This site is dedicated to the Aleste computer created by the Omsk-based Patisonic company in 1993; the computer, we fell in love with and which bridge the gap between the epoch of the Dandy and the rise of the Internet.
The Aleste computer was a clone of the Amstrad CPC, using the MSX-DOS operating system.The Russian version of the computer’s name is Alesta.
Some of Aleste’s special features were borrowed from MSX2, Atari ST and Amiga.
Alesta was popular among MSX fans since it had a similar memory organization and disk capacity. The operating system MSX-DOS.
Alesta’s MSX compatibility was incomplete, but Alesta computer was available, whereas the MSX could not be had. Some enthusiasts built their own Aleste; computers at home from kits, while others bought complete units in stores.
The special pride of Aleste was the MagicSound audio, with which it was possible to reproduce STM and S3M (similar Scream Tracker, for those unfamiliar with that name) sounds. Audio quality was at Amiga level, 4 channels of eight bit samples. The Aleste computer sounded strong, and indeed in those Covox times it was the top of perfection.
However, games for Amstrad CPC were not popular and this perhaps was the main disadvantage of the Aleste computer.
The games BIOS was created for Aleste with an emulator for the MSX2’s VDP. With the games BIOS, all it took was replacing the first several kilobytes a of an MSX2 game and the game would run on Aleste. Despite the MSX video processor being optimized for games, the 8 MHz Aleste was still fast enough to simulate the VDP, allowing many games to be played. The FireBird game, a typical «vertical scroller», worked very well.
One of the programmers who participated in the project created for Aleste a light-processor expansion board using the DMX512 protocol to control professional lighting systems. This board was used to script and control light sources in theaters.
By request of foreigner CPC amateurs community.
Потому что иностранные граждане, любители CPC просили меня сделать английскую версию сайта.
Relatively hight price and difficult economical situation at middle of 1990s.
Относительно высокая цена компьютера в сочетании с тяжелой экономической ситуацией в начале и середине 90х годов.
Yes. The rad only memory (D65) can be replaced to support any keyboard. This ROM makes trans-coding from any keyboard's layout layout to the CPC layout.
Да. Простой заменой содержимого ПЗУ можно изменить то какая матрица клавиатуры используется. Фактически компьютер имеет аппаратный перекодировщик клавиатуры.
Wikipedia
CPC Wiki
ALESTE 520EX RECREATE
Github project Aleste-520EX by LasDesu
Aleste 520EX kits
Aleste 520EX PCB layouts
Original Documentation
The article at zonadepruebas
Компьютер "Aleste 520EX"