In message , at
17:26:19 on Tue, 19 Jun 2007, Mortimer remarked:
See Amstrad - until The Apprentice I didn't know that Amstrad had their
fingers in any other pies than low-end PC computers.

Originally Amstrad did "consumer electronics", which was audio, TVs,
VCRs, car radios, clock radios and other such things; plus "this week's
fad", which had included CB Radio, and in 1984 8-bit games computers,
followed by the PCW word processor, then a low cost (but fully featured)
PC clone; later Sky TV boxes, mobile phones (under the Dancall brand),
emailer etc etc.

Amstrad is still, as far as I can see, doing the same thing (Tim
Campbell's beauty product was from Amstrad), but the PC business was
transferred to Viglen some time in the mid 90's. Viglen is not part of
Amstrad, being privately owned.

The property businesses, and an executive jet hire company (featured in
an early Apprentice task), are also quite separate from Amstrad,
although within Sir Alan's empire.
--
Roland Perry