Post by Spanner on Apr 20, 2019 15:46:32 GMT
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Amstrad_E-mailer
About the Amstrad e-m@iler
This is what I wrote and added some of it to Wikipedia about the Amstrad E-mailer, because it was to big for Wikipedia(only brief stuff about something can be added, I needed more) I posted it here, I wanted people to know more about them, how they worked and wanted people to know that after 3 month(90 days) they deactivate and stop working, all that works is the clock, all functions are disabled, unless they have the last configuration change on them from 2011, you know it has it because there be NO SERVICES on the home screen.
The ones on eBay are not worth the money they are asking for them, Especially when they are `deactvated` and do not work as a normal landline phone.
The Amstrad website is now dead so here is a link to it on The Internet Archive - Amstrad.com. There are no manuals for download for the Amstrad E-mailer on there website, they went when Sky killed Amstrad's ftp server so most of the info about them is on this forum.
The support page for the Amstrad Emailer on the Amstrad website made it look like even if you missed download the Configuration Change in the 2 weeks slot Sky allowed(it needed to be longer) think the Emailer would still work or function after that time, no where on the support page does it says `The Amstrad Emailer after the Amserve service ends, if you didn't downloaded the Configurations Change in time then all functions on the emailer ceases to function` they only say what will work after the end date and makes it look like it will still work after that date when it doesn't... odd(well 3 months after the date it would deactivates itself because it can not connect with Amserve to reactivate and because it does not have the config change on it).
A big thanks goes to Cliff Lawson for all his help answering some questions about the E-Mailer...
Hope you enjoy it.
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The Amstrad E-mailer (often stylized as e-m@iler or written as E-mailer, Em@iler or Emailer) is a Personal Communication Centre that was a landline desktop phone with email and Answering Machine only, launched in March 2000, created in 1999 by Cliff Lawson and Ian Saward for Amstrad.
Pictures of the Amstrad E-mailer - All Modes
==============================
Right Click on any image and Open in New Tab to see the image bigger.
Picture of the Amstrad PB1500 Manual Amstrad (E2)E-mailer Plus(Left) and E3(Right), E3 Gamepad(GP1), Amstrad used its design on the original Amstrad E-mailer E1, Pocket Dock IT Databank
It used the Amstrad Pocket Dock IT(Data-Bank) too, like the Amstrad E-mailer
Video of Amstrad E-mailer Advert Picture of the Amstrad (E2) E-Mailer Plus(2002)
Design and Release
==============
The idea for the Amstrad E-mailer (E1) was conceived by Bob Watkins and was codenamed BSI, (later BSI-1, then changed to Alpha), (it stood for "Bob's Shit Idea",) Alan Sugar didn't like the idea at first (that's why he called it BSI) but came around to it later and changed its codename later on from BSI-1 to Alpha.
The product was designed by Cliff Lawson and Ian Saward that worked for Amstrad, they started working on BSI-1 about 1997/1998, they used the same design and layout from the Amstrad PB1500 Landline phone on (BSI-1, Alpha), they made all the software and hardware for(Gamma and Delta) Amstrad E-mailer Plus (E2) and Amstrad E3 Videophone too.
Amstrad E-mailer (E1) was a collaboration between Amstrad and BT and was released in March 2000 but was copyrighted in 1999 on its Main Software because that when its firmware was made, Amstrad used the back-end(email server) provided by BT, BT did have their own phone with email, BT released that in 1998, 2 years before the Amstrad E-mailer (E1) release, BT's phone was called the BT Easicom 1000(£179.99 in Argos) and was twice the price of the Amstrad E-mailer(E1) was, in 2000 the E1 was £79.99, the Amstrad E-mailer(E1) had the "Powered by BT" logo printed on it by its keyboard.
By 2002 Amstrad broke all ties with BT and released a new model, Amstrad E-mailer Plus(E2)(Gamma) that had ZX Spectrum Games that you can download and play on the device.
The bootloader was named "PBL", an abbreviation for "Primary Boot Loader", It could of stand for "Phone Book Loader" cause its has (PB)L in the abbreviation of the name, like on the Amstrad PB1500, but it could be just a coincidence because Amstrad used the Amstrad PB1500 design on the first Amstrad E-Mailer E1(BSI-1, Alpha).
Second part to load after PBL was called "LDR", LDR was created by Cliff Lawson and was like Uboot, it did the same thing, finding the Linux kernal and then executing the kernel in the Amstrad E3 Videophone, PBL was designed by Trevor Kellaway at Application Solutions for Amstrad, PBL was used on all 3 Models of the Amstrad E-Mailer.
The Amstrad E3 E-mailer manual is here
What was the Amstrad E-Mailer
======================
The first Amstrad E-mailer(E1) was a desktop telephone with an Monochrome 4:3 5.8" Inch LCD screen at 480x320 and limited Internet dialup and email messaging and Faxing capabilities. Later models the E2 E-m@iler Plus, released 2002, and E3 Videophone with video phone capabilities, released in 2004 was able to browse the Internet, SMS Messaging and included the ability to play ZX Spectrum computer games.
The Mailboard(keyboard) and Gamepad(GP1)
==============================
The Mailboard that slide out from under the handset was similar to the original ZX Spectrum keyboard, it was like you were playing the games on the Spectrum, it has the symbol key from the ZX Spectrum too and same layout.
The Amstrad E3 Videophone Mailboard was the only one that was different, it has rubber keys like the original ZX Spectrum did, the Amstrad E-Mailer(E1) and E2 had plastic keys like Amstrad's ZX Spectrum +2, but some Amstrad E2 Plus Emailers did come with the same E3 Mailboard)
All 3 models of the Mailboard can be use on all E-mailer models so you can use a E3 Mailboard on the E1 and vice versa, they work as a PS/2 keyboard but use there own keyboard map so it can be plugged into a PS/2 connector, they do work.
The Amstrad E-Mailer E3 Superphone did come with a Gamepad that looked like a Playstation 1 controller called GP1, it was black, made it easier to play the games that were available at the time. The Gamepad works the same way as the Mailboard because it connect to the Mailboard's connector like a chain so the buttons on GP1 are keys really, Each button on GP1 is mapped to a key on the Mailboard so it one of the first Gamepad that uses PS/2 standard.
Buttons are: 1 ,2 ,3 , stop, enter, 8, 7, space fire, games.
Shoulder buttons are: 4, 6, symbol, 5, the Dpad is mapped to the arrow keys.
Mailboard Keyboard Pinouts
===================
Looking at top of keyboard, with the keys facing towards you. Pin 1 is leftmost.
Notes
-------
Standard PC keyboard protocol with non standard scan codes. When the bus is idle, clock and data lines are high. The data line should be sampled on the rising edge of the clock pulse.
Note that when a key is pressed, the scan code is sent as a single byte. When the key is released it is transmitted as two bytes, first the prefix of 0xf0, followed by the scan code itself.
Here is the Pinout of a PS/2 Female Connector so you can see where each line goes from the Mailboard to the PS/2 Connector.
This does work, I have tried it and you can use the Mailboard with Android too, you just need a app on Android to map the keyboard so it works like a normal keyboard does, I used it with a Amazon Fire Tablet.
Registration... First User
=================
Registration First User Page or Screen on Amstrad E3 Videophone
Before the user could start to use the Amstrad E-Mailer, they had to go thought Registration, they would see the words "Press {EMAIL} button to get connected", If they pressed the EMAIL button it would take them to the Registration Page.
The purpose of Registration is to set up an account between the user and the Email Service Provider, which was Amserve, you needed a Email Address from Amstrad for the E-mailer to function or work, If they didn't complete Registration they could not use the E-Mailer until they finished it, it would activate the E-mailer once it was completed, It took about 10 to 15 minutes to complete.
The Amstrad E-mailer did not function or work until the user registered it on Amserve before they could use it for the first time, All brand new (New) models were deactivated and registration activated them.
The screen of the E-Mailer is covered up by a Important Card saying "IMPORTANT"...."This unit will not work until Installation and Registration have been completed".
This is the Important Card that covers the Amstrad E-mailer's screen when you unpack it.
Profitability
=========
The 'pay as you go' business model that the Amstrad E-mailer was based on, was controversial, this was to fill that gap between wanting to get a email address and not having to get a computer to get one, it was the days before the Smartphone took over.
Cliff Lawson said:-
By 2011 Amstrad did break even in the end, Lord Sugar said in an interview in 2011:-
The business model was a bit like what the Amazon Fire Tablet uses, it has adverts on its lock screen that you see when press its power button to turn its screen on from it been idol, you automatically subscribe to the adverts when you buy the tablet but you can pay a one off fee of £15 to remove them so the Amazon Fire Tablet is subsidised like the Amstrad E-Mailer was so Amazon can sell them at a lower cost. link
Hardware and Firmware
==================
The hardware inside the Amstrad E-Mailer was like the Raspberry Pi, it was a small computer that mimicked a landline phone.
All 3 Models of the Amstrad E-mailer was designed and built by Cliff Lawson and Ian Saward who worked for Amstrad, There names are in the Address Book when its running Demonstration Mode(below)
Demonstration Mode YouTube Video
It used a Arm CPU SoC processor like the Raspberry PI.
Amstrad E-Mailer(E1) (E2) had a Arm Sharp CPU on its Logic Board, the CPU had an LCD panel controller built in and that's why Cliff and Ian picked it.
It used a custom built OS and Main Software that Cliff Lawson created for it, they were not based on Linux.
The Amstrad E3 VideoPhone had a Texas Instruments (TI) OMAP(Open Multimedia Applications Platform) 5910 ARM9 SoC on its PCB and the firmware was based on Montavista Linux.
Cliff needed to put video codecs into the E3 and that needed a DSP. So they picked the TI OMAP ARM CPU SoC which combined an ARM9 that could run Linux (it has an MMU built in) with a C5xx DSP so it could use a colour screen.
This is the specs of the Amstrad E3 Video Phone..
The Amstrad E3 had 6(0 to 5) MTD partitions on its NAND, its cramfs File system is on MTD 4.
TI OMAP5910JGDY 150MHz - The dual ARM/DSP core CPU SoC that powers the unit.
PSC A2V56S40ATP 3469LA05 TAIWAN-75 - This is 256MB of SDRAM made by PSC.
ATMEL AT49LV1024 90VC 0425 64k x 16bits 3volt 128KB - 128kb NOR Flash Memory
TOSHIBA J30388 TAIWAN 03349AD TC58DVM82A1FT00 32M x 8bits 3volt - 32mb NAND Flash Memory
Conexant Smartv.92 CX81801-74 E409542.1 0334 MEXICO - The v.92 modem controller. This seems to be a proper hardware chip rather than a softmodem of some sort.
Conexant CX20442-11 E416598.1 0335 KOREA - Voice codec for the modem chipset.
Conexant 20493-21 E391758 0326 KR - "SmartDAA" - line driver for the modem chipset.
Picture of the Amstrad E3 E-mailer's PCB compared to a Raspberry Pi3 PCB
not the actual size but is the right size next to a RP3, the photo was taken with the RPI3 next to the E3 Logic Board, close up of the board is here.
Hacking the E3
===========
In 2006 the Amstrad E3 Video Phone was hacked to run Linux, the E3 ran Linux based on MontaVista Linux, in the background as it was running it's Main Software in the foreground. The E3 could only run a shell, the E3 was not powerful enough to run Linux with a GUI because it only had 32mb of SDRAM.
The Amstrad E3 had 5 MDT devices on its NAND, like partitions.
Jonathan's McDowell writes in 2006...link
It first boots into Linux(Linux 2.4.18 kernal) MontaVista Linux 3.0, Professional Edition, after staring Linux then runs the `start_cramfs script`(its part of the Linux boot command on the E3) and then mounts a virtual /mnt Drive, like a USB Drive now that uses on a Mini console and then runs the commands to copy the symbolic file lists and copy the system links, system files it needs on to the /mnt Virtual Ram Drive(its because the cramfs file system is read only and the GUI uses read write) and then it runs `stnc_sys_boot.elf` the binary file from the Delta folder that start the E3 Software GUI from inside the /mnt Virtual Ram Drive and thats when you see the second boot screen with a white screen with a small Amstrad E3 on it then the Home Screen with the Clock loads up, the first boot screen with the name Amstrad E3 on it is the boot screen as its booting up Linux.
This works the same way as a Mini Console does, it basically the same idea but was made 20 years ago.
Amstrad E3 Rootfs Cramfs File System
The file system is in parts on its NAND so not all in one place so the kernal finds each part and put all the parts together and loads into memory then runs the system, it was to stop people hacking it and by passing it charges.
So different programs in the Crams FS are in different locations on the NAND and where linked to the Crams File System, where the files were located in the Crams FS so if you just copy the Crams FS from the Amstrad E3 Emalier it will have files missing from it because they are located else where on the NAND, the files that are missing are there but have 0 byes in them because they are a link to the real file in the NAND.
Pricing and Cost
============
When the Amstrad E-Mailer was released in March 2000 it was 12p per email collection(Dialling for email), by 2002 the price increased to 17p, then in 2005 the cost increased again to 20p and stayed at that price until the service was closed down in 2011. The charges are clearly written on the box, so the customer knew before buying the Amstrad E-Mailer it would cost money to run.
Everything about the Amstrad E-Mailer would cost the customer money, it cost about £6.20 a month(at 20p a day, up until it closed down in 2011) to have the Amstrad E-Mailer running and functioning, just to use it as a Landline Phone was not free but Amstrad needed money to keep the Amserve servers going and pay for its build cost.
Dixons is where the Amstrad E-mailer was sold first then Currys, Tesco and Argos started selling them, In 2000 the Amstrad E1 E-Mailer cost £79.99 new, the E2 Plus(2002) cost £29.99 and the Amstrad E3 Videophone(2004) cost £99.99, by 2005 it price was slashed in half to £49.99.
The Amstrad E-Mailer could be set to dial for email once a day by using Polling option by pressing Setup button then button 4 on the Mailboard but would use Automatic Collection if the customer answered Yes to Caller Display and Email Notification on the Registration Page, the Amstrad E-Mailer would turn it on automatically.
The Amstrad E-mailer would automatically call up Amserve to collect email as soon as it was notified that there is email waiting, but if answered No to one of them then it would use polling and that was set to collect email once a day. It would depend on how much email the customer would get for it to dial for email more than once a day.
Sending SMS texts were 50p a text, downloading Polyphonic ringtones were £1.50 per min and last approximately 2 mins 40 seconds.
Video Calling on the Amstrad E3 were no additional charge, just the cost of an ordinary phone call but would only work with another E3s, Internet Surfing was 5p per minute at ALL times, Games were introduced when the Amstrad E-mailer Plus came out in 2002 but also charged for but the customer could only rent each game for 4 weeks.
The Smartphone(IOS and Android) now has replaced devices like this, Smartphones are easier to use to get Emails(do not need to register to to use it, only needed to add a email to the app on the Smartphone and can keep it in your pocket and connect it to your WIFI and get your email free, it can even do video calling for free with WhatsApp now, it was one of the reasons users stopped using the Amstrad E-Mailer, well it cost to much to run on users landline(20p x7= £1.40 per week plus any service you used too added to the 3 month phone bill so about £15+ every 3 months on your phone bill to run the Amstrad E-mailer).
The ZX Spectrum Games
=================
ZX Spectrum Games on the E-mailer Plus and E3 Video Phone were 50p for 4 days or £1 for 4 weeks(The ZX Spectrum Games are no longer available), once the time ran out on them the games would get deleted and you would have to download them again to play them and pay for them again, Amstrad added them for another way to get money from the customer like its ringtones.
The Amstrad E3 Video Phone was the first device to run Linux in the background and run the games through a emulator, its was a bit like the Mini Consoles now(Snes Mini, Mega Drive Mini, PS Classic),They work the same way.
Advertising
========
The Amstrad E-mailer also included advertising on its screen as a screen saver, it was like the Amazon Fire Tablets lock screen.
It would downloaded the adverts by using a free 0808 number so the customer was not charged, they would come up after about 5 minutes and the orange button would come on at the bottom of the screen, you could press it and be taken the there web page on the Internet using the web browser on the E-Mailer Plus/E3 or the adverts phone number on the E1 cause it did not have a web browser yet or internet so it would dial the number for you.
If you didn't want to keep seeing the adverts keep coming up on the screen they could press the DELETE button to remove them and it would go back to the Home Screen with the Clock on it.
If there was no adverts to show it would show a clock screen saver instead.
Advertisers was Sky, AOL, BT, Orange, Toyota, Halifax, Dial-a-Phone, HSBC and NS&I.
More about the adverts are here..
Configuration Change
===============
Amstrad E-Mailer Plus(E2) with the Configuration Change added to its Main Software
**Notice**
The Home Screen Services on the Left (E1,E2) or on the right (E3) will change, and have the words "`Important` `Information` `about this` `Emailer(-Plus)` `Telephone`" when the Configuration Change has been applied,(See above image) the CONFIG file has been updated in it so it does not deactivate itself.
The configuration change was only available for 2 weeks from 30 June 2011 to 14 July 2011 after that if the Amstrad E-mailer didn't download the CONFIG file to change the way it functioned or connected with Amserve, you would not be able to use it anymore because the Amstrad E-mailer would deactivate, disable itself and stop all it features in 3 months(90 Days) or less depending on how long the Amstrad E-mailer had been on for so it would stop functioning altogether.
The Configuration Change was a file that the Amstrad E-Mailer would download and keep the E-Mailer working, it was called a .CONFIG file(more about it in another section below) this file would be read by the Main Software and so it changed settings inside the Amstrad E-Mailer and activated it for another 90 days, the last .CONFIG file it got was the Configuration Change .CONFIG file that told it not to disable itself and keep it activated and removed the Services on the Home Screen and Games cause they are no longer available.
**Important**
Please DO NOT Reset to factory Defaults if it has the Configuration Change on it, you will delete the CONFIG file and Disable the Amstrad E-mailer and Stop all its features from working.
If you reset the Amstrad E-Mailer back to factory defaults,(You press and hold 3 buttons when you boot up the E-Mailer to reset it) if it has the Configuration Change on the Amstrad E-Mailer, the reset removes the Configuration Change .CONFIG file and the Amstrad E-Mailer becomes disabled and non functional, not working after the reset, because you will need to Register it again with Amserve to get the E-Mailer to work again and you can not do that anymore, Amserve does not exist anymore.
How to Copy the Configuration Change to another Amstrad E-mailer
================================================
You can copy the Amstrad E-Mailer setup from one E-mailer to another using a Pocket Dock it but it has to be the same model(E1 to E1 or E3 to E3) and if you want to copy the Configuration Change to another, it has to be Amstrad E-Mailer that is activated so you can make a phone call on it and not deactivated and nothing works because the Configuration Change only stops the Amstrad E-Mailer from deactivating it features, deactivating itself, it does not work on a deactivated Amstrad E-Mailer because it can't enable its features, the Configuration Change only stops the 90 days inside the Amstrad E-mailer's Main Software to stop it from not working after the 90 day are up and it becoming non functional.
How the Amstrad E-mailer Activated and Deactivated itself(Hold down {EMAIL} to restore service)
=================================================================
Cliff Lawson said:-
How the Amstrad E-mailer worked was, when it connected to Amserve it would download a CONFIG file (Alpha_e_live.CONFIG file for Amstrad E1, Gamma_e_live.CONFIG file for Amstrad E2 and Delta_e_live.CONFIG file for Amstrad E3 Video Phone) at the same time as it was collecting email, the file would tell the Amstrad E-mailer to go back to 90 days(3 Months), if the Amstrad E-mailer never dial for email, it would delete the CONFIG file in 3 months and it would make the Amstrad E-mailer deactivate itself and stop all its features from working until it connected to Amserve and downloaded the .CONFIG file again to activate it again.
The Amstrad E-mailer would have to dial for email again so it could download the CONFIG file again to enable the E-mailer again, the file was like a set of instructions on how they wanted the Amstrad E-Mailer to operate, without the CONFIG file its a disabled device and does not function without it.
This is a picture of the screen from the Amstrad E3 Video Phone, its shows its CONFIG file
(Delta_e_live.CONFIG) and what IP it downloads it from, The IP was a Amstrad IP Address.
Now that the service has closed down, the Amstrad E-mailer can't download the CONFIG file no more, so it will disable itself in 3 months or less depending on how long the E-mailer has been active for so powered on for, If it can't download the CONFIG File, the E-mailer can't put itself back to 90 days, to stop it from disabling itself and stop functioning. This is what the Configuration Change does, stops the timer from counting down to 0 days by changing its .CONFIG file so it does not count down.
Any New or Unused E-mailers that have never been registered say: "Press the {Email} Button to get connected" with Amserve before the service was closed down are now disabled and there features do not work any more and is non-functional, and are Not Working and will never work again as a normal telephone.
The Amstrad E-mailer relied heavily on the Amserve Service to function, Once disabled nothing functions, no features work, all features on the Amstrad E-mailer stops functioning 3 months or less.
Features that stop working and disabled are: Telephone, Handsfree-Speakerphone, Voicemail Answering Machine, Address Book, Calculator, Email, SMS Texting , Games, Web Browser, Services.
If you see no text or no date under the clock so it blank but you see the Service like: Texting, Cheap Flights, Free CallerDisplay, Ringtones, Google, or Pranks or any services in the Services area of the screen then its activated but will become non functional and deactivate in 3 months or less so will Stop Working and will never work again as a normal telephone.
When its deactivated(disabled) all that is enabled is the clock and there is no date under the clock, its being replaced with the words (E1) "Features Disabled – Hold {EMAIL}", (E2) "Hold down {EMAIL} button to restore service", (E3) "Hold down {EMAIL} to restore service".
On unregistered E-mailers (E1/E2/E3)"Press the {Email} Button to get connected" Any E-mailer with these words under the clock is NOW Disabled and all features have stopped working and non-functional and will never work again as a normal telephone.
All Features on the Amstrad E-mailer are disabled and can never be enabled again, once the Amstrad E-mailer becomes disabled it's only good for being displayed as a display model by using Demo Mode.
It can no longer be even used as a normal phone, Do NOT buy these, they are just rubbish now, Amstrad/Sky never really made them future prove because they were made to make money for Amstrad only, thats why it disables all of its functions and stops working its so Amstrad could get 17p to 20p per day from customers who used it.
Amstrad E3 Videophone (New)Unregistered and features disabled.
and can no longer work, Registration page is the only thing that works, Non Functional.
Picture of a Unregistered Amstrad E2 E-Mailer Plus with its
features disabled, can no longer function or work at intended.
Amstrad E-mailer E2 Plus features disabled after not connecting to
Amserve for over 90 days(3 Months)(Disabled)can not be activated
so no functional, not working
Video of a Amstrad E-mailer E2 Plus Deactivated, disabled
There are useless and can never be used no more.
Cliff Lawson talking about Amstrad Products he helped make plus the Amstrad Emailer
Amserve Closed Down
================
All Amstrad E-mailer models were discontinued in 2006/7, 3 yrs after the release of the Amstrad E3 Video Phone.
On 30 April 2010 the Amserve E-mailer service Amserve was transferred to BSkyB, who announced that the Amserve service would close from 30 June 2011, from this date all support for the Amstrad E-mailer services ended, Amstrad website now is no longer available.
The Amstrad E-mailer will only function as a conventional phone with no online and e-mail after receiving a configuration change(last CONFIG file)to stop it from disabling itself.
By 2011 there were still about 150,000 customers still using the Amstrad E-mailer.
The Amstrad E-mailer killed Amstrad off, Amstrad was sold because BSkyB offered to buy Amstrad for £125m in 2007, it took 3 years before Sky had full control over Amstrad in 2010, a cooling of period.[10]
Buying from eBay
========================
The ones on eBay, most of them do not work and are disabled and do not have the Configuration Change on them, if they have Brand New or Used then they are disabled or will become disabled(Not Working).
Look out for these words on the E-mailers screen... "Press the {Email} Button to get connected" or "Hold down {EMAIL} to restore service" or "Features Disabled"
these are disabled e-mailers and do not work and never will work again they do not funchion all Fectures are disbled.
If they are Untested and are not showing the screen, powered on, they probably don't work or are disabled and can not be used any more, they only work with the Amserve Service and that was closed down in 2011.
Some will works and are enabled but will disable themselves in 90 days(3 months)or less, and end up saying on them "Hold down {EMAIL} to restore service"
Once they are disabled they can not be enabled without the Amserve Service and stop working.
None of the Amstrad Emailer models on eBay have the Configuration Change on them, Only if you want one make sure it shows it powered on and has the Configuration Change on it, it will say it in its listing and look at the Services on the right or left of its home screen, it will not have AOL, Copymail, Pranks, Adult or Sky on it advertising, the Services looks different on the home screen when it has the config change on it and its functioning correctly and working, if you can not use it as a Landline Phone then it does not work.
On the Amstrad E-Mailers that have the Configuration Change on the services on the Clock/Home screen will be different, it will say "Information about this E-mailer" If you collect them and know what you are buying then go ahead.
DO NOT buy one thinking they still work with the service cause they don't.
You have been warned Do Not Buy deactivated, disabled Amstrad E-Mailers.
Backup Configuration Change
=====================
If you have models E1,E2 or E3 E-Mailer with the Configuration Change on then use that as a back up for the CC, get another E-Mailer that is activated(you can not copy Configuration Change to a deactivated E-Mailer, it WILL NOT activate it) and make sure it is the same model and copy the Configuration Change to that E-Mailer by using a Pocket Dock-IT and then use that as your main E-Mailer Phone,that way you always have a backup of the Configuration Change.
The Amstrad E-Mailer's Downfall
======================
The problem with them was they were subsidized so had to make a call each day to Amserve so Amstrad could get there build cost back, In 1998 BT made a landphone that could Email, it was called BT Easicom 1000 and in Argos it was £179, The Amstrad E-Mailer in 2000 was £79, half the price of the Easicom. The price of the E-Mailer attracted people but as soon as they knew it would charge every day they stopped use them. When you bought a Amstrad E-Mailer say from Dixons it was on display and demo mode was being shown on it, when you ask about it, Dixons did not say anything about been charged every day, they would only talk about what features it had, the only way you find out is when you have bought it and take it out of its box and registered the E-Mailer, no one will look at the box and notice what it says on it when you just bought it, you don't have time to start reading what's on the box. They only hand you it when you have paid for it so you wouldn't know.
Argos only ordered about 35 Amstrad E3 Emailers and Dixons ordered 62 in 2004, they were sold in batches, they are on some of the Amstrad E-mailer packaging, it had a red sticker on the side of them saying where it was bought from and how many Amstrad E-mailer's they bought, (EM3002/X DIXONS RO4321 1 of 62.) its shows the number they bought at the time. In 2004 the Amstrad E-mailer was only ever seen in Dixons (They are known now as just Currys now).
Later on they started selling them in Supermarkets like Tesco.
It cost about £6.20+ a month on the phone bill not including all the other stuff like Ringtones and Games(in 2004 at 20p a day, Polling Setting) just to have it turned on and plugged in to the Phone Line (I bought the Amstrad E-Mailer Plus cause it was different and it looked interesting, I had never seen a phone like it before even now, I had a PC already),I do understand they needed to get there money back but if you look at it and all its features, it cost the customer money to use was its problem.
This was not like a Pay as You go phone, Vodafone only charged for what you used, the Amstrad E-Mailer changed you even if you didn't use it or have any email to download so just turned on and that on top of your Line Rental was a lot, about £20 a quarter.
That was one of the biggest problems with the Amstrad Emailer, they charged you to use it as a normal telephone and would disable itself until it got connected with Amserve again so you had to let the Amstrad E-Mailer Dial For Mall to get it working again.
That's why by 2006/7 Amstrad stopped making them and were been sold in Tesco in the end for £10 each.
Then in 2007 Amstrad was sold to Sky because it was not making any money anymore, it was losing money and Sir Alan Sugar had enough of it and wanted to retire, its was a dead company by that time, all it had going for it was the Sky Set Top Boxes it made, the Amstrad E-Mailer killed the company off. It was only making two products by that time and it was the end for Amstrad.
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Thanks for reading.. I hoped you enjoyed it.
About the Amstrad e-m@iler
This is what I wrote and added some of it to Wikipedia about the Amstrad E-mailer, because it was to big for Wikipedia(only brief stuff about something can be added, I needed more) I posted it here, I wanted people to know more about them, how they worked and wanted people to know that after 3 month(90 days) they deactivate and stop working, all that works is the clock, all functions are disabled, unless they have the last configuration change on them from 2011, you know it has it because there be NO SERVICES on the home screen.
The ones on eBay are not worth the money they are asking for them, Especially when they are `deactvated` and do not work as a normal landline phone.
The Amstrad website is now dead so here is a link to it on The Internet Archive - Amstrad.com. There are no manuals for download for the Amstrad E-mailer on there website, they went when Sky killed Amstrad's ftp server so most of the info about them is on this forum.
The support page for the Amstrad Emailer on the Amstrad website made it look like even if you missed download the Configuration Change in the 2 weeks slot Sky allowed(it needed to be longer) think the Emailer would still work or function after that time, no where on the support page does it says `The Amstrad Emailer after the Amserve service ends, if you didn't downloaded the Configurations Change in time then all functions on the emailer ceases to function` they only say what will work after the end date and makes it look like it will still work after that date when it doesn't... odd(well 3 months after the date it would deactivates itself because it can not connect with Amserve to reactivate and because it does not have the config change on it).
A big thanks goes to Cliff Lawson for all his help answering some questions about the E-Mailer...
Hope you enjoy it.
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The Amstrad E-mailer (often stylized as e-m@iler or written as E-mailer, Em@iler or Emailer) is a Personal Communication Centre that was a landline desktop phone with email and Answering Machine only, launched in March 2000, created in 1999 by Cliff Lawson and Ian Saward for Amstrad.
Pictures of the Amstrad E-mailer - All Modes
==============================
Right Click on any image and Open in New Tab to see the image bigger.
Amstrad E-mailer(E1)(BSI-1)(Alpha) Personal Communication Centre with the "Powered by BT" logo printed on it, The first model(E1) could only send emails and faxes, later on it could send Text Messages to mobile phones with a update to it's Main Software.
Picture of the Amstrad PB1500 Manual Amstrad (E2)E-mailer Plus(Left) and E3(Right), E3 Gamepad(GP1), Amstrad used its design on the original Amstrad E-mailer E1, Pocket Dock IT Databank
It used the Amstrad Pocket Dock IT(Data-Bank) too, like the Amstrad E-mailer
Video of Amstrad E-mailer Advert Picture of the Amstrad (E2) E-Mailer Plus(2002)
Design and Release
==============
The idea for the Amstrad E-mailer (E1) was conceived by Bob Watkins and was codenamed BSI, (later BSI-1, then changed to Alpha), (it stood for "Bob's Shit Idea",) Alan Sugar didn't like the idea at first (that's why he called it BSI) but came around to it later and changed its codename later on from BSI-1 to Alpha.
The product was designed by Cliff Lawson and Ian Saward that worked for Amstrad, they started working on BSI-1 about 1997/1998, they used the same design and layout from the Amstrad PB1500 Landline phone on (BSI-1, Alpha), they made all the software and hardware for(Gamma and Delta) Amstrad E-mailer Plus (E2) and Amstrad E3 Videophone too.
Amstrad E-mailer (E1) was a collaboration between Amstrad and BT and was released in March 2000 but was copyrighted in 1999 on its Main Software because that when its firmware was made, Amstrad used the back-end(email server) provided by BT, BT did have their own phone with email, BT released that in 1998, 2 years before the Amstrad E-mailer (E1) release, BT's phone was called the BT Easicom 1000(£179.99 in Argos) and was twice the price of the Amstrad E-mailer(E1) was, in 2000 the E1 was £79.99, the Amstrad E-mailer(E1) had the "Powered by BT" logo printed on it by its keyboard.
By 2002 Amstrad broke all ties with BT and released a new model, Amstrad E-mailer Plus(E2)(Gamma) that had ZX Spectrum Games that you can download and play on the device.
The bootloader was named "PBL", an abbreviation for "Primary Boot Loader", It could of stand for "Phone Book Loader" cause its has (PB)L in the abbreviation of the name, like on the Amstrad PB1500, but it could be just a coincidence because Amstrad used the Amstrad PB1500 design on the first Amstrad E-Mailer E1(BSI-1, Alpha).
Second part to load after PBL was called "LDR", LDR was created by Cliff Lawson and was like Uboot, it did the same thing, finding the Linux kernal and then executing the kernel in the Amstrad E3 Videophone, PBL was designed by Trevor Kellaway at Application Solutions for Amstrad, PBL was used on all 3 Models of the Amstrad E-Mailer.
The Amstrad E3 E-mailer manual is here
What was the Amstrad E-Mailer
======================
The first Amstrad E-mailer(E1) was a desktop telephone with an Monochrome 4:3 5.8" Inch LCD screen at 480x320 and limited Internet dialup and email messaging and Faxing capabilities. Later models the E2 E-m@iler Plus, released 2002, and E3 Videophone with video phone capabilities, released in 2004 was able to browse the Internet, SMS Messaging and included the ability to play ZX Spectrum computer games.
The Mailboard(keyboard) and Gamepad(GP1)
==============================
The Mailboard that slide out from under the handset was similar to the original ZX Spectrum keyboard, it was like you were playing the games on the Spectrum, it has the symbol key from the ZX Spectrum too and same layout.
The Amstrad E3 Videophone Mailboard was the only one that was different, it has rubber keys like the original ZX Spectrum did, the Amstrad E-Mailer(E1) and E2 had plastic keys like Amstrad's ZX Spectrum +2, but some Amstrad E2 Plus Emailers did come with the same E3 Mailboard)
All 3 models of the Mailboard can be use on all E-mailer models so you can use a E3 Mailboard on the E1 and vice versa, they work as a PS/2 keyboard but use there own keyboard map so it can be plugged into a PS/2 connector, they do work.
The Amstrad E-Mailer E3 Superphone did come with a Gamepad that looked like a Playstation 1 controller called GP1, it was black, made it easier to play the games that were available at the time. The Gamepad works the same way as the Mailboard because it connect to the Mailboard's connector like a chain so the buttons on GP1 are keys really, Each button on GP1 is mapped to a key on the Mailboard so it one of the first Gamepad that uses PS/2 standard.
Buttons are: 1 ,2 ,3 , stop, enter, 8, 7, space fire, games.
Shoulder buttons are: 4, 6, symbol, 5, the Dpad is mapped to the arrow keys.
Mailboard Keyboard Pinouts
===================
Looking at top of keyboard, with the keys facing towards you. Pin 1 is leftmost.
PIN SIGNAL WIRE
1 GND black/shield (connected to metal plate on keyboard)
2 DATA green
3 CLOCK red
4 +5V blue (3.3V works fine)Notes
-------
Standard PC keyboard protocol with non standard scan codes. When the bus is idle, clock and data lines are high. The data line should be sampled on the rising edge of the clock pulse.
Note that when a key is pressed, the scan code is sent as a single byte. When the key is released it is transmitted as two bytes, first the prefix of 0xf0, followed by the scan code itself.
Here is the Pinout of a PS/2 Female Connector so you can see where each line goes from the Mailboard to the PS/2 Connector.
This does work, I have tried it and you can use the Mailboard with Android too, you just need a app on Android to map the keyboard so it works like a normal keyboard does, I used it with a Amazon Fire Tablet.
Registration... First User
=================
Registration First User Page or Screen on Amstrad E3 Videophone
Before the user could start to use the Amstrad E-Mailer, they had to go thought Registration, they would see the words "Press {EMAIL} button to get connected", If they pressed the EMAIL button it would take them to the Registration Page.
The purpose of Registration is to set up an account between the user and the Email Service Provider, which was Amserve, you needed a Email Address from Amstrad for the E-mailer to function or work, If they didn't complete Registration they could not use the E-Mailer until they finished it, it would activate the E-mailer once it was completed, It took about 10 to 15 minutes to complete.
The Amstrad E-mailer did not function or work until the user registered it on Amserve before they could use it for the first time, All brand new (New) models were deactivated and registration activated them.
The screen of the E-Mailer is covered up by a Important Card saying "IMPORTANT"...."This unit will not work until Installation and Registration have been completed".
This is the Important Card that covers the Amstrad E-mailer's screen when you unpack it.
Profitability
=========
The 'pay as you go' business model that the Amstrad E-mailer was based on, was controversial, this was to fill that gap between wanting to get a email address and not having to get a computer to get one, it was the days before the Smartphone took over.
Cliff Lawson said:-
"The thing people did not like was the business model it was sold under. The electronics actually cost us something like £100..£150 to make but we sold it for £50 so made a loss on every one. We recouped that loss (eventually) by the 17p phone calls they all made each day (to get Config files, Dialling for email). It was only after they were used for 2 to 3 years that they finally paid their build cost back to us and we started to make a profit.
This is actually remarkably similar to modern day mobile phones that you buy for £30 to £100 but then pay for a phone contract and that eventually pays the £200.£500 the phone really costs. The technical journals at the time resented that the device cost the user money to run because they all saw email as being "free" - but the difference was that we were putting a device capable of email into homes that did not have computers. So we thought it was a pretty air deal (and so did several hundred thousand users)."
This is actually remarkably similar to modern day mobile phones that you buy for £30 to £100 but then pay for a phone contract and that eventually pays the £200.£500 the phone really costs. The technical journals at the time resented that the device cost the user money to run because they all saw email as being "free" - but the difference was that we were putting a device capable of email into homes that did not have computers. So we thought it was a pretty air deal (and so did several hundred thousand users)."
By 2011 Amstrad did break even in the end, Lord Sugar said in an interview in 2011:-
"I think the mistake was that it was slightly too late – we’re going back maybe ten years or more.
The explosion of the broadband market meant the demise of that product.
We sold 450,000 but we subsidized them because I wanted to get into a business where I was no longer on the treadmill of expecting to make a profit on hardware.
There was a cost each time a person sent an email and that was where our revenues were coming from. But they are still out there – I think there are 150,000 people still using them and I think someone told me Amstrad now has broken even and we have actually recovered all the costs."
The explosion of the broadband market meant the demise of that product.
We sold 450,000 but we subsidized them because I wanted to get into a business where I was no longer on the treadmill of expecting to make a profit on hardware.
There was a cost each time a person sent an email and that was where our revenues were coming from. But they are still out there – I think there are 150,000 people still using them and I think someone told me Amstrad now has broken even and we have actually recovered all the costs."
The business model was a bit like what the Amazon Fire Tablet uses, it has adverts on its lock screen that you see when press its power button to turn its screen on from it been idol, you automatically subscribe to the adverts when you buy the tablet but you can pay a one off fee of £15 to remove them so the Amazon Fire Tablet is subsidised like the Amstrad E-Mailer was so Amazon can sell them at a lower cost. link
Hardware and Firmware
==================
The hardware inside the Amstrad E-Mailer was like the Raspberry Pi, it was a small computer that mimicked a landline phone.
All 3 Models of the Amstrad E-mailer was designed and built by Cliff Lawson and Ian Saward who worked for Amstrad, There names are in the Address Book when its running Demonstration Mode(below)
Demonstration Mode YouTube Video
It used a Arm CPU SoC processor like the Raspberry PI.
Amstrad E-Mailer(E1) (E2) had a Arm Sharp CPU on its Logic Board, the CPU had an LCD panel controller built in and that's why Cliff and Ian picked it.
It used a custom built OS and Main Software that Cliff Lawson created for it, they were not based on Linux.
The Amstrad E3 VideoPhone had a Texas Instruments (TI) OMAP(Open Multimedia Applications Platform) 5910 ARM9 SoC on its PCB and the firmware was based on Montavista Linux.
Cliff needed to put video codecs into the E3 and that needed a DSP. So they picked the TI OMAP ARM CPU SoC which combined an ARM9 that could run Linux (it has an MMU built in) with a C5xx DSP so it could use a colour screen.
This is the specs of the Amstrad E3 Video Phone..
The Amstrad E3 had 6(0 to 5) MTD partitions on its NAND, its cramfs File system is on MTD 4.
TI OMAP5910JGDY 150MHz - The dual ARM/DSP core CPU SoC that powers the unit.
PSC A2V56S40ATP 3469LA05 TAIWAN-75 - This is 256MB of SDRAM made by PSC.
ATMEL AT49LV1024 90VC 0425 64k x 16bits 3volt 128KB - 128kb NOR Flash Memory
TOSHIBA J30388 TAIWAN 03349AD TC58DVM82A1FT00 32M x 8bits 3volt - 32mb NAND Flash Memory
Conexant Smartv.92 CX81801-74 E409542.1 0334 MEXICO - The v.92 modem controller. This seems to be a proper hardware chip rather than a softmodem of some sort.
Conexant CX20442-11 E416598.1 0335 KOREA - Voice codec for the modem chipset.
Conexant 20493-21 E391758 0326 KR - "SmartDAA" - line driver for the modem chipset.
Picture of the Amstrad E3 E-mailer's PCB compared to a Raspberry Pi3 PCB
not the actual size but is the right size next to a RP3, the photo was taken with the RPI3 next to the E3 Logic Board, close up of the board is here.
Hacking the E3
===========
In 2006 the Amstrad E3 Video Phone was hacked to run Linux, the E3 ran Linux based on MontaVista Linux, in the background as it was running it's Main Software in the foreground. The E3 could only run a shell, the E3 was not powerful enough to run Linux with a GUI because it only had 32mb of SDRAM.
The Amstrad E3 had 5 MDT devices on its NAND, like partitions.
Jonathan's McDowell writes in 2006...link
"Hardware wise it's a TI OMAP 5910 at 150MHz, with 128KB of NOR flash containing the bootloader, 32MB of NAND flash and 32MB of SDRAM. There's a passive 12bit colour LCD at 480x320, OHCI USB host, a hardware 56k Conexant modem and a built in camera. Oh, and it has a full keypad and a keyboard that pulls out from the base. It's quite a nice toy for under £30. 
(I bought mine back when they were £59.99 and they were originally selling for £99.99) What does it run? It runs Linux out of the box. A 2.4.18 based kernel that mounts a cramfs partition from the NAND. There's a 3.5mm jack on the back that's the serial port and although you can see kernel messages out of it by default there's no shell. Amstrad have responded to my request for the GPL source used in the product; the kernel (2.4.18-mv30-E3) can be downloaded here (23M tar.bz2). It's based on MontaVista Linux - there's a preview kit available. The internal codename seems to be Delta - there are references to Gamma which is the codename for the older E2/Emailer Plus. However the code they've provided for the kernel isn't actually what the device is running. This is a violation of the GPL, which doesn't seem to bother them and hasn't interested anybody who holds copyright over the code.
The NOR contains the primary boot loader, imaginatively called PBL. This performs initial setup of the hardware and then scans and loads the second stage from NAND. PBL also offers a debug mode, which is triggered by writing 0x1B (ESC) to the console at 9600 baud; PBL will respond with an 0x06 when the debug mode is entered. Note that only PBL 4.9 will work at present; PBL 5.1 is known to have made changes preventing this mode from being entered. If you allow your E3 to receive updates from Amstrad then it's highly likely it will be upgraded to PBL 5.1
The second stage loader is stored in a Q;Q; format block in NAND, and is called LDR. It's responsible for finding the kernel parameters block and the kernel itself, then booting it. The kernel mounts a cramfs filesystem from the flash as its root, then pivot_roots so that the root is a ramdisk with a symlink farm into the cramfs.
(I bought mine back when they were £59.99 and they were originally selling for £99.99) What does it run? It runs Linux out of the box. A 2.4.18 based kernel that mounts a cramfs partition from the NAND. There's a 3.5mm jack on the back that's the serial port and although you can see kernel messages out of it by default there's no shell. Amstrad have responded to my request for the GPL source used in the product; the kernel (2.4.18-mv30-E3) can be downloaded here (23M tar.bz2). It's based on MontaVista Linux - there's a preview kit available. The internal codename seems to be Delta - there are references to Gamma which is the codename for the older E2/Emailer Plus. However the code they've provided for the kernel isn't actually what the device is running. This is a violation of the GPL, which doesn't seem to bother them and hasn't interested anybody who holds copyright over the code.The NOR contains the primary boot loader, imaginatively called PBL. This performs initial setup of the hardware and then scans and loads the second stage from NAND. PBL also offers a debug mode, which is triggered by writing 0x1B (ESC) to the console at 9600 baud; PBL will respond with an 0x06 when the debug mode is entered. Note that only PBL 4.9 will work at present; PBL 5.1 is known to have made changes preventing this mode from being entered. If you allow your E3 to receive updates from Amstrad then it's highly likely it will be upgraded to PBL 5.1
The second stage loader is stored in a Q;Q; format block in NAND, and is called LDR. It's responsible for finding the kernel parameters block and the kernel itself, then booting it. The kernel mounts a cramfs filesystem from the flash as its root, then pivot_roots so that the root is a ramdisk with a symlink farm into the cramfs.
This works the same way as a Mini Console does, it basically the same idea but was made 20 years ago.
Amstrad E3 Rootfs Cramfs File System
The file system is in parts on its NAND so not all in one place so the kernal finds each part and put all the parts together and loads into memory then runs the system, it was to stop people hacking it and by passing it charges.
So different programs in the Crams FS are in different locations on the NAND and where linked to the Crams File System, where the files were located in the Crams FS so if you just copy the Crams FS from the Amstrad E3 Emalier it will have files missing from it because they are located else where on the NAND, the files that are missing are there but have 0 byes in them because they are a link to the real file in the NAND.
Pricing and Cost
============
When the Amstrad E-Mailer was released in March 2000 it was 12p per email collection(Dialling for email), by 2002 the price increased to 17p, then in 2005 the cost increased again to 20p and stayed at that price until the service was closed down in 2011. The charges are clearly written on the box, so the customer knew before buying the Amstrad E-Mailer it would cost money to run.
Everything about the Amstrad E-Mailer would cost the customer money, it cost about £6.20 a month(at 20p a day, up until it closed down in 2011) to have the Amstrad E-Mailer running and functioning, just to use it as a Landline Phone was not free but Amstrad needed money to keep the Amserve servers going and pay for its build cost.
Dixons is where the Amstrad E-mailer was sold first then Currys, Tesco and Argos started selling them, In 2000 the Amstrad E1 E-Mailer cost £79.99 new, the E2 Plus(2002) cost £29.99 and the Amstrad E3 Videophone(2004) cost £99.99, by 2005 it price was slashed in half to £49.99.
The Amstrad E-Mailer could be set to dial for email once a day by using Polling option by pressing Setup button then button 4 on the Mailboard but would use Automatic Collection if the customer answered Yes to Caller Display and Email Notification on the Registration Page, the Amstrad E-Mailer would turn it on automatically.
The Amstrad E-mailer would automatically call up Amserve to collect email as soon as it was notified that there is email waiting, but if answered No to one of them then it would use polling and that was set to collect email once a day. It would depend on how much email the customer would get for it to dial for email more than once a day.
Sending SMS texts were 50p a text, downloading Polyphonic ringtones were £1.50 per min and last approximately 2 mins 40 seconds.
Video Calling on the Amstrad E3 were no additional charge, just the cost of an ordinary phone call but would only work with another E3s, Internet Surfing was 5p per minute at ALL times, Games were introduced when the Amstrad E-mailer Plus came out in 2002 but also charged for but the customer could only rent each game for 4 weeks.
The Smartphone(IOS and Android) now has replaced devices like this, Smartphones are easier to use to get Emails(do not need to register to to use it, only needed to add a email to the app on the Smartphone and can keep it in your pocket and connect it to your WIFI and get your email free, it can even do video calling for free with WhatsApp now, it was one of the reasons users stopped using the Amstrad E-Mailer, well it cost to much to run on users landline(20p x7= £1.40 per week plus any service you used too added to the 3 month phone bill so about £15+ every 3 months on your phone bill to run the Amstrad E-mailer).
The ZX Spectrum Games
=================
ZX Spectrum Games on the E-mailer Plus and E3 Video Phone were 50p for 4 days or £1 for 4 weeks(The ZX Spectrum Games are no longer available), once the time ran out on them the games would get deleted and you would have to download them again to play them and pay for them again, Amstrad added them for another way to get money from the customer like its ringtones.
The Amstrad E3 Video Phone was the first device to run Linux in the background and run the games through a emulator, its was a bit like the Mini Consoles now(Snes Mini, Mega Drive Mini, PS Classic),They work the same way.
Advertising
========
The Amstrad E-mailer also included advertising on its screen as a screen saver, it was like the Amazon Fire Tablets lock screen.
It would downloaded the adverts by using a free 0808 number so the customer was not charged, they would come up after about 5 minutes and the orange button would come on at the bottom of the screen, you could press it and be taken the there web page on the Internet using the web browser on the E-Mailer Plus/E3 or the adverts phone number on the E1 cause it did not have a web browser yet or internet so it would dial the number for you.
If you didn't want to keep seeing the adverts keep coming up on the screen they could press the DELETE button to remove them and it would go back to the Home Screen with the Clock on it.
If there was no adverts to show it would show a clock screen saver instead.
Advertisers was Sky, AOL, BT, Orange, Toyota, Halifax, Dial-a-Phone, HSBC and NS&I.
More about the adverts are here..
Configuration Change
===============
Amstrad E-Mailer Plus(E2) with the Configuration Change added to its Main Software
**Notice**
The Home Screen Services on the Left (E1,E2) or on the right (E3) will change, and have the words "`Important` `Information` `about this` `Emailer(-Plus)` `Telephone`" when the Configuration Change has been applied,(See above image) the CONFIG file has been updated in it so it does not deactivate itself.
The configuration change was only available for 2 weeks from 30 June 2011 to 14 July 2011 after that if the Amstrad E-mailer didn't download the CONFIG file to change the way it functioned or connected with Amserve, you would not be able to use it anymore because the Amstrad E-mailer would deactivate, disable itself and stop all it features in 3 months(90 Days) or less depending on how long the Amstrad E-mailer had been on for so it would stop functioning altogether.
The Configuration Change was a file that the Amstrad E-Mailer would download and keep the E-Mailer working, it was called a .CONFIG file(more about it in another section below) this file would be read by the Main Software and so it changed settings inside the Amstrad E-Mailer and activated it for another 90 days, the last .CONFIG file it got was the Configuration Change .CONFIG file that told it not to disable itself and keep it activated and removed the Services on the Home Screen and Games cause they are no longer available.
**Important**
Please DO NOT Reset to factory Defaults if it has the Configuration Change on it, you will delete the CONFIG file and Disable the Amstrad E-mailer and Stop all its features from working.
If you reset the Amstrad E-Mailer back to factory defaults,(You press and hold 3 buttons when you boot up the E-Mailer to reset it) if it has the Configuration Change on the Amstrad E-Mailer, the reset removes the Configuration Change .CONFIG file and the Amstrad E-Mailer becomes disabled and non functional, not working after the reset, because you will need to Register it again with Amserve to get the E-Mailer to work again and you can not do that anymore, Amserve does not exist anymore.
How to Copy the Configuration Change to another Amstrad E-mailer
================================================
You can copy the Amstrad E-Mailer setup from one E-mailer to another using a Pocket Dock it but it has to be the same model(E1 to E1 or E3 to E3) and if you want to copy the Configuration Change to another, it has to be Amstrad E-Mailer that is activated so you can make a phone call on it and not deactivated and nothing works because the Configuration Change only stops the Amstrad E-Mailer from deactivating it features, deactivating itself, it does not work on a deactivated Amstrad E-Mailer because it can't enable its features, the Configuration Change only stops the 90 days inside the Amstrad E-mailer's Main Software to stop it from not working after the 90 day are up and it becoming non functional.
How the Amstrad E-mailer Activated and Deactivated itself(Hold down {EMAIL} to restore service)
=================================================================
Cliff Lawson said:-
"When the servers were active it would phone daily and pick up a config file and that would effectively add "life" to the thing (which then ticked down while not connected to the server) so it needs to see such a config to keep getting a boost to add life back. The thing is though that the phone number and URL it then fetches for the config are "burnt in". So you would have to fake an HTTP server on a faked telephone exchange that appeared to present a modem connection on that phone number for it to get reactivated.
Now it's true that for development we had special "key" modules (actually called "AMS") in fact that you could deliver to the phone as a software update and it "unlocked the door" so that within "settings" new menu entries would appear and you could do things like editing the phone number, editing the URL or even just manually topping up the "life gauge"."
Now it's true that for development we had special "key" modules (actually called "AMS") in fact that you could deliver to the phone as a software update and it "unlocked the door" so that within "settings" new menu entries would appear and you could do things like editing the phone number, editing the URL or even just manually topping up the "life gauge"."
How the Amstrad E-mailer worked was, when it connected to Amserve it would download a CONFIG file (Alpha_e_live.CONFIG file for Amstrad E1, Gamma_e_live.CONFIG file for Amstrad E2 and Delta_e_live.CONFIG file for Amstrad E3 Video Phone) at the same time as it was collecting email, the file would tell the Amstrad E-mailer to go back to 90 days(3 Months), if the Amstrad E-mailer never dial for email, it would delete the CONFIG file in 3 months and it would make the Amstrad E-mailer deactivate itself and stop all its features from working until it connected to Amserve and downloaded the .CONFIG file again to activate it again.
The Amstrad E-mailer would have to dial for email again so it could download the CONFIG file again to enable the E-mailer again, the file was like a set of instructions on how they wanted the Amstrad E-Mailer to operate, without the CONFIG file its a disabled device and does not function without it.
This is a picture of the screen from the Amstrad E3 Video Phone, its shows its CONFIG file
(Delta_e_live.CONFIG) and what IP it downloads it from, The IP was a Amstrad IP Address.
Now that the service has closed down, the Amstrad E-mailer can't download the CONFIG file no more, so it will disable itself in 3 months or less depending on how long the E-mailer has been active for so powered on for, If it can't download the CONFIG File, the E-mailer can't put itself back to 90 days, to stop it from disabling itself and stop functioning. This is what the Configuration Change does, stops the timer from counting down to 0 days by changing its .CONFIG file so it does not count down.
Any New or Unused E-mailers that have never been registered say: "Press the {Email} Button to get connected" with Amserve before the service was closed down are now disabled and there features do not work any more and is non-functional, and are Not Working and will never work again as a normal telephone.
The Amstrad E-mailer relied heavily on the Amserve Service to function, Once disabled nothing functions, no features work, all features on the Amstrad E-mailer stops functioning 3 months or less.
Features that stop working and disabled are: Telephone, Handsfree-Speakerphone, Voicemail Answering Machine, Address Book, Calculator, Email, SMS Texting , Games, Web Browser, Services.
If you see no text or no date under the clock so it blank but you see the Service like: Texting, Cheap Flights, Free CallerDisplay, Ringtones, Google, or Pranks or any services in the Services area of the screen then its activated but will become non functional and deactivate in 3 months or less so will Stop Working and will never work again as a normal telephone.
When its deactivated(disabled) all that is enabled is the clock and there is no date under the clock, its being replaced with the words (E1) "Features Disabled – Hold {EMAIL}", (E2) "Hold down {EMAIL} button to restore service", (E3) "Hold down {EMAIL} to restore service".
On unregistered E-mailers (E1/E2/E3)"Press the {Email} Button to get connected" Any E-mailer with these words under the clock is NOW Disabled and all features have stopped working and non-functional and will never work again as a normal telephone.
All Features on the Amstrad E-mailer are disabled and can never be enabled again, once the Amstrad E-mailer becomes disabled it's only good for being displayed as a display model by using Demo Mode.
It can no longer be even used as a normal phone, Do NOT buy these, they are just rubbish now, Amstrad/Sky never really made them future prove because they were made to make money for Amstrad only, thats why it disables all of its functions and stops working its so Amstrad could get 17p to 20p per day from customers who used it.
Amstrad E3 Videophone (New)Unregistered and features disabled.
and can no longer work, Registration page is the only thing that works, Non Functional.
Picture of a Unregistered Amstrad E2 E-Mailer Plus with its
features disabled, can no longer function or work at intended.
Amstrad E-mailer E2 Plus features disabled after not connecting to
Amserve for over 90 days(3 Months)(Disabled)can not be activated
so no functional, not working
Video of a Amstrad E-mailer E2 Plus Deactivated, disabled
There are useless and can never be used no more.
Cliff Lawson talking about Amstrad Products he helped make plus the Amstrad Emailer
Amserve Closed Down
================
All Amstrad E-mailer models were discontinued in 2006/7, 3 yrs after the release of the Amstrad E3 Video Phone.
On 30 April 2010 the Amserve E-mailer service Amserve was transferred to BSkyB, who announced that the Amserve service would close from 30 June 2011, from this date all support for the Amstrad E-mailer services ended, Amstrad website now is no longer available.
The Amstrad E-mailer will only function as a conventional phone with no online and e-mail after receiving a configuration change(last CONFIG file)to stop it from disabling itself.
By 2011 there were still about 150,000 customers still using the Amstrad E-mailer.
The Amstrad E-mailer killed Amstrad off, Amstrad was sold because BSkyB offered to buy Amstrad for £125m in 2007, it took 3 years before Sky had full control over Amstrad in 2010, a cooling of period.[10]
Buying from eBay
========================
The ones on eBay, most of them do not work and are disabled and do not have the Configuration Change on them, if they have Brand New or Used then they are disabled or will become disabled(Not Working).
Look out for these words on the E-mailers screen... "Press the {Email} Button to get connected" or "Hold down {EMAIL} to restore service" or "Features Disabled"
these are disabled e-mailers and do not work and never will work again they do not funchion all Fectures are disbled.
If they are Untested and are not showing the screen, powered on, they probably don't work or are disabled and can not be used any more, they only work with the Amserve Service and that was closed down in 2011.
Some will works and are enabled but will disable themselves in 90 days(3 months)or less, and end up saying on them "Hold down {EMAIL} to restore service"
Once they are disabled they can not be enabled without the Amserve Service and stop working.
None of the Amstrad Emailer models on eBay have the Configuration Change on them, Only if you want one make sure it shows it powered on and has the Configuration Change on it, it will say it in its listing and look at the Services on the right or left of its home screen, it will not have AOL, Copymail, Pranks, Adult or Sky on it advertising, the Services looks different on the home screen when it has the config change on it and its functioning correctly and working, if you can not use it as a Landline Phone then it does not work.
On the Amstrad E-Mailers that have the Configuration Change on the services on the Clock/Home screen will be different, it will say "Information about this E-mailer" If you collect them and know what you are buying then go ahead.
DO NOT buy one thinking they still work with the service cause they don't.
You have been warned Do Not Buy deactivated, disabled Amstrad E-Mailers.
Backup Configuration Change
=====================
If you have models E1,E2 or E3 E-Mailer with the Configuration Change on then use that as a back up for the CC, get another E-Mailer that is activated(you can not copy Configuration Change to a deactivated E-Mailer, it WILL NOT activate it) and make sure it is the same model and copy the Configuration Change to that E-Mailer by using a Pocket Dock-IT and then use that as your main E-Mailer Phone,that way you always have a backup of the Configuration Change.
The Amstrad E-Mailer's Downfall
======================
The problem with them was they were subsidized so had to make a call each day to Amserve so Amstrad could get there build cost back, In 1998 BT made a landphone that could Email, it was called BT Easicom 1000 and in Argos it was £179, The Amstrad E-Mailer in 2000 was £79, half the price of the Easicom. The price of the E-Mailer attracted people but as soon as they knew it would charge every day they stopped use them. When you bought a Amstrad E-Mailer say from Dixons it was on display and demo mode was being shown on it, when you ask about it, Dixons did not say anything about been charged every day, they would only talk about what features it had, the only way you find out is when you have bought it and take it out of its box and registered the E-Mailer, no one will look at the box and notice what it says on it when you just bought it, you don't have time to start reading what's on the box. They only hand you it when you have paid for it so you wouldn't know.
Argos only ordered about 35 Amstrad E3 Emailers and Dixons ordered 62 in 2004, they were sold in batches, they are on some of the Amstrad E-mailer packaging, it had a red sticker on the side of them saying where it was bought from and how many Amstrad E-mailer's they bought, (EM3002/X DIXONS RO4321 1 of 62.) its shows the number they bought at the time. In 2004 the Amstrad E-mailer was only ever seen in Dixons (They are known now as just Currys now).
Later on they started selling them in Supermarkets like Tesco.
It cost about £6.20+ a month on the phone bill not including all the other stuff like Ringtones and Games(in 2004 at 20p a day, Polling Setting) just to have it turned on and plugged in to the Phone Line (I bought the Amstrad E-Mailer Plus cause it was different and it looked interesting, I had never seen a phone like it before even now, I had a PC already),I do understand they needed to get there money back but if you look at it and all its features, it cost the customer money to use was its problem.
This was not like a Pay as You go phone, Vodafone only charged for what you used, the Amstrad E-Mailer changed you even if you didn't use it or have any email to download so just turned on and that on top of your Line Rental was a lot, about £20 a quarter.
That was one of the biggest problems with the Amstrad Emailer, they charged you to use it as a normal telephone and would disable itself until it got connected with Amserve again so you had to let the Amstrad E-Mailer Dial For Mall to get it working again.
That's why by 2006/7 Amstrad stopped making them and were been sold in Tesco in the end for £10 each.
Then in 2007 Amstrad was sold to Sky because it was not making any money anymore, it was losing money and Sir Alan Sugar had enough of it and wanted to retire, its was a dead company by that time, all it had going for it was the Sky Set Top Boxes it made, the Amstrad E-Mailer killed the company off. It was only making two products by that time and it was the end for Amstrad.
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