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Sinclair ZX Spectrum Prototype

computinghistory.org.uk

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Re: Sinclair ZX Spectrum Prototype

#31

Post by signa11 »

pjmlp wrote: post #28
andymurd wrote: post #20

Earlier quoted context omitted.

The Spectrum (and ZX81) had a big effect on a whole generation of Brits. I know my folks could not have afforded a C64 or BBC Micro but they did manage fifty quid in Currys to start my lifetime of coding.

Including Portuguese and Spanish as well, it was the most relevant 8 bit computer in the Iberian Peninsula.

i was fortunate enough to have access to a bbc-micro (acorn) machine while growing up. and spent many a pleasant evenings programming 2d function plots, with zoom and scale, taylor series expansion of trigonometric functions, learning about matrix multiplication, solving small simultaneous equations using gauss-jordan...at some point in time i just stopped studying any ‘fundamental’ subject f.e physics/maths/chemistry much to the annoyance of my parents so much so that i was banned from using the machine. but guess what, i continued writing programs on notebooks by hand, and would run sims to trace their execution...to say that i was obsessed would be such an understatement. i think i was intoxicated on the whole thing... :)

Re: Sinclair ZX Spectrum Prototype

#32

Post by garganzol »

andymurd wrote: post #20
moomin wrote: post #16

I realise the ZX Spectrum might not be the most important computer in the history of computing, but it is 100% the most important computer to me. That thing changed my life.

The Spectrum (and ZX81) had a big effect on a whole generation of Brits. I know my folks could not have afforded a C64 or BBC Micro but they did manage fifty quid in Currys to start my lifetime of coding.

ZX Spectrum is my first machine. Always wondered how much it could do with such a small footprint.

It gave me so much appreciation for native CPU instructions and efficient use of hardware.

Re: Sinclair ZX Spectrum Prototype

#33

Post by balabaster »

pjmlp wrote: post #29
stevekemp wrote: post #18

Earlier quoted context omitted.

It was the computer that started me programming, and so I feel much the same. (Largely because the tape-player in our bundle didn't work, so instead I was "forced" to read the manual(s) instead..)

A neighbour of mine, the father forbade him to buy games and gave him a pile of programming books instead. You know, those packed with game listings back then.

My Mum was a single Mum and we couldn't afford games. My first programming books were for programming games. That started my programming career which from the age of 8 is still going 35 years later. It's amazing how far we've come since then.

Re: Sinclair ZX Spectrum Prototype

#34

Post by anjc »

mysterydip wrote: post #5

For those like me looking for a bit of retro nostalgia but with some modern conveniences, I discovered a laptop version of the spectrum being made now with new parts: https://retroradionics.co.uk/omni-128-hq-laptop.html review here: http://markfixesstuff.co.uk/review/zx-spectrum-omni-laptop-r...

I can't see if it's an emulator or uses a real z80 etc. Looks cool though

Re: Sinclair ZX Spectrum Prototype

#35

Post by Theodores »

I am surprised at how many sub-contractors Sinclair used for his products.

He had quite a media profile at the time and one imagined that everything came out of a Sinclair building with all the magic happening inside that building, with Sir Clive very much hands on with his minions.

In reality though the product was as much about managing suppliers and contractors as much as it was about design.

The thing is that I would have thought that in those days writing your own ROM (all 8Kb of it) was core functionality and not something outsourced. Sinclair wasn't as 'vertically integrated' as I imagined.

Does anyone know if they outsourced the ULA design and even the printed circuit board layout?

Re: Sinclair ZX Spectrum Prototype

#36

Post by balabaster »

Zardoz84 wrote: post #21
jtanworth wrote: post #12

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Do you have a link to the HDMI converter you were using? I still have a 128k +2 which would love to try and test out again sometime.

Same! I try a composite video to VGA (works like a charm with a Play Station 2), but can't sync with the Spectrum +2 video

Are both devices from the UK? The reason I asked is because I moved from the UK to Canada before HDMI became a thing and we had to deal with PAL and NTSC signals - my DVD player wouldn't work in Canada until I got a PAL to NTSC converter to connect it to the TV.

Is your Play Station 2 PAL (UK) or NTSC (American)? The Spectrum +2 is (I would assume) PAL.

I'm reaching, but if your PS2 is American and thus already NTSC and works, then your converter may be expecting an NTSC input. If you convert the PAL to NTSC before feeding it into the HDMI converter, it should in theory work.

Re: Sinclair ZX Spectrum Prototype

#37

Post by Zardoz84 »

balabaster wrote: post #36
Zardoz84 wrote: post #21

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Same! I try a composite video to VGA (works like a charm with a Play Station 2), but can't sync with the Spectrum +2 video

Are both devices from the UK? The reason I asked is because I moved from the UK to Canada before HDMI became a thing and we had to deal with PAL and NTSC signals - my DVD player wouldn't work in Canada until I got a PAL to NTSC converter to connect it to the TV. Is your Play Station 2 PAL (UK) or NTSC (American)? The Spectrum +2 is (I would assume) PAL. I'm reaching, but if your PS2 is American and thus already NTSC…

Everything PAL. I live on Spain, and got both on Spain.

Think that analogue signals have a lot of tolerance. The Spectrum PAL signal was very far from followiing 100% the PAL standard.

Re: Sinclair ZX Spectrum Prototype

#38

Post by balabaster »

Zardoz84 wrote: post #37
balabaster wrote: post #36

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Are both devices from the UK? The reason I asked is because I moved from the UK to Canada before HDMI became a thing and we had to deal with PAL and NTSC signals - my DVD player wouldn't work in Canada until I got a PAL to NTSC converter to connect it to the TV. Is your Play Station 2 PAL (UK) or NTSC (American)? The Spectrum +2 is (I would assume) PAL. I'm reaching, but if your PS2 is American and thus already NTSC…

Everything PAL. I live on Spain, and got both on Spain. Think that analogue signals have a lot of tolerance. The Spectrum PAL signal was very far from followiing 100% the PAL standard.

Back then, a lot of the TVs had frequency and vertical and horizontal hold dials. There was a fair amount of leeway in tuning the device to display the picture consistently.

I would assume nothing needed to be exact because you could fine tune on the fly. I remember when you tuned our 3 TV stations in the UK by dialing the frequency dial to the correct radio frequency. It's been a long time that I don't recall the radio frequencies by perhaps I recall ITV being 68 MHz(?)

Re: Sinclair ZX Spectrum Prototype

#39

Post by JoeDaDude »

Great article! I wonder why the "Related Items" list does not include the Timex 2068 Color Computer [1]? Is this because the Museum does not have one?

I cut my teeth on the 2068 and only just gave it up on eBay a year or so ago. I would have been glad to donate it to this museum had I known about it. Maybe a Wanted Items list could be posted?

[1] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Timex_Sinclair_2068

Re: Sinclair ZX Spectrum Prototype

#40

Post by stevekemp »

darrenf wrote: post #30
andymurd wrote: post #20

Earlier quoted context omitted.

The Spectrum (and ZX81) had a big effect on a whole generation of Brits. I know my folks could not have afforded a C64 or BBC Micro but they did manage fifty quid in Currys to start my lifetime of coding.

Likewise. At the time my folks could just about stretch to a ZX81 plus 16k RAM Pack[0], but not a wobble stopper[1] - so we fashioned one out of corrugated cardboard and gaffer tape. A few years later I scored an upgrade to the ZX Spectrum+ which was an absolute revelation - what with stuff like colour and sound . I learnt BASIC through typing out listings from ZX Computing Monthly, Sinclair User, Your Sinclair, and…

Since it was my first computer, and the reason I started programming, I dug out one of the old badges I earned by submitting POKEs to the magazine:

https://i.imgur.com/FT97X2H.jpg

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