The Official ZX Spectrum Thread I guess

[Hwlngmad]

It's a bummer that it is not being released in the US, though not a big surprise.  However, I wish they would have done something different and used the ZX Spectrum+ (or 128k 'toastrack') design instead.  Granted, I understand why they went with the classic Speccy (i.e., dead flesh) design.  But, still, something a bit different than what has / is already been out there by products like the ZX Omni and ZX Spectrum NEXT Computer N-GO would be cool to see.

[roots.genoa]

It's not available (to pre-order that is) in France yet. 😩

[shane857]

22 hours ago, Hwlngmad said:

It's a bummer that it is not being released in the US, though not a big surprise.  However, I wish they would have done something different and used the ZX Spectrum+ (or 128k 'toastrack') design instead.  Granted, I understand why they went with the classic Speccy (i.e., dead flesh) design.  But, still, something a bit different than what has / is already been out there by products like the ZX Omni and ZX Spectrum NEXT Computer N-GO would be cool to see.

Maybe they will release it in the US at a later date. I suppose it depends on how well it sells in the UK and Europe.

There is a surprising amount of interest in the US from what I've seen and read so who knows, maybe..

[Bill Loguidice]

2 minutes ago, shane857 said:

Maybe they will release it in the US at a later date. I suppose it depends on how well it sells in the UK and Europe.

There is a surprising amount of interest in the US from what I've seen and read so who knows, maybe..

Maybe it's a supply issue? Like they want to meet European (the major market for a product like this) demand before they bring low-risk stock availability to something like Amazon US. 

[shane857]

Will be interesting to see how accurate and durable the actual working keyboard is on 'The Spectrum'

The original ZX spectrum(s) keyboards were renowned for failing and keys breaking off etc.

Also quite a complex keyboard for beginners to get accustomed to with the different functions of the command keys.

[shane857]

Just now, Bill Loguidice said:

Maybe it's a supply issue? Like they want to meet European (the major market for a product like this) demand before they bring low-risk stock availability to something like Amazon US. 

Sounds like a likely explanation. After all, the original ZX Spectrum was never released in the US.

[roots.genoa]

It has appeared on Amazon France, Retro Games Limited updated its retailer list. But still no US I'm afraid.

[carlsson]

How many customers will actually use the keyboard other than input in certain games which don't support joystick? I mean, did people really type in programs on THEC64 full version, or at least LOAD commands? I wouldn't put too much weight onto that aspect.

[r_chase]

I'm probably gonna have to do that pre-order of that RGL Speccy from Amazon UK. I kinda have both a good and bad feeling of it selling like hotcakes in the casual market.

Of course, I'll wait and see if there'll be better options first, but I feel the chances are dwindling since Amazon US doesn't have the stuff yet. We'll see after a few days maybe.

[r_chase]

Okay, so I might not be able to afford the RGL Speccy at all until a later time.

I would say it's a good thing that I have a Raspberry Pi 3B+ running ZXBaremulator, but then I still have to deal with taking the microSD card out just to load some games into it...which kinda sucks tbh.

[roots.genoa]

The thing will not be released until the end of November, so there's still plenty of time for US retailers to sell it. Is there an FAQ on RGL's site or something that clearly says if it will be released in the US or not?

[shane857]

Smyths the UK toy company that leaked the info of 'The Spectrum' before the official announcement are no longer taking pre-orders

It is available to pre-order on Amazon UK for £89.99, thou personally I'm going to wait until the release and then reviews before even considering purchasing.

[r_chase]

11 hours ago, roots.genoa said:

The thing will not be released until the end of November, so there's still plenty of time for US retailers to sell it. Is there an FAQ on RGL's site or something that clearly says if it will be released in the US or not?

I'm afraid there's no FAQ for anything about The Spectrum yet, so I'm now even more unsure of what's going on. I even checked RGL's website myself.

[shane857]

 

[eightbit]

I just ordered a ZX Omni tonight. Where have I been? Not following ZX stuff apparently...

 

Some years ago I had purchased a Harlequin clone ZX Speccy from a member here on AA and had purchased a DivMMC. As I live in the USA I had no nostalgia for the computer itself, although of course I knew many of the games via ports on other computers of the era.

 

I really started to dig the little machine but I foolishly sold it off when my interests shifted. I was always kind of PO'ed at myself that I did that.

 

Tonight I found out about the Omni. This is basically what I had...DivMMC built in. And brand new for $150 shipped? I'm sold!

[Loccy]

On 8/29/2024 at 11:24 PM, carlsson said:

How many customers will actually use the keyboard other than input in certain games which don't support joystick? I mean, did people really type in programs on THEC64 full version, or at least LOAD commands? I wouldn't put too much weight onto that aspect.

I used my The64 in exhibitions and retro-themed outreach events, sitting there in BASIC with some simple programs for participants to try. So you'd be surprised. 

 

I suspect a lot more Spectrum owners did programming on their machines than 64 owners, simply because Sinclair BASIC was a bajillion times better than what Commodore had provided and didn't require lines and lines of POKEs to do anything other than text. 

 

It's perhaps interesting to note that RGL's teaser video had them typing in the quintessential 10 PRINT "SOMETHING" / 20 GOTO 10 program, using the "marvellous" single keyword input method we all "loved" in the day. I'd argue this will be a bigger part on this Spectrum than it ever was on their 64 machine. 

[carlsson]

Ok. I've been on the Internet far too long to not get drawn into a C64 vs Spectrum discussion, but good that you enjoyed the BASIC. I have used both and find that they have respective strengths and weaknesses. In the events I have been arranging, we tend to use original hardware coupled with a multicart since the majority of visitors come to play games, though it happens every now and then that someone boots it to BASIC and starts typing.

[Bill Loguidice]

1 minute ago, Loccy said:

I suspect a lot more Spectrum owners did programming on their machines than 64 owners, simply because Sinclair BASIC was a bajillion times better than what Commodore had provided and didn't require lines and lines of POKEs to do anything other than text. 

 

It's perhaps interesting to note that RGL's teaser video had them typing in the quintessential 10 PRINT "SOMETHING" / 20 GOTO 10 program, using the "marvellous" single keyword input method we all "loved" in the day. I'd argue this will be a bigger part on this Spectrum than it ever was on their 64 machine. 

I'd argue that programming in BASIC was equally approachable to owners of both machines. The C-64, you could type directly in the full-screen editor immediately after powering on. With the Spectrum, you had to go through a few hoops and get used to the shortcuts on the keyboard, and, frankly, a keyboard that was unfriendly to typing. The Spectrum (and other computers) may have had a "better" stock BASIC, but was that really relevant to anyone doing anything with their computers at the time? You worked with what you had.

It's funny to me to keep hearing the argument (which I've frankly only been hearing recently) that somehow Spectrum owners did more "productive" stuff programming-wise - and somehow continue to do so - with their computers than C-64 owners, which, if you know the C-64 community, past and present, you know is ridiculous. It's like the schoolyard "my computer platform is better than your computer platform" nonsense never stopped. We should all just enjoy the fact that we still get to enjoy these platforms 40+ years later, and nearly every computer platform (save for extreme outliers like the VideoBrain) - no matter how minor or major - had and has plenty of usage outside of gaming, including programming, word processing, and all kinds of ahead-of-their-time use cases.

[Loccy]

20 hours ago, carlsson said:

In the events I have been arranging, we tend to use original hardware coupled with a multicart since the majority of visitors come to play games, though it happens every now and then that someone boots it to BASIC and starts typing.

In our exhibitions, we predominantly leave most machines running games too, but we sprinkle a few machines that are sitting there in BASIC, maybe wwith a manual or magazine with some listings. Some platforms work better for that than others - BBC Micro, for instance. 

 

At my last exhibition I had this 8 year old lad on a Spectrum who literally wouldn't leave when we were closing up. "Can I do just one more program?" It was brilliant to see. He was just getting to the point where he was seeing things to tweak in the listings rather than just typing things in mindlessly. 

20 hours ago, Bill Loguidice said:

I'd argue that programming in BASIC was equally approachable to owners of both machines. The C-64, you could type directly in the full-screen editor immediately after powering on. With the Spectrum, you had to go through a few hoops and get used to the shortcuts on the keyboard, and, frankly, a keyboard that was unfriendly to typing. 

Hmmm. True, I suppose. The rubber keyed Speccy was such a part of my formative years I can fire up a 48K machine even today and start typing in code. Interestingly, at one school outreach event when I had programming on Spectrums with 14 year olds going on, I offered one lad the chance to switch from a 48K to a 128 (with single key, "normal" input) and after ten minutes he wanted to switch back "because it was faster". The barrier was to entry - once you were up and going, the superior BASIC on the Spectrum (I think) lent itself much more to exploration and learning to code. But you're right, we worked with what we had. 

20 hours ago, Bill Loguidice said:

It's funny to me to keep hearing the argument (which I've frankly only been hearing recently) that somehow Spectrum owners did more "productive" stuff programming-wise - and somehow continue to do so - with their computers than C-64 owners

I wasn't saying they were more "productive" - more I think those who buy an RGL Spectrum are probably more likely to spend SOME time in the BASIC than on The 64. Part of that will be nostalgia for that hideous rubber key keyboard and the single keyword input, I'd wager!

20 hours ago, Bill Loguidice said:

It's like the schoolyard "my computer platform is better than your computer platform" nonsense never stopped. 

Oh come on, where's your inner child? They didn't stop. And my computer platform IS better than your computer platform 😁

 

(meanwhile, 10 year old me would be aghast to know 50 year old collector me owns a Vic-20, 64, 64C, C16, Plus/4 and Amiga! And even more aghast to hear me say "the Atari 8-bit line was by far the best platform of the era")

Edited September 5 by Loccy
typos

[r_chase]

Well...now I'm a little bummed because UK Amazon now cannot dispatch The Spectrum pre-order to my location. I live in the States btw and I know I should've saw that coming, but I'm still bummed about it. I was gonna wait until they release it in November though.

[Bill Loguidice]

1 minute ago, r_chase said:

Well...now I'm a little bummed because UK Amazon now cannot dispatch The Spectrum pre-order to my location. I live in the States btw and I know I should've saw that coming, but I'm still bummed about it. I was gonna wait until they release it in November though.

Mine is still good to New Jersey.

[shane857]

36 minutes ago, r_chase said:

Well...now I'm a little bummed because UK Amazon now cannot dispatch The Spectrum pre-order to my location. I live in the States btw and I know I should've saw that coming, but I'm still bummed about it. I was gonna wait until they release it in November though.

That seems harsh and unfair. Why won't they ship to you? I've bought stuff from Amazon US and they have delivered to me, with extra fees obviously Tax/customs etc.

[infinite.pies]

11 hours ago, r_chase said:

Well...now I'm a little bummed because UK Amazon now cannot dispatch The Spectrum pre-order to my location. I live in the States btw and I know I should've saw that coming, but I'm still bummed about it. I was gonna wait until they release it in November though.

Amazon UK has stopped offering shipping to the USA, Australia and New Zealand. Maybe they've sold out of the pre-orders for these countries?

 

I would guess they'll have more stock for overseas at some point, but an alternative is to buy from ShopTo in the UK who are offering international shipping. The shipping seems to be more expensive than Amazon, but maybe they'll actually send it out in a box so that it doesn't get ripped to shreds on the journey?

[r_chase]

Yeah...maybe I should ask Plaion to do a US distribution of RGL's TheSpectrum.

@Ben from Plaion I know you're not in charge of the Speccy department, but I wonder who do I talk to get a legit US distribution of that thing. Apologies in advance for the ping.

[Ben from Plaion]

19 minutes ago, r_chase said:

Yeah...maybe I should ask Plaion to do a US distribution of RGL's TheSpectrum.

@Ben from Plaion I know you're not in charge of the Speccy department, but I wonder who do I talk to get a legit US distribution of that thing. Apologies in advance for the ping.

Everyone involved is aware from social media posts about this matter.

 

I'll pass your message on to my colleague who manages RGL products at Plaion.