The Recreated Sinclair ZX Spectrum

Being the huge geek that I am and a child of the 1980s, as you can imagine, I was overjoyed to read that they were planning to recreate the Sinclair ZX Spectrum, complete with rubber keys. I duly pre-ordered the item from an internet retailer and waited. In the meantime I watched all of the YouTube videos about it and yes, it sounded great.

It arrived this afternoon and I unwrapped it, grabbing my Google Nexus pad and attempted to set it up, but guess what? The app's not ready yet and the Android version may or may not be released by the end of September. Yes, I know that I should have downloaded the app first, but that's me - impetuous, stupid and more than a little impatient.

It is not the worst thing that's ever happened to me in life, but it's a blow, let me tell you.

I have absolutely no idea what you are talking about but sorry to hear that. I think that's the right response.

Quote: Loopey @ 7th September 2015, 4:52 PM BST

I have absolutely no idea what you are talking about but sorry to hear that. I think that's the right response.

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Thank you. As a geek I often express myself in a semi-binary manner at times. I have now placed my receiver down after spending the last half hour listening to the hold music on the internet retailer's so-called 'helpline'. Pah - modern life - pish etc. Cue Dave Gorman.

I wrote two games for the ZX spectrum in the early 80's (and actually one for the ZX81 too)

The one for the ZX81 was called Ten Pin Bowling and it ended up in a PC magazine (to type into the computer yourself in BASIC) and I was paid £12.

The two I wrote for the Spectrum ended up on a compilation cassette and I was on 1p royalties per sale. I think I got about £3.

last time I saw, my games were on one of the many spectrum emulation sites (with no credit to me) but if I un-compiled my game, my name was there in the code.

Quote: Stephen Goodlad @ 7th September 2015, 6:01 PM BST

I wrote two games for the ZX spectrum in the early 80's (and actually one for the ZX81 too)

The one for the ZX81 was called Ten Pin Bowling and it ended up in a PC magazine (to type into the computer yourself in BASIC) and I was paid £12.

The two I wrote for the Spectrum ended up on a compilation cassette and I was on 1p royalties per sale. I think I got about £3.

last time I saw, my games were on one of the many spectrum emulation sites (with no credit to me) but if I un-compiled my game, my name was there in the code.

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That is excellent. I wish that I could programme, I'm geeky enough, but not talented in that field. I've never really got my brain around the Spectrum emulator sites ....

I had a Spectrum but was quite young at the time. I was a bit older when we got a C64, and then a Master System, CD-I, Mega Drive, Super Nintendo and on and on...

I don't miss the cassette loading times but it feels like we've come full circle with modern games having to install and update before your can play them (sometimes). The cartridge was the best

I queued for my Spectrum from midnight. Not to play the games but to get inside the architecture and learn to program it... I was going to be a millionaire programmer

But, a lad called Matthew Smith wrote Manic Miner with real music and fantastic graphics (for the time) I knew I couldn't compete with such brilliance.

I can't imagine why anybody would want to recreate the ZX. As I recall there was a connection that kept dropping out, thereby instigating the beginnings of computer rage.

Quote: Lee @ 7th September 2015, 6:40 PM BST

I had a Spectrum but was quite young at the time. I was a bit older when we got a C64, and then a Master System, CD-I, Mega Drive, Super Nintendo and on and on...

I don't miss the cassette loading times but it feels like we've come full circle with modern games having to install and update before your can play them (sometimes). The cartridge was the best

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I think you're right. Apps drive me up the wall at times.

Quote: Stephen Goodlad @ 7th September 2015, 7:00 PM BST

I queued for my Spectrum from midnight. Not to play the games but to get inside the architecture and learn to program it... I was going to be a millionaire programmer

But, a lad called Matthew Smith wrote Manic Miner with real music and fantastic graphics (for the time) I knew I couldn't compete with such brilliance.

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I think was very additive, I agree. I wish that I could program.

Quote: TheBlueNun @ 7th September 2015, 4:47 PM BST

Being the huge geek that I am and a child of the 1980s, as you can imagine, I was overjoyed to read that they were planning to recreate the Sinclair ZX Spectrum, complete with rubber keys. I duly pre-ordered the item from an internet retailer and waited. In the meantime I watched all of the YouTube videos about it and yes, it sounded great.

It arrived this afternoon and I unwrapped it, grabbing my Google Nexus pad and attempted to set it up, but guess what? The app's not ready yet and the Android version may or may not be released by the end of September. Yes, I know that I should have downloaded the app first, but that's me - impetuous, stupid and more than a little impatient.

It is not the worst thing that's ever happened to me in life, but it's a blow, let me tell you.

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I've got a real Spectrum up in the attic, but I haven't tried it out for a very long time.

Quote: billwill @ 7th September 2015, 8:44 PM BST

I've got a real Spectrum up in the attic, but I haven't tried it out for a very long time.

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Does that chat-up line ever work?

Quote: Chappers @ 7th September 2015, 9:02 PM BST

Does that chat-up line ever work?

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Sir Clive Sinclair seemed to think so anyway

I loved my Spectrum
I wrote a game once calledd 10 PRINT "Steve is great";
20 GOTO 10
It didn't really catch on.

Quote: Chappers @ 7th September 2015, 9:02 PM BST

Does that chat-up line ever work?

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To me it would

I tried to write ZX Spectrum programs out in Assembly Language but couldn't get the hang of it. Wasn't there a Marshall Cavendish magazine?