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Stuff and Things.

Blogs & guides and tales of woo by forum members.
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rubber_jonnie
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Re: Stuff and Things.

Post by rubber_jonnie »

Icky wrote: Mon Jul 21, 2025 12:32 pm
rubber_jonnie wrote: Sun Jul 20, 2025 10:33 pm I did and it's pretty good, SD card access on a ZX81, who'd have thought it.

BTW I posted that 5 years ago!
I searched in your thread as I thought you would have one. Wow 5 years, how many machines have you acquired since then :)
I think it will be 'quite a few' not to mention I've also moved house!
Collector of many retro things!
800XL and 65XE both with Ultimate1MB,VBXL/XE & PokeyMax, SIDE3, SDrive Max, 2x 1010 cassette, 2x 1050 one with Happy mod, 3x 2600 Jr, 7800 and Lynx II
Approx 20 STs, including a 520 STM, 520 STFMs, 3x Mega ST, MSTE & 2x 32 Mhz boosted STEs
Plus the rest, totalling around 50 machines including a QL, 3x BBC Model B, Electron, Spectrums, ZX81 etc...
raspberrypioneer
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Re: Stuff and Things.

Post by raspberrypioneer »

rubber_jonnie wrote: Mon Jul 21, 2025 11:21 am @raspberrypioneer

I managed to download a TOSEC archive over the weekend and now have nearly 1300 DSK and TAP files on my USB stick.

I suspect it'll take some time to figure out which ones are good/bad...
Mining for hidden gems is not easy! That's what I tell by bemused other half too :lol:

Will be interesting to know about others which grab your attention!
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rubber_jonnie
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Re: Stuff and Things.

Post by rubber_jonnie »

raspberrypioneer wrote: Mon Jul 21, 2025 3:17 pm
rubber_jonnie wrote: Mon Jul 21, 2025 11:21 am @raspberrypioneer

I managed to download a TOSEC archive over the weekend and now have nearly 1300 DSK and TAP files on my USB stick.

I suspect it'll take some time to figure out which ones are good/bad...
Mining for hidden gems is not easy! That's what I tell by bemused other half too :lol:

Will be interesting to know about others which grab your attention!
It may not happen soon though...
Collector of many retro things!
800XL and 65XE both with Ultimate1MB,VBXL/XE & PokeyMax, SIDE3, SDrive Max, 2x 1010 cassette, 2x 1050 one with Happy mod, 3x 2600 Jr, 7800 and Lynx II
Approx 20 STs, including a 520 STM, 520 STFMs, 3x Mega ST, MSTE & 2x 32 Mhz boosted STEs
Plus the rest, totalling around 50 machines including a QL, 3x BBC Model B, Electron, Spectrums, ZX81 etc...
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rubber_jonnie
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Re: Stuff and Things.

Post by rubber_jonnie »

Well, my back ordered The Spectrum just arrived :)

Had to wait a while for it, but it's very nice:

IMG20250722120015.jpg
IMG20250722120015.jpg (308.66 KiB) Viewed 1037 times

Build quality is very good and it really does mimi the original very well.
Collector of many retro things!
800XL and 65XE both with Ultimate1MB,VBXL/XE & PokeyMax, SIDE3, SDrive Max, 2x 1010 cassette, 2x 1050 one with Happy mod, 3x 2600 Jr, 7800 and Lynx II
Approx 20 STs, including a 520 STM, 520 STFMs, 3x Mega ST, MSTE & 2x 32 Mhz boosted STEs
Plus the rest, totalling around 50 machines including a QL, 3x BBC Model B, Electron, Spectrums, ZX81 etc...
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stephen_usher
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Re: Stuff and Things.

Post by stephen_usher »

:dualthumbup:

If I didn't have a Next (KS1) it would be tempting. The game menu is a big seller. It's a pity that the Next can't get something similar in some way, even using the standard Next spectrum graphics display.
Intro retro computers since before they were retro...
ZX81->Spectrum->Memotech MTX->Sinclair QL->520STM->BBC Micro->TT030->PCs & Sun Workstations.
Added code to the MiNT kernel (still there the last time I checked) + put together MiNTOS.
Collection now with added Macs, Amigas, Suns and Acorns.
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rubber_jonnie
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Re: Stuff and Things.

Post by rubber_jonnie »

stephen_usher wrote: Tue Jul 22, 2025 12:54 pm :dualthumbup:

If I didn't have a Next (KS1) it would be tempting. The game menu is a big seller. It's a pity that the Next can't get something similar in some way, even using the standard Next spectrum graphics display.
Seems odd it doesn't have a menu in the KS1 Next. TBH I haven't looked at it, but I did see there is a KS3 campaign on the go right now. Is there much in the way of 'Next' games? I presume it'll run most if not all normal Spectrum stuff.
Collector of many retro things!
800XL and 65XE both with Ultimate1MB,VBXL/XE & PokeyMax, SIDE3, SDrive Max, 2x 1010 cassette, 2x 1050 one with Happy mod, 3x 2600 Jr, 7800 and Lynx II
Approx 20 STs, including a 520 STM, 520 STFMs, 3x Mega ST, MSTE & 2x 32 Mhz boosted STEs
Plus the rest, totalling around 50 machines including a QL, 3x BBC Model B, Electron, Spectrums, ZX81 etc...
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stephen_usher
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Re: Stuff and Things.

Post by stephen_usher »

rubber_jonnie wrote: Tue Jul 22, 2025 1:04 pm
stephen_usher wrote: Tue Jul 22, 2025 12:54 pm :dualthumbup:

If I didn't have a Next (KS1) it would be tempting. The game menu is a big seller. It's a pity that the Next can't get something similar in some way, even using the standard Next spectrum graphics display.
Seems odd it doesn't have a menu in the KS1 Next. TBH I haven't looked at it, but I did see there is a KS3 campaign on the go right now. Is there much in the way of 'Next' games? I presume it'll run most if not all normal Spectrum stuff.
There are a number of Next only games, but I wouldn't know how to buy them. (Yes, most are commercial.)

Loading games is via the text-only ESXDOS interface which just means searching the filesystem for files which may or may not have intelligible names.
Intro retro computers since before they were retro...
ZX81->Spectrum->Memotech MTX->Sinclair QL->520STM->BBC Micro->TT030->PCs & Sun Workstations.
Added code to the MiNT kernel (still there the last time I checked) + put together MiNTOS.
Collection now with added Macs, Amigas, Suns and Acorns.
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rubber_jonnie
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Re: Stuff and Things.

Post by rubber_jonnie »

stephen_usher wrote: Tue Jul 22, 2025 1:10 pm
rubber_jonnie wrote: Tue Jul 22, 2025 1:04 pm

Seems odd it doesn't have a menu in the KS1 Next. TBH I haven't looked at it, but I did see there is a KS3 campaign on the go right now. Is there much in the way of 'Next' games? I presume it'll run most if not all normal Spectrum stuff.
There are a number of Next only games, but I wouldn't know how to buy them. (Yes, most are commercial.)

Loading games is via the text-only ESXDOS interface which just means searching the filesystem for files which may or may not have intelligible names.
Oh, bit weird that. Looking at the KS page I'm not convinced the current one will have a menu either.

As for the games, I'm not entirely surprised they are commercial, there's definitely a few other platforms (Atari Plus, VIC-20 etc) that have new commercial games out for them.
Collector of many retro things!
800XL and 65XE both with Ultimate1MB,VBXL/XE & PokeyMax, SIDE3, SDrive Max, 2x 1010 cassette, 2x 1050 one with Happy mod, 3x 2600 Jr, 7800 and Lynx II
Approx 20 STs, including a 520 STM, 520 STFMs, 3x Mega ST, MSTE & 2x 32 Mhz boosted STEs
Plus the rest, totalling around 50 machines including a QL, 3x BBC Model B, Electron, Spectrums, ZX81 etc...
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Re: Stuff and Things.

Post by Higgy »

stephen_usher wrote: Tue Jul 22, 2025 12:54 pm :dualthumbup:

If I didn't have a Next (KS1) it would be tempting. The game menu is a big seller. It's a pity that the Next can't get something similar in some way, even using the standard Next spectrum graphics display.
Have you tried this for a menu:
https://launcher.retrobeachman.com/
Even better features if you have WiFi module.
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stephen_usher
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Re: Stuff and Things.

Post by stephen_usher »

Oh. Interesting. I'll take a look.
Intro retro computers since before they were retro...
ZX81->Spectrum->Memotech MTX->Sinclair QL->520STM->BBC Micro->TT030->PCs & Sun Workstations.
Added code to the MiNT kernel (still there the last time I checked) + put together MiNTOS.
Collection now with added Macs, Amigas, Suns and Acorns.
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