Spectrum Vega +

Firefox11 · 26-08-2016 07:35PM

super_furry wrote: »

I don't get the whole retro handheld console thing at the moment. Saw The 64 Handheld Indiegogo and I've no idea why someone that way inclined wouldn't just pick up a GPD XD.

I see 'the 64' campaign released a video for their pre production board in operation today. The rumors that are that the guys that quit the vega + project are now the mysterious team behind this one.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Kx_IVFdbka8

Firefox11 · 29-08-2016 08:15PM

The Last Bandit wrote: »

Ya it pretty clever really, he written firmware for the GPU (ARM core not used) that scrapes the video ram via GPIO and generates the HDMI signal. Its PI hardware but definitely not a raspberry pi as we know it.

Dev Kits were sent out to some developers about a month ago and there has already been a impressive tech demo shown with more to come. Kickstarter is due soon.

Firefox11 · 16-09-2016 02:47PM

Vega Plus Board Pics and Specs released this week.

http://retrocomputerslimited.com/sinclair-zx-spectrum-vega/

16-09-2016 03:42PM

Wish there was something like this for the Amstrad CPC. Not that the Speccy was a bad machine it's just the CPC was what my parents lumped me with during my formative years.

Firefox11 · 16-09-2016 04:05PM

There are quite a number of spectrum clones currently in development. The Harlequin, Just Speccy 128 and most recently the ZX UNO fron spain.

Firefox11 · 17-09-2016 01:09PM

The Spectrum Next also got an update this week!

Tech Specs and a peek at the final prototype board.

http://www.flickeringmyth.com/2016/09/technical-specifications-released-for-the-zx-spectrum-next/

CiDeRmAn · 17-09-2016 06:51PM

Deleted User wrote: »

Wish there was something like this for the Amstrad CPC. Not that the Speccy was a bad machine it's just the CPC was what my parents lumped me with during my formative years.

So, you want us all to be as miserable as you were? :P
Truthfully, the CPC464 was a great machine, as long as you didn't saddled with the green screen.
It could do everything the Spectrum could do but a lot better.
Just a pity the price meant that, on the schoolyard, you were likely to be the only one with it, with most kids having either the Spectrum 48k or a Commodore 64.
They owned the mid 80's, with the ST and Amiga taking over later on.
I think that's why the NES and Master System just didn't have the impact here that it did in the US and Japan

17-09-2016 07:06PM

CiDeRmAn wrote: »

as long as you didn't saddled with the green screen.

I'm afraid they lumbered me with the green screen too!

And in later years it went a bit mental. The coiled cable connecting the screen to the keyboard had to be fiddled with or else the screen would remain blank. The odd time the display would go out mid game which lead to frantic fiddling with the cable.

It could do everything the Spectrum could do but a lot better.
Just a pity the price meant that, on the schoolyard, you were likely to be the only one with it, with most kids having either the Spectrum 48k or a Commodore 64.

Does that mean it was more expensive than the C64 or Speccy? Or was it cheaper? I was at the age that I had no real concept of the price differences. I really wanted the C64 as it got more love in the computer magazines, had exclusive stuff because of the Amiga and just seemed to be the cool kid of the 8 bit machines. I actually now think I remember the price being way out of my parents league though.

CiDeRmAn · 17-09-2016 08:09PM

Expensive!

Firefox11 · 14-10-2016 08:29PM

A Pic of Spectrum Next Prototype Board was shown off this week.

Edward Hopper · 15-10-2016 12:36PM

If you are unfortunate enough to follow the speccy scene on Facebook and the like you'll appreciate just what good moderation (like you get on this forum) adds to a place. Half a dozen deluded weirdos (and their cliques) personal issues run deep through everything. Arseholes on both sides, with the rest of of us having to suffer all their crap because these same arseholes are the ones who admin the Facebook pages.

Anyhoo!

I'm 50/50 whether I'm going to back the Next when its kickstarter comes out. They're hoping to keep it under 179 pounds which is creeping towards too much for me, (original spectrum price) but it looks like a lovely keyboard over the TBBlue.

I'm pretty happy with my real plus and toastrack though, especially now I have my divmmc. Still find myself buying tapes though!

I don't care about the politics of it but the vega + is a pass for me, the zxds emulator on my old Dsi XL can't be beaten.

Firefox11 · 15-10-2016 05:54PM

Edward Hopper wrote: »

If you are unfortunate enough to follow the speccy scene on Facebook and the like you'll appreciate just what good moderation (like you get on this forum) adds to a place. Half a dozen deluded weirdos (and their cliques) personal issues run deep through everything. Arseholes on both sides, with the rest of of us having to suffer all their crap because these same arseholes are the ones who admin the Facebook pages.

Anyhoo!

I'm 50/50 whether I'm going to back the Next when its kickstarter comes out. They're hoping to keep it under 179 pounds which is creeping towards too much for me, (original spectrum price) but it looks like a lovely keyboard over the TBBlue.

I'm pretty happy with my real plus and toastrack though, especially now I have my divmmc. Still find myself buying tapes though!

I don't care about the politics of it but the vega + is a pass for me, the zxds emulator on my old Dsi XL can't be beaten.

Yeah, I have seen the mud slinging going on over the vega plus on the various groups.

At the end of the day it's the backers of these projects that matter. The vega plus is not for me but I just hope the backers get what they want out of it after putting their hard earned cash up front.

The Spectrum Next seems to be shaping up nicely to be a truly unique piece of hardware in it's own right which really intrigues me and will most likely be backing it.

Incidentally the vega plus launch event is apparently due to take place on 20th Oct.

Edward Hopper · 15-10-2016 06:14PM

Firefox11 wrote: »

Yeah, I have seen the mud slinging going on over the vega plus on the various groups.

At the end of the day it's the backers of these projects that matter. The vega plus is not for me but I just hope the backers get what they want out of it after putting their hard earned cash up front.

The Spectrum Next seems to be shaping up nicely to be a truly unique piece of hardware in it's own right which really intrigues me and will most likely be backing it.

Incidentally the vega plus launch event is apparently due to take place on 20th Oct.

You're right about the vega + of course. The people that invested money deserve a worthy machine and I hope they get it in decent time frame.

What excites me about the Next, as a gameplayer rather than someone with technical know how, is how enthused about it legends from the Spectrum bygone age like Jim Bagley are. That, and how next mock up looks like what Sinclair might have done after the toastrack, style wise, rather the Amstrad styled plus 2 and 3. Fine machines just not spectrumy enough for me! Looking forward to seeing the kickstarter anyway and hopefully I'll be able to afford it, or hide the expense of it from the missus.

Firefox11 · 27-10-2016 09:59PM

ZX Vega Launch Party Pics Here

http://retrocomputerslimited.com/2016/10/27/vega-launch-party-20102016/

Edward Hopper · 28-10-2016 02:16AM

Firefox11 wrote: »

ZX Vega Launch Party Pics Here

http://retrocomputerslimited.com/2016/10/27/vega-launch-party-20102016/

Looks quite nifty, good bit smaller than I'd imagined though.

Stoner · 28-10-2016 10:24AM

Firefox11 wrote:

ZX Vega Launch Party Pics Here

Didn't look like much of a party!! More hammers and hatchets on the work bench than playing 1943 going on.

I'm not really sure about all these extra bits of kit.
For me maybe adding a faster way to load games onto the original hardware is about as far as I'd go with spectrum games.

Funny little screens on some units, or emulators run on vastly superior processors with controllers from PS2s or over Bluetooth , it all takes from it imo. I'd just play the PS4
Even the loading up from an SD card while brilliant is missing the wait and anticipation, not that I miss it, but looking at the back of the tape at the screenshot (from an Atari St) of the game play, and praying it's playable.

I picked up Italia 90 a few years ago, mint condition great reading in it.

I was still considering getting onboard here but realistically it was the lure of the "official" spectrum name and the willingness to collect that attracted me to it.

The thing is about a spectrum is how small it is anyway . I never liked the rubber 48K as I was lucky enough to have the 48k+
But they were both tidy units to begin with imo.

Edward Hopper · 28-10-2016 01:32PM

I agree the newer gear can sometimes take things too far away from the real thing.

I still buy tapes and read the bumpf on inlays and the actual proper instructions you used to get, even though I mostly load games from divmmc.

Edward Hopper · 28-10-2016 09:01PM

ZX Spectrum laptop coming soon too, I admire the madness of it all though I probably won't get one!

https://www.facebook.com/groups/1666620073602623/permalink/1748045032126793/

Stoner · 29-10-2016 12:02AM

Some novelty, but it's the rubber keys too! Lol

At least it's keeping the size of the original keyboard, really when you think about it. It's not far off what these were. A laptop with the screen missing. They did everything else

Spectrum Vega +

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