The Return of the Home computer?

[Surefoot]

Just because 'you' dont see the need. What about people who collect and maintain 'Classic; cars. These are the orginal cars warts and all not modern replicas. They might use them or just keep them in the garage . You seem to like to 'control' other people knowledge acquisition and experience and the guise of beige helpful. I have rediscovered my interest in these classic computer precisely because someone isnt telling me what to do.

You are completely missing the point here. First i am talking about these new emulators-in-a-plastic-box things, which are definitely not the classic models.
I perfectly understand people who collect classic computers, a friend of mine does, also i'm a fan of Retromacave. But what we're talking about here is not that. It's an emulator running on a cheap chinese knock-off SoC, put in a modern box, with absolutely no relation with the classic build apart from the looks maybe. You are talking about collecting classic cars, then it's like trying to dress up today's Ford Fiesta (or a small Kia, since we're mentioning chinese knockoffs) into an early 1970's Firebird TransAm, and sell it at the price of that classic car or even more: I still cant see the point. Like i said, if you want an emulated thing, the RPi will do it better than those cheap SoCs as it wont be limited. If you want the classic thing for collection, then it's not the topic we are discussing here.

 

[Agony_Aunt]

I can still fix aircraft, in an emergency.

Over Macho Grande?

 

[Hairychest]

Over Macho Grande?

I'll never get over Macho Grande!

I've been through all this too, from ZX81 onwards. We had one computer at school, an Apple][ and we played a text game called Hammurabi.

I went Atari ST rather than Amiga and coded the boot system myself for the colour screen or high res mono screen. Those were the days...

Moved onto PC in late 80s and stuck with them, building and upgrading as I went. I think my current PC is a bit like Triggers brush (Only Fools and Horses reference).

 

[Agony_Aunt]

I'll never get over Macho Grande!

I've been through all this too, from ZX81 onwards. We had one computer at school, an Apple][ and we played a text game called Hammurabi.

I went Atari ST rather than Amiga and coded the boot system myself for the colour screen or high res mono screen. Those were the days...

Moved onto PC in late 80s and stuck with them, building and upgrading as I went. I think my current PC is a bit like Triggers brush (Only Fools and Horses reference).

Heh, we also had an Apple ][ at school. The majority were BBCs but we also had a small eclectic collection of other computers.

Unfortunately i lagged behind my classmates at school in terms of computers, my parents unable (or unwilling) to pay for computers like some other parents would. So while others were on Commodore 64 i had a Commodore +4. When my friends had the Spectrum 128 I had the Spectrum 48. I didn't get an Amiga until i could afford one myself, years after all my friends had Amigas and Atari STs.

 

[Hairychest]

I also had a BBC B, Dragon 32, brother had a Spectrum, as you say, it wasn't really until I could afford my own did I move to Atari ST.

We had a Pong clone in the late 70s and my brother had a Donkey Kong console (don't ask me what it was) in early 80s...

 

[Fishy]

(or a small Kia, since we're mentioning chinese knockoffs)

Kia is South Korean, and they're well above cheap knockoffs with some of the best EVs on the market at the moment.

 

[Navigare Necesse Est]

We had Apples at school and learned Logo on them. Well, programming a turtle to make geometric figures. I saved a little routine I named "Fineliner" so the turtel would make much nicer lines.
Later we were given impossible tasks to add up registers with insufficient instructions. But some smartass figured out a way to do it anyway. It had a bit of elegance like jommetry solutions.

 

[starman]

Its seems a BBC micro outside UK is still considered a curiosity

Source: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=miTQGQyYJU4&fbclid=IwAR07OOAORB9ZYO4XZVfsUuRlRJE5-uptudK2W-W9Z5jGLFErZ_t843orctk

 

[Navigare Necesse Est]

The Amstrad CPC was named Schneider CPC in my country.

 

[Ralph Vargr]

Over Macho Grande?

No, I'll never get over Macho Grande....

 

[Ralph Vargr]

Shared time mainframe terminal. Then, a PDP-8. First I ever owned was the infamous Radio Shack Color computer, bought for myself on my meager military pay.

 

[CMDR Junagu]

You are completely missing the point here. First i am talking about these new emulators-in-a-plastic-box things, which are definitely not the classic models.
.....But what we're talking about here is not that. It's an emulator running on a cheap chinese knock-off SoC, put in a modern box, with absolutely no relation with the classic build apart from the looks maybe..

No, that's not what we're talking about here. We're talking about a very faithful recreation of an important piece of home computer history that still has an active community. The hardware features some very well integrated and well thought out upgrades. The same designer who designed the original is responsible for the "looks" (and also the feel). There are some significant people who worked with the orginal involved in the firmware/software. We're definitely not talking about emulators-in-a-plastic-box. It's exactly what the ZX Spectrum Next isn't. A Raspberry Pi will not do a better job.

 

[Navigare Necesse Est]

No, that's not what we're talking about here. We're talking about a very faithful recreation of an important piece of home computer history that still has an active community. The hardware features some very well integrated and well thought out upgrades. The same designer who designed the original is responsible for the "looks" (and also the feel). There are some significant people who worked with the orginal involved in the firmware/software. We're definitely not talking about emulators-in-a-plastic-box. It's exactly what the ZX Spectrum Next isn't. A Raspberry Pi will not do a better job.

You see, I dont really take it serious when someone talks about semiconductor and software and then it turns out it's just a fancy designer ripoff.

 

[Surefoot]

No, that's not what we're talking about here.

People were mentioning the C64 emulator-in-a-box and such, with the thread title being "Return of the Home computer ?". We are talking about this.

A Raspberry Pi will not do a better job.

It will, and will emulate a lot more systems if you want to, and save space and wiring doing so. Unless that re-creation does something magic that a real modern computer (which the RPi is) cannot do... And i'm not attached to a plastic box re-creation, as it's not the collectible original.

 

[CMDR Junagu]

People were mentioning the C64 emulator-in-a-box and such, with the thread title being "Return of the Home computer ?". We are talking about this.

The people that mentioned the C64 emulator-in-a-box brought it up as an example of a not very good implementation of an old home computer. So the only way that we're talking about that is as an example of why-bother? The OP specifically mentions the ZX Spectrum Next, which is quite a different kettle of fish.

It will, and will emulate a lot more systems if you want to, and save space and wiring doing so. Unless that re-creation does something magic that a real modern computer (which the RPi is) cannot do... And i'm not attached to a plastic box re-creation, as it's not the collectible original.

You're missing the point. Try having a look at the specifics of the ZX Spectrum Next - it does things and has features that you are never going to get by a RaspPi running an emulator. A lot of the KS backers presuambly want this and aren't so bothered about all the other things that a RaspPi can do nor the other systems it can emulate. So as far as providing an updated and solid implementation of an old system at the hardware and software level the RaspPi will not do a better job. Your wrong, case closed, go home. Have you even had more than a cursory glance at the ZX Spectrum Next specifications? Or are you just looking at the pictures?

 

[starman]

You're missing the point. Try having a look at the specifics of the ZX Spectrum Next - it does things and has features that you are never going to get by a RaspPi running an emulator. A lot of the KS backers presuambly want this and aren't so bothered about all the other things that a RaspPi can do nor the other systems it can emulate. So as far as providing an updated and solid implementation of an old system at the hardware and software level the RaspPi will not do a better job. Your wrong, case closed, go home. Have you even had more than a cursory glance at the ZX Spectrum Next specifications? Or are you just looking at the pictures?

Lets be honest may of these spectrum next will end up on ebay at double the price. Its interesting it wasn't developed in UK. I have just added a rasbery by to my BBC micro yes really. Its like school all over again arguing which computer is 'better' Most people don't fully utilise what they have.

 

[CMDR Junagu]

Lets be honest may of these spectrum next will end up on ebay at double the price. Its interesting it wasn't developed in UK. I have just added a rasbery by to my BBC micro yes really. Its like school all over again arguing which computer is 'better' Most people don't fully utilise what they have.

That's one of the reasons I backed it - I know I don't utilise my PCs to even a fraction of their capabilities and want to have a go with something more "primitive" that also can talk to modern hardware/software and is a solid, all-in-one package. I'm not suprised it wasn't developed in the UK - many times things are improved upon by being bounced around different cultures at different times. The 'personality' of the machine looks like it can do a BBC Micro too.

As for the eBay sales - I'm sure some of them will, but many? Not sure about that. Regardless - presumably there's a market for them, so it still indicates a demand and still increases the userbase. I think the ZXSpectrumNext project has also released design documents so that clones can be made (of which some have started to appear already), meaning that the userbase is expanded further.

 

[CMDR Junagu]

You see, I dont really take it serious when someone talks about semiconductor and software and then it turns out it's just a fancy designer ripoff.

This isn't really a fair assessment or accurate understanding of the system mentioned in the OP and seems a bit fatuous - having trouble taking it seriously.

 

[Juniper]

You're missing the point. Try having a look at the specifics of the ZX Spectrum Next - it does things and has features that you are never going to get by a RaspPi running an emulator. A lot of the KS backers presuambly want this and aren't so bothered about all the other things that a RaspPi can do nor the other systems it can emulate. So as far as providing an updated and solid implementation of an old system at the hardware and software level the RaspPi will not do a better job. Your wrong, case closed, go home. Have you even had more than a cursory glance at the ZX Spectrum Next specifications? Or are you just looking at the pictures?

This is actually what put me off the various C64 "recreations" that have cropped up in the last 5 years or so. Yes, they're putting a C64 into a box that looks like a C64, but it doesn't have all the hardware connections of the original (no cartridge port for example). In those instances, you may as well just use a Raspberry Pi, because it will be just as functional and probably more flexible too.

I haven't seen anything on the ZX Spectrum Next with this. It looks like the others - a box with a keyboard, and an "emulator" inside. I was never a Speccy fan, so the idea doesn't appeal anyway (to me), but that would be the pre-requisite for a project like this. If it models the hardware to an extent that you can use old Sinclair RAM packs etc, then fair play.

 

[CMDR Junagu]

It looks like the others - a box with a keyboard, and an "emulator" inside. I was never a Speccy fan, so the idea doesn't appeal anyway (to me), but that would be the pre-requisite for a project like this. If it models the hardware to an extent that you can use old Sinclair RAM packs etc, then fair play.

It's definitely not just a box with a keyboard and an emulator inside and it is specifically designed to be completely backwards compatible with all the old hardware. A fairly comprehensive list of specifications here.

The following is a summary from people more knowledgeable than me:
This is NOT just a basic Z80 SBC Single Board Computer. It has many built in Audio interfaces, SD Card interfaces, i2c, SPI, i2s, Z80bus, RTC, Wi-Fi, RPi to do 'other' optional functions, More Advanced graphics modes and sprites, Multiple machine personalities, multiple cores, DMA controllers, a co processor similar to the Amiga, Banked memory, Multi format Joystick interfaces, A built in full keyboard, 2 monitor screen support, SID audio, MP3 and many other format audio playback, Upgradable FPGA based design.
It is an Official Sinclair Branded ZX Spectrum machine that has integrated hardware, Keyboard, expansion bus etc like a Real computer.
The Next is NOT like any other emulator or FPGA Synthesis. It incorporates the best of the older hardware and a lot of new Audio, Video and other functionality.