"The ONLY full-size recreation of the 1980s personal computer - the Sinclair ZX Spectrum. Authentic rubber-keys, play-control of games, classic and modern. Supplied with FREE ‘Recreated Sinclair ZX Spectrum’ iOS / Android apps. Includes 'Chuckie Egg', 'Sinclair BASIC' and 'Game bundle'. Sinclair ZX Spectrum games and applications also available FREE OF CHARGE via 'The recreated Sinclair ZX Spectrum Online' web app.
The ONLY 'Sinclair ZX Spectrum' device for use with phones, tablets, Macs / PCs, and TVs. It's WIRELESS - it features high-speed Bluetooth 3.0 technology, so it's PORTABLE - combine with a phone or tablet for fun or productivity on the go. It's OPTIMIZED - the recreated device’s ‘Game Mode' has been perfected for iOS / Android apps and for games in general, and its 'QWERTY mode' has been honed for applications requiring access to all the functionality of a full-size keyboard. It's ADAPTABLE - it supports 'Apple TV', 'Google Chromecast', 'Amazon Fire TV', 'Roku TV', enabling 'screen mirroring' (wireless streaming of what's on the screen of a phone, tablet, Mac or PC to a HDTV). New / existing games and apps easily updated for wireless control with the recreated Sinclair ZX Spectrum, creating a growing library from which to choose."
Top comments
cricky12
23 Jul 1729#9
Leave your spectrum memories as they are, trying to recreate them will only disappoint, things have moved on far too much to get any lasting enjoyment from this unit
fishmaster
23 Jul 1724#46
Yes most of the games are absolutely dire in comparison to what exists now. I never owned a C64, but looking on YouTube videos shows just how much more advanced it was graphically and sonically. The ZX Spectrum won on price easily compared to BBC Micro and C64. I loved the 80s, there was no Internet to cheat with, you had to work out everything yourself and there were 100's of different computing platforms, Jupiter Ace, Tandy TRS 80, Sord M5, the Japanese MSX computers which tried to form a compatible platform amongst manufacturers. Then the 90's happened and it was just PC, now we're back to multiple platforms but they're all compatible with each other.
Youtube, social media etc has ruined computing for me. Now everyone who can watch a YouTube video can garner the skills, there's no wow factor in anything anymore. You only have to go on Reddit and there's skillful artists, musicians and everyone is so meh about everything now when they see something that was impressive it's not anymore.
The real skill is still in the unknown, creating on the fringe and still not many people do that. The real people in this world that get credit aren't the ones that deserve it, such as actors, celebrities etc. Forget Stephen Fry, the real genuises are scientists. Almost no one knows the names of the people that created what we have now.
Alan Turing - you've heard of him, obviously a well known genius
Ivan Sutherland - nope you won't have heard of him, genius
Alan Kay - What about him, genius, object oriented programming and windowed operating system innovator
Douglas Englebart - What a genius, a total genius. The Mother of All Demos is all you need to see, also inventor of the computer mouse in 1963, prototyped in 1964
Ken Thompson & Denis Ritchie - Inventors of Unix and C programming language
Bent Stumpe - Touchscreen inventor
Just some of the people who invented what we have now not some 40-50 years ago. I thought I'd give them some credit.
James_cleeve73
23 Jul 1716#10
It's a basic Bluetooth keyboard that looks like a spectrum, hardly a recreated spectrum!
beanooo
23 Jul 1713#11
ohhhhh the good old specy! Remember getting my 48k one in the 80's and buying it from Woolworths for £130. It outdone the ZX81 by a mile with the graphics and sound and will never forget waiting outside the shop the day a new game was released. All very costly thinking about it but was the start of gaming as we know it today.
All comments (122)
HankHandsome
23 Jul 174#1
far more realistic price- if they'd priced it like this from the start, or even around £19.99, it would have flown off the shelves
mrbjolly
23 Jul 171#2
Check reviews on Amazon first - think there are some issues !
rugbymike to mrbjolly
23 Jul 171#3
Yes, pretty much all the good reviews were in 2015! Problems with the app it seems
gabesdad
23 Jul 17#4
And the current statement from Elite systems seems to imply the legal wrangling has been solved.
Thing is, I still can't find a complete list of all the games available, or if it's only the list on the webpage, that's not very much. I like the idea of it's portability as much as anything, but if the games aren't there, not a lot of point.
jasee
23 Jul 171#5
There seem to be some problem with the app. Someone mentions the internet archive (the Wayback Machine) presumably as a way of finding a version of the app. Other possibilities are oldversion.com . These may be useful if the games _were_ on the webpage.
othen
23 Jul 171#6
Wonderful (in a rose tinted spectacles sort of way) - but why would anyone make or buy such a machine?
Bleugh
23 Jul 17#7
Worldofspectrum has a link to the app
ctdctd
23 Jul 171#8
The app to unlock it is back on the Play store - it looks like once it is unlocked, you can either use the app or one of the other Spectrum emulators that support the Recreated Spectrum such as Fuse.
I've ordered for a bit of nostalgic Cromecast Spectrum playing and the hopes that it will be used going forward as a Bluetooth keyboard for the smart TV - it looks way cooler than the generic one I'm using at the moment!
cricky12
23 Jul 1729#9
Leave your spectrum memories as they are, trying to recreate them will only disappoint, things have moved on far too much to get any lasting enjoyment from this unit
James_cleeve73
23 Jul 1716#10
It's a basic Bluetooth keyboard that looks like a spectrum, hardly a recreated spectrum!
mrty to James_cleeve73
23 Jul 171#15
Spot on.
aLV426 to James_cleeve73
23 Jul 17#33
Yep, it would seem a better option to buy a standard bluetooth keyboard and use that to play via an emulator. I'm confident any android device would be more than capable of emulating a 48k Spectrum! There are many web sites that have a lot of Spectrum games available to play in the browser. The youth of today has no idea of the pain that was the loading times (& noise!)...
beanooo
23 Jul 1713#11
ohhhhh the good old specy! Remember getting my 48k one in the 80's and buying it from Woolworths for £130. It outdone the ZX81 by a mile with the graphics and sound and will never forget waiting outside the shop the day a new game was released. All very costly thinking about it but was the start of gaming as we know it today.
esq3585
23 Jul 1712#12
Remembering the never ending loads times, screeching loading sounds, crashes ten seconds before it loaded ( then having to adjust your tape heads as you were running a c90 copy) and having to make sure you didn't plug the joystick interface in while switched on, happy days lol !
beanooo
23 Jul 173#13
A little bit easier to copy a game on a double tape deck. Would take a fraction of the time on high speed dubbing, photo copy the original insert cover and write on the cassette tape label. Then take it into school and sell in for a couple of quid and be best mates with everyone.
DonkeyKonk
23 Jul 1712#14
I got one in 1983 as many others did for "education".
I guess Jet Set Willy must have taught me something.
painstick
23 Jul 17#16
I'll vote hot as this is the best price...but...Emulation FTW here. Fuse has included compatibility for this keyboard, which is nice. This system is too restrictive via the intended app. There's a certain retro-chic factor in using this as a bluetooth keyboard hooked up to a tablet on your commute (awkward qwerty functionality aside), but Spectrum Next is a far more interesting prospect imho...particularly, if you're interested in programming...or teaching your kids about programning!
kester76
23 Jul 172#17
Nice as a gimick but if you care about the spectrum you're better off supporting this community. http://www.specnext.com/
Gentle_Giant
23 Jul 17#18
Can you use "recreated" money to pay for it??
captainbeaky
23 Jul 179#19
DonDraper to captainbeaky
23 Jul 17#35
That's me that is - back in my wilder days.
steverae
23 Jul 17#20
Ahh yes, I remember my first ever 48k spectrum, my best pal got the 16k so I had bragging rights for a week until his mum bought him the expansion pack, the size of the original device I think I remember.....
Good o'days, I relive them now on my retro pie - memories never get boring....
gabesdad
23 Jul 171#21
I'm a backer of the Next (both full system, and bare board). My first Spectrum was the 48k+, and didn't manage to get hold of an old rubber key, boxed version until very recently. Also have one of each in various states too. I like the sound of the Fuse usage, as it would save messing about with the faulty one's I have to stick a Pi and the various interfaces into to make them work.
Deano467
23 Jul 171#22
256 dots x192 for true high resolution graphics! love it
omneity1
23 Jul 171#23
So it's basically a poorly performing bluetooth keyboard and a Spectrum emulator?
Looks cute, but it'll be another underwhelming gadget that collects dust.
branstonbear
23 Jul 17#24
You can get an emulator for pc and laptop all the roms are available out there or marvin emulator for android
Tsingtao
23 Jul 17#25
I'm really not sure what niche this is meant to fill in reality, RetroPie wipes the floor with it and has basically any game you want. If you want the original machine you can just go buy one, it's always struck me as an odd misfit.
lumsdot
23 Jul 177#26
Beware eBay and zx spectrums, I got hooked and now have over ten
dudwood_fudwood
23 Jul 171#27
Good memories. I remember the only place near me at the time that sold games was a very small lighting shop that had a tiny games section at the back. Specialised in BBC electron and Spectrum games. I spent many hours in there with my poor Dad trying to drag me out.
congrevecv
23 Jul 17#28
beanooo no wonder so many software companies went bust
mikerr
23 Jul 171#29
Makes a great bluetooth keyboard for retropi - wonder if there's space to hack a pi zeroW inside it ...?
lollypoplee
23 Jul 172#30
Someone i knew when i was about 10 (ninja) used to go to the local news agents where they sold spectrum games for either £1.99 or £2.99 cant remember now, but anyway, they would buy the game on cassette and take it home and open the cassette, usually held together with 4 small screws, and then open an old music cassette and swap the insides and then return it for a refund (pirate) , stating it wouldn't load.
I have forgotten how many times they did it.
It always made me laugh thinking of the next person to try to load the games only to hear Boy George or Neil Diamond coming through the tv speaker!
Ok it was theft but its no worse than piracy nowadays.
They were the days (popcorn)
Those saying a normal keyboard and emulator would work the same are missing the point.
Yes, this is a bluetooth keyboard and always needs the manufacturers or third party emulator to work.
However, it's a fairly faithful recreation of the look and feel of the original ZX Spectrum - you are buying it for that.
It brings back fond memories and will continue to do so even if left on a shelf in the living room!
aLV426 to ctdctd
23 Jul 17#36
No, it's just a molding that looks similar to the original. That's the only way in which it recaptures those memories, personally I tried to avoid using the keyboard as best I could when playing games (I used the Comcon interface). I had a hall effect mechanical keyboard interfaced with it for typing. Still had to use those keys when programming though!
You could get one of those USB rubber keyboards for a few pounds and connect it up to your tablet of choice - very similar experience. I guess because I have the real thing I am a little bias against this, however all I see is a bluetooth keyboard in the same style as the original Spectrum - is it anything more?
notavalidaddress
23 Jul 172#37
random_dude
23 Jul 17#38
I had my Chuckie egg hi score published in one of the spectrum monthlies back in the day, may have to try to beat it :smile:
random_dude
23 Jul 171#39
or just tape to tape em like my mate did :wink:
Baz8755
23 Jul 172#40
I would love this for the nostalgia, but know that it'll only be used a few times and then stored away forever once I realise that some things are best left in the past.
aLV426
23 Jul 17#41
Oh yeah and FWIW the http://sinclair.recreatedzxspectrum.com/titles.php doesn't even link to the Spectrum emulation of the titles featured! There is nothing exclusive here - only about 10% of Spectrum developers have released their work into the public domain. I think that's the reason why these kinds of Spectrum "projects" fail - they can't gain the rights to emulate the original software!
presterjohn71
23 Jul 17#42
They did fly off the shelves. At the time they were considered super cheap (not that we could afford one).
Lisandukey
23 Jul 171#43
So tempted to get this....although I still have my original 128k Spectrum with all leads, joystick & every game I had.....Oh Mummy, Disco Dan, Yogi Bear, Ghostbusters, The Snow Queen (never did get that girl out the house away from Grandma haha)...the list is endless & all in perfect working order - well if you could call making your dinner in the time it loads a game perfect
subliminalaura
23 Jul 173#44
So this is just a rubber keyed USB keyboard..... Oh dear
Yes most of the games are absolutely dire in comparison to what exists now. I never owned a C64, but looking on YouTube videos shows just how much more advanced it was graphically and sonically. The ZX Spectrum won on price easily compared to BBC Micro and C64. I loved the 80s, there was no Internet to cheat with, you had to work out everything yourself and there were 100's of different computing platforms, Jupiter Ace, Tandy TRS 80, Sord M5, the Japanese MSX computers which tried to form a compatible platform amongst manufacturers. Then the 90's happened and it was just PC, now we're back to multiple platforms but they're all compatible with each other.
Youtube, social media etc has ruined computing for me. Now everyone who can watch a YouTube video can garner the skills, there's no wow factor in anything anymore. You only have to go on Reddit and there's skillful artists, musicians and everyone is so meh about everything now when they see something that was impressive it's not anymore.
The real skill is still in the unknown, creating on the fringe and still not many people do that. The real people in this world that get credit aren't the ones that deserve it, such as actors, celebrities etc. Forget Stephen Fry, the real genuises are scientists. Almost no one knows the names of the people that created what we have now.
Alan Turing - you've heard of him, obviously a well known genius
Ivan Sutherland - nope you won't have heard of him, genius
Alan Kay - What about him, genius, object oriented programming and windowed operating system innovator
Douglas Englebart - What a genius, a total genius. The Mother of All Demos is all you need to see, also inventor of the computer mouse in 1963, prototyped in 1964
Ken Thompson & Denis Ritchie - Inventors of Unix and C programming language
Bent Stumpe - Touchscreen inventor
Just some of the people who invented what we have now not some 40-50 years ago. I thought I'd give them some credit.
I have no reason to lie confused .
And i find it disrespectful of you to imply it with your childish picture.
Reeder011
23 Jul 171#49
can this connect to a scart tv?
GlentoranMark
23 Jul 176#50
I just released my first app on the Play store (a Glentoran Fixture List Widget) but it's thanks first to the ZX81 (where you couldn't do anything but program) and ZX Spectrum where I first whetted my teeth in computers. Yes everything has moved on but there's still plenty to do. I've several more complicated apps in development.
To say there's no skill anymore is ridiculous. To learn Android, I'm having to learn Java, Xml, Sqlite, Html and a host of other ways to code. Every piece of code is a skill and rigorous testing is needed at every stage. Yes anyone can watch a Youtube video but to take it all in takes a lot more time and effort. It's taken me 3 years to get to the stage I'm now at and I still count myself as a beginner.
Thank you ZX81 and ZX Spectrum because without them I would never have made it. And thank you Youtube because any time I face a brick wall, someone else has usually faced it also and info can be found to help solve it.
Nice list though and many of whom I'd never heard of.
M1sterDeeds
23 Jul 171#51
Does it play Hyper Sports?
TehJumpingJawa
23 Jul 17#52
How many FPS in Crysis?
superpanda
23 Jul 17#53
Most of the comments here seem to be against this, yet it is on over 500 degrees, so must be good for something.
bulletfoss
23 Jul 171#54
Yes, I think a lot of blind ignorance here. Product looks good, price looks good, click heat!
For most people that's as far as it goes.
For the rest of us, we know that this is really a glorified and themed Bluetooth keyboard. The "computer" is actually contained within the App you have to download to phone or tablet.
This keyboard simply controls the app via Bluetooth.
So it is a bit of a waste of money really.
tipsy1973
23 Jul 17#55
Actually if you unlock it and use it with spectacol on an android tv box these are great.
fishmaster
23 Jul 172#56
I think you misread my post. I was pointing out that there's definitely skill about but everyone has access to those skills now, even extremely skilled acts don't get wow that was amazing on Reddit, Youtube etc because skill in itself is not a rarity anymore, you can watch 1000's of skilled guitarists, (you won't see as many as good as Tina S for example). Skill is now just ah here's another video of someone doing something that used to be regarded as remarkable but the abundance of content waters it all down.
Biggunspaul
23 Jul 171#57
Back in the day I was a school computer monitor (not the screen lol) and had to wheel the BBC computer from one classroom to another,and the perk for doing this was being allowed to play chuckle egg at dinner break.
Them were the days :smile:
andynicol
23 Jul 179#58
No discussion thread would be complete without an honourable mention to the keyboard basher that was ;
Luckily everyone in Dundee knew someone who worked at the Dundee Timex factory so replacements were easy to get :wink:
tipsy1973
23 Jul 172#59
Waiting for the release, my friend has bought into the kickstarter. General release is christmas hopefully
tipsy1973
23 Jul 17#60
That maybe true but I will say that you can always play every game available using fuse or spectacol for android..... Fail maybe for elite but not for the end consumer
pengwyn
23 Jul 17#61
I had a fuller keyboard when mine wore out. This is pointless you'd be better off with a 4 gbp pi zero w and get retro pi. I cut my teeth here and made 700 programming for magazines 85 in one night those where the days. Does anyone know where you get the rooms for retropi
Absolutely ghastly machine .. certainly not a patch on the jupiter ace , which went on to become the AMD threadripper!
kester76
23 Jul 171#66
No point getting upset that the bar has been raised. The collaborations and freedom information derived by the internet has allowed us to move beyond localised groups. If anything opensource has sped up software development and have inspired new generation of coders to refine their art. Alot like the music industry where it used to be a closed off group the internet has given us youtube, bandcamp as such like so people are given a fair chance of fame :wink:
rumble
23 Jul 173#67
Remember when you only got three lives in a game and you couldn't save?
GlentoranMark
23 Jul 173#68
And allowed people like me to learn to code.
I tried several years ago to learn Java. The code made sense thanks to my ZX Spectrum days but writing and debugging on Notepad made it only available to a select dedicated few. I kept trying though and seriously put my mind to it 3 years ago. I still struggled, maybe because of spaghetti coding learned on a Spectrum but I've got there in the end by uploading last week my first app. It may not be anything special but it serves a purpose and for an old fart of 49 I'm happy and there's more on the way.
For anyone interested, forget Youtube for learning - there's just too much conflicting videos (there's more than 1 way to solve a problem). What done it for me was the free Udacity Course that broke down the link between Xml and Java. The Java bit was easy, putting it all together was a lot harder.
Mal3ficus
23 Jul 17#69
Wow, thanks for the heads-up, man!
dudtwo
23 Jul 17#70
The cheapest ZX Spectrum Next is £252... hardly any comparison to a "£30 recreation"!
t.rex
23 Jul 17#71
still have my old ZX81 in the loft somewhere lol
DonkeyKonk
23 Jul 17#72
IIRC Dayley is White in the game, ha
charlachamp97
23 Jul 17#73
Is this worth getting as in does it bear any resemblance to the old ZX spectrum? :\
Feel like all these new 'retro' mini releases are a fad
kester76
23 Jul 172#74
Lol most people don't compare bluetooth keyboards to computers. That's not the point I'm trying to make, there is a growing community of Spectrum enthusiasts that are encourging a new generation of programmers or a defunct bluetooth keyboard that requires an similarly priced computer.
androoski
23 Jul 171#75
I recently was given the first ZX81 that I used, I've refurbished it and it works fine on LCD TV with an expansion pack that allows load/save on SD cards. Great memories when using it.
otterboxer
23 Jul 17#76
Ah the 48k, cyan memories. I was gifted one when i was about 7 and i remember it blowing my tiny mind. A couple of years ago i found a suitcase full of tapes and after checking on ebay decided they weren't worth selling so gave them to a charity shop. Booty, cookie, robot riot et al.
just one of many regretful trips to said charity shops the console stuff i gave away before ebay came along is frightening.
dudtwo
23 Jul 17#77
And the point I am trying to make is that this site is not aimed at Spectrum enthusiasts. People here buy things if they think it is a good deal for their OWN purposes, not yours.
Drudgeon10
23 Jul 17#78
I miss the 80s!!! I love these mini retro consoles!!
otterboxer
23 Jul 17#79
heat for the duckman avatar.
painstick
23 Jul 17#80
Is 3D Monster Maze still as scary?
Treguar
23 Jul 17#81
Hmm tempted
McGoose
23 Jul 172#82
3D Monster Maze in 4K is the stuff of nightmares.
SalfordCityRed
23 Jul 171#83
I didn't leave my Speccy memories in the past, and I still love delving into the vast library of games and programs that exist... Most of what seems dross now, was still dross back then, and there's hundreds of gems that can still be enjoyed. Depends what you're into I guess?
normal
23 Jul 17#84
Does it have to be plugged into the mains?
Looking4Glitches
23 Jul 171#85
Can I programme on this?... ZX Spectrum was the first computer I learnt to programme on (I bought those monthly Magazines), I programmed my first shooter from those mags!, It took me maybe a year... I remember putting the last line of code in and run it!... WOW!. Error! nothing happened, I went through it all again still didn't work. I gave up and never bothered again :disappointed: .
It's been more than 30 years... I would like to continue where I left off.
I went down the anti establishment route and bought a Dragon 32.
What a load of ****, bought it from the catalogue for £2.50 a week.
Made my final payment last year.
lumsdot
23 Jul 17#90
16384
TesseractOrion
23 Jul 171#91
No SID chip or hardware sprites - no sale :sunglasses:
tedjourney
23 Jul 17#92
Still got the original in my loft!
Gollywood
23 Jul 17#93
I want an Acorn Electron equivalent
SlyPie
23 Jul 17#94
From people's comments do they know this is just a keyboard and not an actual spectrum. Thought I had better point this out in case people get disappointed when they receive it.
EvilMatt
24 Jul 17#95
I never had the type of spectrum with the crappy rubber keys. I had a ZX Spectrum+.
...And a **** old tape deck that chewed up tapes on occasion.
bryan_turner
24 Jul 17#96
16k, and it was a zx81 game. Although it has been ported across to the Spectrum recently.
bryan_turner
24 Jul 17#97
Got one of these cheap a while ago, and had mixed success pairing it in bluetooth mode to my smart telly.
Looking4Glitches
24 Jul 17#98
After the zx specrum I moved on to an Amstrad CPC 464 and got myself Bomb Jack! (It took 15 mins load!).
xbox1138
24 Jul 17#99
I miss my c64.....
aLV426
24 Jul 17#100
I doesn't have any video out - it has to connect to a host machine, if your host machine can output to SCART then I suppose you could say it can. However the point is this is just a cosmetically "enhanced" bluetooth keyboard. The only thing ZX Spectrum about it is it's appearance...
aLV426
24 Jul 17#101
It still had crappy keys though! I had an Interface one and Horace goes Skiing on cartridge - instant load times, however the game was so naff!
So it looks good, but it can't emulate the original ZX Spectrum keyboard layout - hence why I stated earlier you can do this with a standard USB keyboard - this is just a cosmetically enhanced bluetooth keyboard with the ability to "lock" out keys (game mode).
Shengis
24 Jul 171#104
6912.
aLV426
24 Jul 171#105
With the battery fitted it can be used as a wireless bluetooth keyboard, with the battery removed and a USB cable connected it can be used as a wired keyboard.
aLV426
24 Jul 17#106
I played this on my joystick via my ComCon interface - I went through a lot of joysticks!
gallusnumpty
24 Jul 172#107
Nonsense. I still play Spectrum games almost every week, on various emulators. I don't know that playing them on this instead would make them any better, but to suggest they're no longer enjoyable games is simply not true. (And yes, I have consoles and a PC too.)
HankHandsome
24 Jul 172#108
I've got xpectroid installed on my phone and still have regular games of "Chaos", usually when I'm on a long bus ride.
lumsdot
24 Jul 17#109
Buying old zx spectrums on ebay.
You don't know if you will get a series 1,2 or 3 motherboard. Will it work, will it just be a duff power supply or just needs a new 5v regulator.
Then you have the fun of doing this composite mod, so they will work on a modern TV. Plus you may get a low serial number
scouseshane
24 Jul 17#110
Loved this computer, used to spend a whole day doing a program from the book supplied, just so a square that changes the 8 ish colours bounced round the screen, happy days.
tipsy1973
24 Jul 17#111
That is where you are wrong, it can emulate it very well under spectacol
fishmaster
24 Jul 171#112
Chaos is a great game. Used to love that. I also used to like:
Starquake
Talisman
Halls of The Things (I actually hex edited this 30+ years ago and there's some interesting info in the code :wink: )
Skool Daze
Back to Skool
Manic Miner
Jet Set Willy
Nodes of Yesod
Wanted: Monty Mole
Strangeloop
Just about all of the Ultimate play the game titles e.g. Knight Lore, Jet Pac, Atic Atac
Movie
Valhalla
Quazatron
Fairlight
Tau Ceti
Pyjamarama
Wheelie!
The list goes on
carlalston
24 Jul 17#113
Is that with keyboard in Game mode or QWERTY mode?
tipsy1973
25 Jul 171#114
was set to game mode
carlalston
25 Jul 17#115
Cheers, time to fill up my library :stuck_out_tongue:
cricky12
25 Jul 17#116
Wow you sound like awesome fun
SlightlyFoxed
25 Jul 17#117
Showing £49.99 here.
SalfordCityRed
25 Jul 17#118
Not as awesome as you though Wow! You still sound like an unwitty, Yummy Ponce!
cricky12
26 Jul 17#119
Wow, that makes no sense, get back on your jet set Willy, you sad knob !
fishmaster
26 Jul 17#120
If anyone wants to learn to code properly then the following resources are top quality >
There's no reason to pay to learn to code. That's just a small amount of resources I know.
If you absolutely want to learn to code properly then you need to be proficient in these two areas:
1. Algorithms
2. Data Structures
A huge amount of information regarding programming from absolute experts on the subject can be garnered from http://www.quora.com and to a lesser extent on Reddit.
Here's my tips >
1. Do NOT pay
2. Do it now
2a. Do it now, that's right today!
2b. Start right now today!
3. Do it
4. Do NOT wait
5. Do NOT stop when something is difficult, it will be difficult, sometimes very difficult, do not give up!
If you can pass the above then you'll succeed.
JDPower
26 Jul 17#121
That usually happened early on during loading. Worse was when after ten mins of loading, the tape got right to the end and it just stayed on the game pic, no actual game loaded. I still remember to this day Robocop being an absolute sod for that (fierce)
carlalston
29 Jul 17#122
If anyone had Andoid and a Fire Tv stick you can sideload Spectacol app to the Firestick and add the keyboard as well, no need to stream via Chromecast, saves on lag if your android device isn't octa core. Worth noting Firestick remote works with Spectacol.
Opening post
Authentic rubber-keys, play-control of games, classic and modern.
Supplied with FREE ‘Recreated Sinclair ZX Spectrum’ iOS / Android apps.
Includes 'Chuckie Egg', 'Sinclair BASIC' and 'Game bundle'.
Sinclair ZX Spectrum games and applications also available FREE OF CHARGE via 'The recreated Sinclair ZX Spectrum Online' web app.
The ONLY 'Sinclair ZX Spectrum' device for use with phones, tablets, Macs / PCs, and TVs.
It's WIRELESS - it features high-speed Bluetooth 3.0 technology, so it's PORTABLE - combine with a phone or tablet for fun or productivity on the go.
It's OPTIMIZED - the recreated device’s ‘Game Mode' has been perfected for iOS / Android apps and for games in general, and its 'QWERTY mode' has been honed for applications requiring access to all the functionality of a full-size keyboard.
It's ADAPTABLE - it supports 'Apple TV', 'Google Chromecast', 'Amazon Fire TV', 'Roku TV', enabling 'screen mirroring' (wireless streaming of what's on the screen of a phone, tablet, Mac or PC to a HDTV).
New / existing games and apps easily updated for wireless control with the recreated Sinclair ZX Spectrum, creating a growing library from which to choose."
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Youtube, social media etc has ruined computing for me. Now everyone who can watch a YouTube video can garner the skills, there's no wow factor in anything anymore. You only have to go on Reddit and there's skillful artists, musicians and everyone is so meh about everything now when they see something that was impressive it's not anymore.
The real skill is still in the unknown, creating on the fringe and still not many people do that. The real people in this world that get credit aren't the ones that deserve it, such as actors, celebrities etc. Forget Stephen Fry, the real genuises are scientists. Almost no one knows the names of the people that created what we have now.
Alan Turing - you've heard of him, obviously a well known genius
Ivan Sutherland - nope you won't have heard of him, genius
Alan Kay - What about him, genius, object oriented programming and windowed operating system innovator
Douglas Englebart - What a genius, a total genius. The Mother of All Demos is all you need to see, also inventor of the computer mouse in 1963, prototyped in 1964
Ken Thompson & Denis Ritchie - Inventors of Unix and C programming language
Bent Stumpe - Touchscreen inventor
Just some of the people who invented what we have now not some 40-50 years ago. I thought I'd give them some credit.
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Thing is, I still can't find a complete list of all the games available, or if it's only the list on the webpage, that's not very much. I like the idea of it's portability as much as anything, but if the games aren't there, not a lot of point.
I've ordered for a bit of nostalgic Cromecast Spectrum playing and the hopes that it will be used going forward as a Bluetooth keyboard for the smart TV - it looks way cooler than the generic one I'm using at the moment!
I guess Jet Set Willy must have taught me something.
http://www.specnext.com/
Good o'days, I relive them now on my retro pie - memories never get boring....
Looks cute, but it'll be another underwhelming gadget that collects dust.
I have forgotten how many times they did it.
It always made me laugh thinking of the next person to try to load the games only to hear Boy George or Neil Diamond coming through the tv speaker!
Ok it was theft but its no worse than piracy nowadays.
They were the days (popcorn)
Yes, this is a bluetooth keyboard and always needs the manufacturers or third party emulator to work.
However, it's a fairly faithful recreation of the look and feel of the original ZX Spectrum - you are buying it for that.
It brings back fond memories and will continue to do so even if left on a shelf in the living room!
You could get one of those USB rubber keyboards for a few pounds and connect it up to your tablet of choice - very similar experience. I guess because I have the real thing I am a little bias against this, however all I see is a bluetooth keyboard in the same style as the original Spectrum - is it anything more?
There is nothing exclusive here - only about 10% of Spectrum developers have released their work into the public domain. I think that's the reason why these kinds of Spectrum "projects" fail - they can't gain the rights to emulate the original software!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F2fbIVb4Krc
Youtube, social media etc has ruined computing for me. Now everyone who can watch a YouTube video can garner the skills, there's no wow factor in anything anymore. You only have to go on Reddit and there's skillful artists, musicians and everyone is so meh about everything now when they see something that was impressive it's not anymore.
The real skill is still in the unknown, creating on the fringe and still not many people do that. The real people in this world that get credit aren't the ones that deserve it, such as actors, celebrities etc. Forget Stephen Fry, the real genuises are scientists. Almost no one knows the names of the people that created what we have now.
Alan Turing - you've heard of him, obviously a well known genius
Ivan Sutherland - nope you won't have heard of him, genius
Alan Kay - What about him, genius, object oriented programming and windowed operating system innovator
Douglas Englebart - What a genius, a total genius. The Mother of All Demos is all you need to see, also inventor of the computer mouse in 1963, prototyped in 1964
Ken Thompson & Denis Ritchie - Inventors of Unix and C programming language
Bent Stumpe - Touchscreen inventor
Just some of the people who invented what we have now not some 40-50 years ago. I thought I'd give them some credit.
And i find it disrespectful of you to imply it with your childish picture.
To say there's no skill anymore is ridiculous. To learn Android, I'm having to learn Java, Xml, Sqlite, Html and a host of other ways to code. Every piece of code is a skill and rigorous testing is needed at every stage. Yes anyone can watch a Youtube video but to take it all in takes a lot more time and effort. It's taken me 3 years to get to the stage I'm now at and I still count myself as a beginner.
Thank you ZX81 and ZX Spectrum because without them I would never have made it. And thank you Youtube because any time I face a brick wall, someone else has usually faced it also and info can be found to help solve it.
Nice list though and many of whom I'd never heard of.
For most people that's as far as it goes.
For the rest of us, we know that this is really a glorified and themed Bluetooth keyboard. The "computer" is actually contained within the App you have to download to phone or tablet.
This keyboard simply controls the app via Bluetooth.
So it is a bit of a waste of money really.
Them were the days :smile:
Luckily everyone in Dundee knew someone who worked at the Dundee Timex factory so replacements were easy to get :wink:
Not Imagine :wink:
To me, Horace WENT Skiing. Not no more. :smile:
I tried several years ago to learn Java. The code made sense thanks to my ZX Spectrum days but writing and debugging on Notepad made it only available to a select dedicated few. I kept trying though and seriously put my mind to it 3 years ago. I still struggled, maybe because of spaghetti coding learned on a Spectrum but I've got there in the end by uploading last week my first app. It may not be anything special but it serves a purpose and for an old fart of 49 I'm happy and there's more on the way.
For anyone interested, forget Youtube for learning - there's just too much conflicting videos (there's more than 1 way to solve a problem). What done it for me was the free Udacity Course that broke down the link between Xml and Java. The Java bit was easy, putting it all together was a lot harder.
Feel like all these new 'retro' mini releases are a fad
just one of many regretful trips to said charity shops the console stuff i gave away before ebay came along is frightening.
It's been more than 30 years... I would like to continue where I left off.
What a load of ****, bought it from the catalogue for £2.50 a week.
Made my final payment last year.
...And a **** old tape deck that chewed up tapes on occasion.
Some great nostalgia available free here:
https://usborne.com/browse-books/features/computer-and-coding-books/
I have the original books bought through Scholastic back in the day
I guess it's because of the instant access to games now that makes each game seem so meh - having to wait 5 minutes for the game to load certainly made you appreciate it a bit more (there was only about 15 official ROM carts)...
So it looks good, but it can't emulate the original ZX Spectrum keyboard layout - hence why I stated earlier you can do this with a standard USB keyboard - this is just a cosmetically enhanced bluetooth keyboard with the ability to "lock" out keys (game mode).
With the battery fitted it can be used as a wireless bluetooth keyboard, with the battery removed and a USB cable connected it can be used as a wired keyboard.
You don't know if you will get a series 1,2 or 3 motherboard. Will it work, will it just be a duff power supply or just needs a new 5v regulator.
Then you have the fun of doing this composite mod, so they will work on a modern TV. Plus you may get a low serial number
Starquake
Talisman
Halls of The Things (I actually hex edited this 30+ years ago and there's some interesting info in the code :wink: )
Skool Daze
Back to Skool
Manic Miner
Jet Set Willy
Nodes of Yesod
Wanted: Monty Mole
Strangeloop
Just about all of the Ultimate play the game titles e.g. Knight Lore, Jet Pac, Atic Atac
Movie
Valhalla
Quazatron
Fairlight
Tau Ceti
Pyjamarama
Wheelie!
The list goes on
Wow! You still sound like an unwitty, Yummy Ponce!
FreeCodeCamp - https://www.freecodecamp.org/
TheOdinProject - https://www.theodinproject.com/
Coursera - https://www.coursera.org/
edX - https://www.edx.org/
There's no reason to pay to learn to code. That's just a small amount of resources I know.
If you absolutely want to learn to code properly then you need to be proficient in these two areas:
1. Algorithms
2. Data Structures
A huge amount of information regarding programming from absolute experts on the subject can be garnered from http://www.quora.com and to a lesser extent on Reddit.
Here's my tips >
1. Do NOT pay
2. Do it now
2a. Do it now, that's right today!
2b. Start right now today!
3. Do it
4. Do NOT wait
5. Do NOT stop when something is difficult, it will be difficult, sometimes very difficult, do not give up!
If you can pass the above then you'll succeed.