg.com/detail.php?ident=294 |access-date=2022-12-26 |website=www.system-cfg.com}}</ref>

The [[Thomson EF9345]] video chip in the Matra Alice 32/90 was capable of displaying 8 colors, 128 alphanumeric characters, and 128 semi-graphic characters with a [[Semigraphics|semigraphic]] mode and 40- and 80-column text modes. It could address up to 16 KiB of dedicated VRAM although the Alice 32 and 90 only included 8 KiB. The 32x16 semigraphic mode of the original Alice was simulated in software by the Alice 32/90 system ROM.<ref>{{cite web|title=ROM Alice 32 Commentée par SEILEBOST|url=http://alice32.free.fr/documentation/alice32-rom/alice32-rom.zip|website=alice32.free.fr}}</ref>

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==External links==
{{Commons|Alice computer}}
*[https://alice.system-cfg.com/ Le wiki d'Alice] – Everything about Alice {{in lang|fr}}
*[https://web.archive.org/web/20030511081245/http://www.ornitron.com/machine/afficheordinateur.asp?idcomputer=73 Matra Alice] — information from ''The Machine Room''
*[https://web.archive.org/web/20070927072223/http://alice32.fr/ Matra Alice32] — Alice 32 information complete {{in lang|fr}}
*[http://alice32.free.fr/ DCAlice] — Alice 32 emulator and information site
*[https://web.archive.org/web/20091027114600/http://www.geocities.com/emucompboy/ My First Alice32] — Alice 32 emulator
*[https://web.archive.org/web/20080212220253/http://membres.lycos.fr/romualdl/alice/alice_faq.txt FAQ on Alice32] — comprehensive FAQ regarding Alice

{{TRS-80 and Tandy computers}}
{{Authority control}}

[[Category:Home computers]]
[[Category:Computers designed in France]]
[[Category:Computer-related introductions in 1983]]