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Dan Whitehead reviews the Recreated ZX Spectrum

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  Dan Whitehead reviews the Recreated ZX Spectrum Geoff Wearmouth <gwearmouth@gmail.com> - 2015-04-05 03:57 -0700
    Re: Dan Whitehead reviews the Recreated ZX Spectrum Duncan Snowden <duncan_s@talktalk.net> - 2015-04-05 16:03 +0100
      Re: Dan Whitehead reviews the Recreated ZX Spectrum Geoff Wearmouth <gwearmouth@gmail.com> - 2015-04-05 16:29 -0700
        Re: Dan Whitehead reviews the Recreated ZX Spectrum Duncan Snowden <duncan_s@talktalk.net> - 2015-04-06 14:40 +0100
          Re: Dan Whitehead reviews the Recreated ZX Spectrum Geoff Wearmouth <gwearmouth@gmail.com> - 2015-04-07 03:01 -0700
            Re: Dan Whitehead reviews the Recreated ZX Spectrum Geoff Wearmouth <gwearmouth@gmail.com> - 2015-04-08 01:32 -0700

#3580 — Dan Whitehead reviews the Recreated ZX Spectrum

So far not many ZX Spectrum people have got their hands on the bluetooth keyboard.
Now Dan Whitehead the author of "Speccy Nation" has had a go and posted his views here

http://www.eurogamer.net/articles/2015-04-05-hands-on-with-the-recreated-zx-spectrum?utm_source=twitter&utm_medium=social&utm_campaign=socialoomph

We know that the lettering is in higher relief and the mottled effect has gone.
Both effects could be achieved by milling a standard keyboard casing.
Dan having owned the real thing is impressed though.

The only game on show is Chuckie Egg which uses simple keys QAOPM.

Dan typed in two lines of BASIC. 

I can connect my generic bluetooth keyboard to Spectaculator on iPad and type in a couple of lines of Code

10 PAUSE 20
20 GO TO 10

Anything more complex involving symbol shift or extended mode is a no no.
An emulator could adapt and Dan points to the official guide.

It seems we have an App with the egg game and some placeholders and no proper Basic platform as yet.

It's easy to see how with modern protocols a device could interface with a tv. However I don't have a tv and find smart ones, in particular, as dumb as a box of spanners.

A generic keyboard could also interface with a TV for searching YouTube but is this it?

-- 
G.

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#3581

On Sun, 5 Apr 2015 03:57:19 -0700 (PDT)
Geoff Wearmouth <gwearmouth@gmail.com> wrote:

> A generic keyboard could also interface with a TV for searching
> YouTube but is this it?

I know what you mean. We seem to have two rather half-hearted "new
Speccy" projects instead of one awesome one. If Elite and the Vega guys
got together, they could build an amazing device between them: a
recreation of the Speccy that actually works as an emulator and can
also operate as a generic keyboard.

But I'm not convinced about what is, when it comes down to it, a £100
controller, and don't really see why the Vega has to have such limited
control options. Okay, so Steve Wilcox is making nice noises about
having his device work with it, but why have two devices at all?

-- 
Duncan Snowden.

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#3583

I don't like being negative. It has hardly been designed with me in mind.

The latest news is that Hampshire-based Ceratech Accuratus, the Bluetooth keyboard manufacturer have an important announcement about the Recreated ZX Spectrum for Wednesday, 08-APR-2015 which is good news for gamers.

http://www.accuratus.co.uk/

Sky who own the rights have also given it the thumbs up.

-- 
G.

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#3584

On Sun, 5 Apr 2015 16:29:29 -0700 (PDT)
Geoff Wearmouth <gwearmouth@gmail.com> wrote:

> I don't like being negative. It has hardly been designed with me in
> mind.

Oh, don't get me wrong, Geoff. As I said in my post the other day about
the Vega, neither do I. But it's so frustrating.

-- 
Duncan Snowden.

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#3585

It was my own negativity I was pointing out. If I had waited another day, I would have been more upbeat.

A big update expected tomorrow. Hewson Consultants have also endorsed the original article so it looks like their software will be on board.

I admire Andrew Hewson more for his books and articles than the games. I saw the ZX Spectrum as an affordable introduction to computer science rather than a gaming machine and bought games for their outstanding, state-of-the-art programming rather than playability.

The keyboard with every token printed on it's minimal surface was an enticement to explore a language even though the authors of the BASIC did not endorse it as a learning language. Their recommended language FORTH had a similar attraction in that 'vlist' would print out every command and function encouraging exploration. I eventually got into machine codes which is what Turing used. 

The enticing keyboard bypasses the manual and it was some time before I realised what a gem that book was.

I'm not sure we should be teaching anybody that certain key combinations will give 'RESTORE' in this day and age.
As a small form-factor remote it would work for me and what is wrong with a little nostalgia?

Anyway, looking forward to tomorrow and the continuing story of the ZX Spectrum.

-- 
G.

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#3587

Yesterday was a Trade Only day at the Gadget Show so the press were out in force.

Accuratus have posted this

http://www.gadgetshowlive.net/library/The-recreated-Sinclair-ZX-Spectrum-from-Elite-1

I thought there might be news of the shipments of keyboards from China.

Perhaps more news from the Vega camp?

-- 
G.

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